How about Bobcats?

I just asked about bird photo tips, how about bobcats. I have spent half of my

39 years in the woods and swamps. I have seen a total of 5 fleeting bobcats in

my life. One was very close to me, looked very petable. All that was before I

ever thought about photography.

 

It seems that it would be very difficult to capture a wild bob. There habitat

is pretty much anything that is not urban. I also understand there numbers are

not that good anymore. Very, very secritive and very keen senses.

 

I am really proud of my otter shots. I picked an area in my state nearest my

home where I may get lucky with otters. I went armed with a 70-200mm lens, you

have to make do with what you have. I walked around the small lake and found

otter scat and feet print in the mud. I set up and 45 minutes later got 12

shots. I ended up staying there for 3 hours with no more luck. One of those

shots is in my SC midlands folder. It would have been better with a 500mm but I

really like the reflected fall colors.

 

It wont be that easy with the bobcats. I doubt few people here have bobcat

photos, or want to give up any secrets. At least share some photos, stories or

both.

 

Thanks,

Derek

I've seen a wild bobcat with my own eyes exactly once, late dusk, in a very suburban setting. Wouldn't have known it was there until the wind shifted around, and my dog picked up on it. They can hunt pretty much anywhere that a fox can, but they are indeed less common in places where there are lots of people. I would never have been able to get that shot without artificial lighting that I would never have known to set up where I saw the cat. They would indeed make very challenging subjects.

 

On the other hand, my grandfather killed several of them, caught over time, red-handed, raiding his chicken coops in Michigan. So, like most critters, if you put out their favorite buffet, you increase your chances of encountering them in a setting that you can photographically predict and control. Mmmm, chicken!

We have a healthy cat population here in New Mexico, I've been tramping around NM's outback fifty years or so, I've seen cats on many occasions, I have but a few wild cat photos. Cats are stealthy, they will always know where you are way before you'll know of them, and they are fast. Your best bet; do as hunters do, camera instead of gun, good luck.

While visiting a ranch in Colorado, we'd wake up mornings and see bobcat tracks around the stables. No doubt hunting the rodents that were raiding the feed. These were generally considered beneficial, in that regard. But their larger cousins (the mountain lions), not so much, at least on the ranch property - especially during calving.<div></div>

I practically grew up in the woods and still spend a fair amount of time outdoors every week. I've only seen a few bobcats. About the only way you are likely to see them is to get a predator call, set up in full camo with a handheld camera, and start calling them. I would suggest very late afternoon to dusk. Note that they will likely try to circle downwind of you before coming in. Be very careful about using a predator call in mountain lion territory.

 

 

Kent in SD

I'll add that in a month or two, you might have some luck if you try using a fawn bleat call. Bobcats love new born fawns, and it's getting closer to that time of year.

 

 

Kent in SD

What about Cougars? They are substantially bigger than bobcats and much more elusive. The only time I saw not one, but two was sitting in my truck taking bear pictures.

 

I had turned off the engine and they came across the road a few minutes later. I managed to squeeze off a couple shots thru the windshield and was amazed how big they are. It is very rare to see them in the wild.

 

this was with the old 35mm and then scanned in, really poor quality. I think the ONLY reason they came out was because my motor was not running and they did not notice me.<div></div>

THIS is the shot I should have posted. it was 2 different cougars. they did not notice the black bear or I could have had some pictures to talk about had the got into a scrap.<div></div>

Man that is a big cat. A cougar would be great but I am in SC. I guess west Texas would be the closest in their range to SC, about 1100 miles. They are in south Florida, but less than 50 dont really count.

I was snake hunting with a friend once when we ran across a god awful smell. He said it was a bobcat. You know that awful smell that housecats give off when in heat? It was like that times ten. I guess what he said was true, makes sense. I have run across that smell many times sense. I imagine soon, when they are in heat, they may be a little bolder. I dont know if finding that smell would help in finding them?

I've seen bobcats maybe 10 -12 times, the only pictures I have are prints and I do not have

a scanner. Once while watching a bobcat hunting around a bush, something caught my

eye and I turned to see a quite bloodied coyote. Not blood like it had been eating, but it's

own blood. Mixed it up with a bobcat? He was more wary than usual of us. I have never

seen a live mountain lion in the wild.

 

Cool cat pictures L.J.

Here in NY's catskill region, we have a healthy amount of bobcats. But seeing one is another story. Their tracks and scat can be seen often if one knows where to look. But it is usually those motion trigger camera rigs employed by big game hunters, that catch them at night. Except for the rumored mountain lions, the "bobs" are at the top of their food chain. And small nocturnal critters need to beware.<div></div>

Cats are a lot harder than birds; their numbers are much smaller and they don't frequent one part of their range on a (semi-)predictable basis. I've seen exactly two bobcats since I've moved to Colorado (coming up on 9 years now); I've been very lucky to see three cougars in that time (plus the one I never saw that used to hang around our house...). In every single case, the cat was already leaving the area when I noticed it.

