Any experience with bobcats?

[SamLockwood]

Caught this new visitor on my trail-cam about 100 yards from the house (the Raccoon is for a size reference)

Anyone have any first-hand knowledge of their habits (preferred feeding times, etc) & how to deter / get rid of them? Most of what I've read (which isn't much) indicates they're somewhat similar to coyotes in their habits.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I see them Cats = both Cougar and Bobcat occasionally pass through my property down to the River. I'm sure there are people out there who have had issues with them and would disagree with me but my experience has been that they are not motivated to go after my chickens like Racoons are. My run is chain link fence with no top and my chickens free range all day. So far so good.... I'm much more concerned with Racoons so I lock them up as soon as sun is setting and I have a bright light behind my coop where I've seen coons on trail cam.

 

[Tonyroo]

Bobcat uses stealth and ambush there prey like a feral cat. They usually hunt around dusk but also known to attack during the day.

Don't let them get any of your chickens, once they know there's no food they will move along.

 

[centrarchid]

My limited experience with bobcats had them getting free-range chickens during day. They were coming closer than 100 yards.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I had a juvenile wandering around and taking a look at my run at least twice a few years ago, during daylight hours, but it did not attempt to breach the fence (6' chain link). At the time I believe the run was not covered.

 

[mowin]

Like any predator, hunger drives them. The less natural pray for them, the more likely they are to chance a attack close to a house. Younger critters lack hunting experience, and will be more brazen. I'd be more worried about coons, but I don't underestimate the ability of a bobcat.

 

[SamLockwood]

Like any predator, hunger drives them. The less natural pray for them, the more likely they are to chance a attack close to a house. Younger critters lack hunting experience, and will be more brazen. I'd be more worried about coons, but I don't underestimate the ability of a bobcat.

The raccoons are pretty well in control: Every couple of years the younger ones try to get up to mischief of some sort: usually going after the chickens but this year while they did check out the new coop & run they decided to mess with potting soil: they dug up a couple of newly planted bushes & even tried to drag off an empty plant pot for some reason.

When they forget they're not supposed to come around the house I shoot one or two, leave the bodies in the woods around the house, and I don't have any more raccooon problems for a year or two.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My bobcat story was told by the lady involved. She was washing the lunchtime dishes and was looking out the window over the kitchen sink. She saw a bobcat as it ambushed her rooster and carried it off. That was at high noon on a bright sunny day. While they might prefer to hunt at dusk or at night they certainly do hunt during the day.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

My experience with a bobcat occurred mid-day. Hubby was home and out with the ducks. He ran inside for a moment, and the bobcat grabbed a duck and ran. It appeared on our cameras for a few days afterwards. We obviously went into lockdown mode, but it showed up looking for a “free refill”, which it did not get. As sad as it was to lose Puddleduck, I was thankful that she didn’t suffer and that the bobcat used her to feed her family rather than killing for fun like a weasel or taking one part and leaving the rest like a raccoon.

Bobcat pros: they are decently uncommon, they don’t waste, they are thwarted by decent security, and they don’t let the bird suffer.

Bobcat cons: they are active day or night, they are sneaky as can be, and they remember where they got a good meal!

 

[ColtHandorf]

I have a resident adult that will take a bird (chicken, duck, turkey, and goose) any time she pleases. Early morning after I've left for work, 2:30 in the afternoon while I'm outside feeding and watering, in the late evening or at night during a thunderstorm, basically whenever the mood strikes her fancy.