Bobcat Hunting
A Quick Guide to Bobcat Hunting
The bobcat is a native species to North America and is found from southern Canada throughout the United States to northern Mexico, a range in which bobcat hunting is legal, at least during certain months of the year. The bobcat should not be confused with its relative, the Canadian lynx, which is an endangered species. The bobcat gets its name from its short tail which has a black tip but a white underside. The Canadian lynx has black around the entire tip of the tail.
Bobcats are around three feet long and weigh fifteen to thirty pounds. They eat rabbits and other rodents, and even deer if the opportunity is right. Bobcats move from three hours before sunset to midnight and from dawn to three hours after sunrise. This should be the period of time during which you do the majority of your bobcat hunting.
Bobcats are intelligent, quiet, good at climbing, and usually sneak up on their prey, first stalking it by staying under cover. It likes to ambush its prey and pounce upon it. A bobcat can move quickly to give chase for short distances. Bobcats mate in February and March, and the females are left alone to give birth and take care of the kittens, which will be born in April or May. The young stay with their mother until they are a year old.
Successful bobcat hunting means learning to identify bobcats and gaining knowledge of their habits. Bobcats can be legally hunted and trapped in most areas as long as populations remain strong. Thus far there has been no over-killing of the population. They have adapted to live not only in forests, but also in wet areas and swamps, and even near urban areas. Because they are so quiet and rarely come into the open, trappers usually have much better luck taking bobcat than hunters do. While there was a time when you could get a good price for bobcat fur, this is no longer the case.
Today bobcat hunting usually involves the use of calls, primarily electric. The most popular call sounds like a dying rabbit. A tree stand is used by many hunters, because the bobcat is constantly under cover of brush. Being higher up allows more visibility and with use of a call it is possible to spot a cat moving in your direction.
When scouting, you can find the den of a bobcat, you will have the greatest chance of being a successful hunter. Just position yourself near enough to get a good shot but out of sight, and wait quietly. If you can be patient enough, you might soon have the opportunity to get a bobcat.
Bobcat hunters report that the most successful technique is use of an electronic call. Those that work best have a wireless control. You can set the caller behind a bush and then choose an area close-by to sit and wait. This can be hidden in the brush, in the cover of trees, or up in a tree stand. When the bobcat comes toward the sound you will have your opportunity for your best shot.