I just saw my first live wild bobcat

blacktara

Arachnobaron
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Joined
Jan 23, 2005
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355
Took a drive thru the Witchita Mtns Wildlife Refuge tonight - came up over a rise and caught him in my headlights.

Saw a low squat something - so my instinctual thought was raccoon (which is the most common low squat something you are gonna see out there at night) - and at the same time my mind reacting to what it was seeing was like - boy that sure is a big and weird lookin rabbit? maybe? - And just as I was like whoa could it be a cat? yes I think it is, it started to bolt into the brush and even as I realized from the way it moved that it werent no rabbit I caught enough of a glimpse of muzzle and then tail/butt to confirm that it was indeed a bobcat- it was all way too quick to even reach for the camera much less grab a pic (heck the above all happened in about the time it took to break to a stop), but I'm still stoked

Never seen a fox out there (coyotes yes, but no fox) - not positive but pretty sure I saw the ass end of a wild pig once tho I cant be certain but beyond that the only thing left that I know is out there that I havent seen in mountain lion - maybe one of these nights - boy wouldnt THAT be something!!!!
 
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Teal

Arachnoemperor
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Jan 11, 2009
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Very cool! Bobcats are neat-o.

When I was younger, our neighbour shot a bobcat that was in our chicken coop :( He skinned it for us... I am sure I have the pelt somewhere still. I reamed him for shooting it though.. when you're 7, having a bobcat as a pet makes sense!
 

thumpersalley

Roach Lovers Mom
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Jan 27, 2008
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I do wildlife rehab so I get to see all sorts of critters, some being bobcat. 2 years ago one of the educational bird handlers was on his way into the clinic & saw a bobcat had been run over so he stopped by & picked it up, put it in his car & went to the clinic so he could document it & take care of the body. Well, it wasnt dead. It came wake during transit. He got to the clinic, it wasnt able to do anything as its leg was broke. The animal care director used a dart gun to put it down for a little while while Xrays were taken & we SS pinned it. Released it 6 months later. Other than that only 2 cubs came in last year & were released this summer. Kim
 

PK952

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
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7
Bobcats are awesome. Was lucky enough to have a female living in the woods behind our house a few years ago, watched her raise two little kittens. She would lie in the driveway while they would romp in the yard! Too cool. Then one day, I was out and a rabbit rushed out of the bush and literally ran across my foot. While I was still in the process of comprehending what just happened, I realized that something else was charging out of the bushes too. That female, who was in hot pursuit of the rabbit, ran up and stopped about 10-15 feet from me. We both stared at each other for a few seconds, not sure which one of us was more shocked to see the other, then she simply turned and calmly strutted away back to the trees! Scary, lol!
 

codykrr

Arachnoking
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Sep 22, 2008
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I see them all the time in the woods around here. Mainly early morning while its still pretty dark. I had one down at BrianS's house last spring scare the heck out of me. I was walking through some brush and it must have been bedded down but it took off running like the wind.

When I was 12 I seen a Mountain lion by our pond. No one believed me untill more people started reporting them. To this day, i dont think I have ever been so scared in my life. That thing was HUGE! Plus, they will attack people and when i was 12 i was maybe 100 to 110 lbs. Maybe 5 foot tall. I would have made a quick meal.
 
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