Bobcat has made it personal

[astone]

Hi Everyone. Hope all is well. Some of you know I've been having a battle with a bobcat and black bear. The bear learned his lesson so to speak bc he hasn't been back (knock on wood) in a month. Mr.kitty however missed my leg by 2 foot at my kitchen door day before yesterday and grabbed one of my White Crested polish that I was just holding and putting. If that cat would have somehow missed his mark on my poor bird it would have landed in my kitchen. So today I have declared open season. Any and all tips on ridding my property of this problem. I have electric fence,motion lights,radio at night all kinds of noise and movement for night but this guy is attacking between Noon and around 3 daytime. I have contacted my DNR and have a kill permit for both bear and cat. I have a freezer full of fish and a lot of patience. I don't want to use one of my babies as bait but I have 3 roosters that I cannot catch to put them up to protect them.. any and all tips are greatly appreciated. If I get any pictures of him on my camera I'll be sure to post. Thanks in advance. Attached is a picture of my 7year old sitting where the bobcat grabbed our bird about an hour before it happened. He won't even go outside at this point. (Squirrel is the little rooster pictured he doesn't quite know he's a chicken)

 

[azygous]

I know what you're up against because I've had more than my share of the treachery of bobcats. They are clever and they keep coming back.

I think you're on the right track with the idea of using bait. I also have hot wire around my coops and runs, and while the hot wire baited with peanut butter took care of the bears, I needed to figure out how to bait it for a cat.

Obviously, fish is a good bait to use for a bobcat, but how to attach it to a hot wire so that a bobcat can get the full "flavor" of the electric charge. What I did was to take a five inch square of hardware cloth, folded it into a "taco", and I slipped a fish into it. Then I took some thin metal wire and attached it to my hot wire (with the charger turned off, of course). I repeated this "metal fish taco" at intervals of every ten or fifteen feet around my run. Then I charged the wire again.

Yes, it was a smashing success. The bobcat fell for the bait, tried to take the fish and got a 10,000 volt message. I haven't had a bobcat problem since. It's been years now since I've seen a bobcat around my place.

Unless, you're compelled by vengeance to shoot the cat, this is an effortless, surefire way to deal with this problem.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd be very unhappy having a bobcat come right up to me too! @azygous has a great way to bait the fence, but this particular kitty is just too unafraid of humans IMO, and maybe does need to be eliminated instead. Then baiting your electric fence, and having it on all the time, not only at night, would be best.
Motion lights and noisemakers only work for a short time, and aren't worth the disturbance they cause generally.
Mary

 

[astone]

I'd prefer if it would just go and be a bobcat down at the lake we live near. It's a beautiful cat. I've personally had 3 very close calls with this beautiful animal. Each time it's been way less than 6 feet away. Once he grabbed a rooster from the sane spot and a couple days later I went to feed my polish and there it was sitting 4ft away from me on the bank. Fish tacos for dinner!

 

[astone]

I'm very concerned for our son. He's your typical raised in the mountains 7yr old. He sits in our kitchen door all the time as our yard is on this side of the house. We are building a new coop since our bear did away with our other one and I asked him to come outside with me and help he looked me square in the eyes said there's a bobcat out there are you crazy?! Definitely not afraid of humans very bold to come to the door with 5 adults and a child right there. Door open and all.

 

[azygous]

I also live in the wild on considerable acreage. It's not much more tamed than it was when I moved here 31 years ago. I've been granted official permission by the district wildlife officer to kill any predator of my flock. But I prefer the "education" method over "elimination". It's effortless and works around the clock.

I've watched with glee and satisfaction a bear encountering and engaging with peanut butter baited hot wire. They do a neat 180 and flee never to return. Same with the bobcat. Skunks and foxes come around at night so I don't see them, but their sign is there to clue me of their attempts.

Baited hot wire frees up my attention and labors for the million other tasks required of me to survive here, and the wild animals all get to continue to live their lives as do I.

 

[Project Blue]

Dealing with predators is a major stress. Some are easier to get rid of than others. I believe in coexisting if at all possible with wild life. Along with the electric wire try cayenne pepper all over the place, especially entry points. Won't bother the chickens but mammals hate it.

 

[BoundlessLove]

For future: I’d recommend keeping LGDs.
Edit to add: More than one

 

[Folly's place]

LGD's are by far the most expensive option, and only useful in some situations. A good choice sometimes, but definitely not for everyone!
Mary

 

[Altairsky]

I'd hate to shoot a bobcat, I love cats and Bobcats are beautiful... But this one is too bold and not afraid of humans. I would be worried about my kids.