Mink, Fox, Raccoon--Otter?

Our neighbor Ron Holt did a fine job mounting the mink that our neighbor Jeff Klenk's dog killed last spring. I feel a bit like a middle man in a negotiation that brought the mink from Jeff's marsh to Ron's shop and now to our livingroom. But it's a truly handsome creature that will join Miss Coop now in enlivening our home, despite the paradox of the language involved.

And the new location of the trail camera at the new bridge seems to be paying off. This is only the second time it has captured a fox. That pile of raccoons is entertaining, so long as they stay down in the marsh. We do get fewer deer photos in this location, but we'll keep it there for a while.

The muddy paw prints on the 2 x 12 boards above have preoccupied me lately. They're neither canine nor feline, and they're far too large to be mink. I'm tempted to think they're otter tracks, but can our little river supply food and shelter enough for river otters? Goodness knows, I hope so, but unless one of you can definitely identify them, we'll have to wait for further observations.

By the way, Ron today told me that bears have been seen at least three times over on Sherman Road, less than a mile from here and in the same river bottom, in the past few years. All to the good.