The suspected coyote prints continued along the trail. After 100 feet I was starting to doubt that the prints were coyote. Why would a coyote follow the trail? It must be a domestic dog, I thought, and I must somehow be missing the prints left by the accompanying owner of the dog. I was about to make that conclusion, but then I had an idea on how to put the issue to rest. Ahead on the trail was a wide but shallow drainage ditch that I knew would be flooded. If the prints went beyond this ditch and if the layer of ice on top of the water was undisturbed, a sign that there was no human accompanying the animal, then these prints are even less likely to be from man’s best friend. The ice was indeed undisturbed and the prints did continue on the other side. I had my answer: this animal was not accompanied by a human. At the edge of the ditch the suspected coyote readied itself for a leap across as these prints show.