The Mysterious and Elusive North American Bobcat

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I was going to talk about the highly elusive Bobcat. So here goes…

After four years of photographs and experiences I am not as familiar with Bobcats as I am with the other wild animals that live in my area. The Bobcats are almost magical. Several indigenous cultures in North American have stories that portray the Bobcat almost as a supernatural being that can become invisible at will, and I can verify from experience that they are almost impossible to photograph!

Supposedly they are their most active at twilight and dawn. I don’t know if it is justified or not, but I feel the need for caution even more with Bobcats and mountain lions than I do with the bears. I’ve never seen a Bobcat in person, and before this point in time, I’ve only successfully obtained one photograph of a Bobcat, so these three recent photographs are particularly exciting.

I’ve compared the photos below to see if there was a possibility that even after two years, it’s the same cat.

Camera #2 - 10-15-2018 - 07:55AM - This was my first full body picture of a Bobcat.
Camera #2 - 06-29-2020 - 08:31AM - My second full body photograph of a Bobcat.

Though similar in appearance, I am confident that I have photos of two completely different Bobcats.

  • They are similar in size; the first Bobcat might be slightly heavier and generally larger.
      • An adult Bobcat stands about 12 to 24 in at the shoulders. Adult males can range from 14 to 40 lb; females at 8.8 to 33.7 lb, with an average of 15 lb.
  • Both have a coat that is variable in coloration, tan to grayish-brown, which, according to Wikipedia, provides perfect camouflage.
  • Both have black streaks on the body and dark bars on the forelegs and tail. However, the markings on the tails are different for each animal.
  • Their ears are black-tipped and pointed, with short, black tufts.
      • The front of the second Bobcat’s ears have a different coloration than the first.
  • Both Bobcats are muscular, and their hind legs are longer than their front legs, which gives them somewhat of an irregular gait.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat

The photographer of this magnificent Bobcat is Jason Mowry, and I found this photo on Unsplash.com

Sequence of Hunting Photographs

We have wood stacked (under the white protective covering) on the side of the house, which provides a safe place for rodents, squirrels, bunnies, and other small animals that the Bobcat might view as prey. I believe the following three photographs and time stamps show the sequence of the Bobcat hunting.

Camera #2 - 06-29-2020 - 08:26AM - The Bobcat appears ready to fly into action.
Camera #2 - 06-29-2020 - 08:31AM - Returning from what I guess was a failed hunting attempt.
Camera #2 - 06-29-2020 - 08:50AM - The Bobcat appear ready to spring into action once again.

The North American Bobcat is mysterious, elusive, and solitary, and their markings make them almost impossible to see even when we’re looking directly at them. So many times I’ll hear rustling in the bushes and when I look – nothing. It could be nothing more than a mouse scurrying around, and yet I wonder?

Matt Nelson is the photographer of this beautiful Bobcat, and I found this image on Unsplash.com

Our property provides the animals with an undisturbed habitat for the most part. The elusive and sometime invisible Bobcat could be watching us, and we wouldn’t even know it.

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