Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Had a Bobcat in the yard!

I got a little post/feed station in the bottom corner of the yard. We put out expired veggies, corn cobs, salt, and peanut butter for the deer and bunnies and other critters that are the nearest neighbors. It's a little over 75 yards from the back deck.
Last night after sunset I happened to look out the window and saw something sitting on its haunches studying something in the higher grass. I thought it was a big gray fox, but it was hard to be sure in the fading light. Luckily I keep the .22 Magnum handy for keeping the neighbors out of the garden, and took a look through the 9 power on the scope.
Tufted ears and short stubby tail! Nah, can't be, I told myself.
I stepped out on the deck, surprisingly it never moved when the door slid open. I called to it while looking through the scope, and it stood up so I could positively ID the visitor.
It looked at me a few seconds and then slunk off into the brushy little ravine that borders the property.
I wish I'd grabbed the camera!
7mm

They are out there and they are elusive! I have been living in the NC wilderness for 23 years, and I have seen one bobcat. Big guy about 35 pounds. Saw him last September.
Funny, all summer we were over run with rabbits. In August all the bunnies disappeared. And then in September, I saw the bobcat.

In all the deer hunting I did in central Georgia, I saw a bobcat on one occasion. Was up in the stand and saw two bobcats, small ones like teen agers, about 15 pounds. They were travelling together so I guess they were twins.
They are beautiful creatures.

I figured he's gunning for bunnies. I got about a dozen of all sizes that chase eachother around the yard after I get done cutting the grass. I get a beer and set and watch them play, and come October, I occasionally invite one in for supper!
To be honest, I'm a little jealous of other predators around here! But it was getting late, and not wanting to bother with the second "S" of the three S'es, I never reached for the magazine.
I've seen one other around here, a few years ago one crossed the road in front of me as I was coming down the mountain.
7mm

Sung by Buck Owens, wasn't it?

Had one on trail cam last week. I usually get a few pictures every year.

I am glad you didn't shoot him.

Without pictures, it never happened.

They come to my deer feeders all the time chasing birds.
Fun to watch in action. Saw a big ole doe with fawns chase one off once.

First 25 years I hunted I saw 2, then the logging came and I see them almost every year now. I even have them behind the house in a few hundred acre thicket. Even with them and the yotes there are rabbits in my yard every night.

This came walking through my yard headed towards chick coup nose up when I was hollering and started shooting 9mm at the ground! He had been in chickens just down the road! Got pic after he left yard! Around 400lbs!

I run a Bobcat rescue where people bring me sick or injured Bobcats.

I carry em in the shed, put em on a stretcher, and try to nurse em back to health but my success rate is pretty low.



If they look peeked I hold em upside down and try to get some blood to their brains.

That doesn't work that well either but I keep trying.





And sometimes I try to get em to play with the dogs to cheer em up but they're pretty lazy.

I'm very touched at your care for these critters!
7mm

maybe $2800 there, top photo?

Like Charlie I keep one flatcat in the Bdrm and two in the shop.

IIRC it was $2400 but it's been a while.

ID Cats don't have the bellies northern Cats have.


poboy.....I have a pic somewhere of two cats on stretchers leaning up behind the wood stove in my living room.

I try and find it.

And yes......I'm a bachelor. )

I get bobcats on my cameras here in Centre County pa.

Good looking pussys there......

Bobcat in the yard:

When we lived on the east side of the mountains in Chelan I had a bobcat sitting under a Ponderosa Pine watching the quail peck around. I had the crosshairs resting on its chest but didn’t shoot it. My softer side got the better of me, especially when my little boy hollered to mom...”mommy, daddy’s gonna shoot the kitty”. 😁

My wife saw a couple bobcats too while we lived there.

I’ve actually seen more Lynx in my life than bobcats but the Lynx were up north outside of Delta Junction.

One of my deer stands is close to a dozer pile that has a bobcat den under it. One of them made the mistake of coming out during daylight a couple of years ago. My son put a hole in it. There are others that will get a hole in them some day. They usually come out when it is too dark to see them.