Bobcats- Please share your bobcat stories and mishaps and run-ins with bobcats

[aart]

12/21/15: "We live in Los Gatos, California, in the foothills right above the downtown. We have an area of about 2,000 sq.ft. surrounded by deer fence for the chickens to roam, with three coops with automatic steel doors on timers. We also have motion sensor cameras on the area at night, and this month have been visited by a bobcat at least four times (other times we have had large raccoons and a mountain lion), and last week he was apparently laying in wait for one of the coops to open at 7:15 in the morning. Very quickly killed four chickens, taking one away. It is very discouraging knowing that we can't rely on the nocturnal protection of the secure coops as keeping the birds safe."

After losing 10 of our 11 chickens to this bobcat, who had no problem attacking at all hours of the daytime, we were finally able to trap him. The cat was big and beautiful, but saw our chicken yard as a regular source of food and never would have stopped unless we took him out.

WOW.... beautiful animal...
....what's the protocol for what to do with them once trapped in your area?
Hope you can get a nice pelt and a huge dinner for your remaining birds out of it.

 

[tlundell]

Trapping bobcats is illegal in California without a permit from Dept of Fish and Wildlife after demonstrating that the cat is a danger to . humans, pets or livestock. So we obtained the permit, but it has to be issued to a licensed trapper....although his trap was too small so we bought a big one from a great trap builder in Georgia, trapped him ourselves then called the trapper to pick him up to be euthanized per state law. The pelt has to be properly disposed of to prevent trading in pelts...but we are just happy that peace has settled on the chicken pen again.

 

[chixcoop]

bobcat got 2 of my chickens. Now I wish I kept my mean rooster.

 

[CGilbert]

 bobcat got 2 of my chickens. Now I wish I kept my mean rooster.

I'm sorry I feel your pain. If you have a rooster and an incubator, start rebuilding now.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

@chickengeorgeto
It's really odd but here I see nothing but possums, but where I left, I saw all kinds of animals (owls, raccoons, possums, skunks) but not here. And something is attacking the possums..what could that be?

I can hear the screams of the fox so I know they are definitely out there in my front yard but have not seen one of them. The only animal I saw was a coyote 10 yrs ago but have not seen once since then. That's interesting about your friend not seeing bobcats in all that time. I have set up two trail cams and so far not one predator on camera and only one deer. We had a zillion deer where did they go? I saw a buck in front of my window right before hunting season...they normally all come here during that time and hide out.

I am definitely afraid of a meeting up with a bobcat outside at night now so I will definitely not underestimate them. If I was a big man that would be different...but being a 5'3" woman they could be more likely to attack I think, since I'm less of a threat. Although I know how to use a rifle, I rarely carry it around.

I'm starting to notice the rabbits' behavior. We had a LOT of rabbits so much that we called our driveway Rabbit Road because I would have to drive slowly to let the rabbits jump across in front of the car. Now instead of 20 on the road I may see 3. But some days we have none around I wonder if there is an animal stalking them on those days.

I would suspect that coyotes, foxes, and bobcats all 3 kill would kill and eat a bunny rabbet.

 

[duckmanjim]

I used to live near Los Gatos and saw bobcats all the time. Once with a new born fawn in its jaws! Glad you got him! But those foothills are covered with them so be wary and vigilant with your next flock!

 

[MelodyC]

We haven't had any issues - yet - with bobcats, but we did have a cougar the other night caught on the security camera. We thought he was heading towards the coop and the house, so we ran outside (I had just been out with our small dogs not 15 min before) armed, but he walked just past the coop and up the game trail before we got out there. Following this thread so we can get an idea of what to watch for with the bobcats, as we plan on letting the chickens free range a bit.

 

[CGilbert]

We haven't had any issues - yet - with bobcats, but we did have a cougar the other night caught on the security camera.  We thought he was heading towards the coop and the house, so we ran outside (I had just been out with our small dogs not 15 min before) armed, but he walked just past the coop and up the game trail before we got out there.  Following this thread so we can get an idea of what to watch for with the bobcats, as we plan on letting the chickens free range a bit. 

Do you have dogs? If you have an amazing dog, you may be able to have the dog out there with the flock for protection.

 

[MelodyC]

Do you have dogs? If you have an amazing dog, you may be able to have the dog out there with the flock for protection.

I have two Italian Greyhounds who are mostly blind and deaf that live their lives under a heating blanket. LOL I was glad that the cougar didn't jump the dogs and I when we were out 15 min before!

 

[Steve J]

I was just up past Bedford Indiana, Sunday picking up some Red Jungle Fowl from a breeder and he had a live trap set. I asked him about it and he said a bobcat had climbed 12 feet, to get in a small opening on his covered pen, killed 10 chickens and ate only part of each. They're around, I've seen them here in Northern Ky, on the road at night. My chickens are penned in right against my 2 acre dog pen, my five dogs keep all mammals away. Only thing I've had even remotely bother my birds is a cooper's hawk. And it never did any good because the hens all run back in the coop and the roo stands up to it and it leaves.