 

Spend lots of time in the areas that cats frequent. Talk to your local park rangers; we have one maintenance man in our local state park who has a "gift" for wandering into areas with predators, and just a few minutes' conversation has informed me of two frequent bobcat sighting areas. Cats are curious but paranoid, and they're very good at hiding; be extra observant. There's a photo at the Denver Zoo of a family out in the wilderness; neither the family nor the photographer realized that a cougar was hiding in the tall grass not 20 feet away! In cougar country, they say that you might never see a cougar on a hike, but that about 75% of the time a cougar sees you. They're out there, waiting for you!

Like Les Barstow said, talk to your local parks and pick one that has a decent number of sightings. In my experience of them they are have no real fear of cars but on seeing a person they'll get moving pretty quick.

 

Here in Colorado there's Golden Gate Park near Denver where every so often a bobcat will be rather visible.

First of all, the Cat Steve Levine posted is a LYNX, NOT a Bob Cat and the image is from a zoo.

 

Bob Cats have shorter ear tufts and note the heavy fur on the legs.. The Lynx has this and very wide paws to be able to walk softly AND to navigate deep, soft snow.

 

Bob Cats are reclusive animals and active at night. They typically have 3-4 kittens with only 1 or 2 surviving to adulthood.

 

I have lived near/in Bob Cat habitat most of my life and I have seen ONE.

I grew up on the river bottoms here and there is a good population of Bob's but I have only seen a hand full. You can get some recorded small game distress to help bring them in, but they are pretty savy.

Here I dont have to worry about larger cats. I might give it a try myself this spring, before I started photography I had no desire to find one!, lol

Im not sure but I think there's a bounty on them here, Il have to talk with some of my old hunting buddies and see what they say.

Having been raised in up state New York near an indian reservation, my well honed tracking and stalking skills enabled me to slip this close yesterday. I used the techniques learned from my Iroquois friends to creep up on this unsuspecting bob cat.

Actually, this was 30 feet from the Yosemite Falls parking lot and there were hundreds of people walking around. But he was not all that well civilized. When he crossed Northwoods Blvd to reach the Merced river, he did not look both ways. We have plenty of them here in California, about 10 years ago a woman was eaten about 40 miles from Sacramento.<div></div>

Reagan, funny you should mention that cat! I live only 5 miles from Golden Gate Canyon SP and know a lot about that particular animal (though I've never seen it...). Golden Gate Canyon is the park I was referring to in my post.

"<I>We have plenty of them here in California, about 10 years ago a woman was eaten about 40 miles from Sacramento.</I>"

<P>

The woman was eaten by a Cougar, not by a Bobcat. My own bobcat photos are not worth scanning.

You are right Douglas. A larger cat.

Les Barstow

He likes to walk along the side of the mountains on the main road for GGC, keep your eyes open when driving along it and you might luck out. =D

Yikes, just looked at my metadata on the above shot. I wont need further proof of VR working on Nikons 70-300(105-450 equivalent) In my haste, this was shot bending low at 450mm, hand held at 1/30 sec. (at f/22). Doubt would have gotten it without vr. Was the lens worth a extra couple hundred for vr, I guess so!

I drive up Mountain Base Road dozens of times every year and look along that hillside religiously. He hates me :( (My wife worked for the park for a season, so I have some good info on it...)

A zoo? This cat was across a canyon about to leap onto a group of blind school children. A lucky shot from my revolver stopped this attack. We then had the cat roasted and sliced on buns with mustard. Albeit a bit stringy, it tasted like "chicken".

Hey Derek,

Funny you should post this question, as I just returned from 4 days of stalking bobcats along the Red Deer river in southern Alberta. After compiling info for the past few months from ranchers, trappers and hunters etc, Seems up here there rarely if ever seen. Well, I was excited to get out. this is the mating season for bobcats, up here at least. We went out during the hours cats are usually seen, which is 3 hours before sunset and 3 hours after sunrise according to reseach data. Well three of us spent many hours and the most we got were a good set of tracks after a fresh snow. I use Praire gaost camo gear in winter and Prairie river bottom camo when the snow goes off. All sorts of prep, but just tracks so far! Well, I got a good tip from a trapper that I just began using, which is to attach a coloured feather or two with spider wire fishing line in a bush about 4 or 5 feet up. Bobcats, being like all cats will play with things that atract their attention. My two companions live not far away, so they will check to see if this works.

I will post later as my search goes on, keep us updated on your persuit as well.

Regards,

Jeff