Bobcat Spotted

[buck-wild-chick]

You better kill him now because once a bobcat established his territory and knows where to fine easy food, He will never leave..

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Would if I could - can't spot him. The dogs get a whiff of him a dozen times a day and go chasing and barking into the woods, almost always in the exact same spot, following the exact same trail. I guess it just keeps coming back and waiting and watching. If the dogs are out front or on side of house it makes its move and runs in yard and grabs one.

We had started putting the chickens up by 4:30, at least an hour before dark but it was getting them before that. We started letting them out later, after 9:00/10:00 a.m. DH saw the bobcat in the barn at 10:00 a.m. I guess still waiting around for breakfast to be let out of the coop. Now I'm not letting the chickens out of run at all. Some jump the 4' fence but stay right beside it but most are staying in run.

I think many of them have witnessed the attacks because first they started staying out of woods and closer to house then when it started getting them in yard they've started staying in run and coop. We thought it was probably a fox but since spotting the bobcat we're betting that's our predator.

I may have to do the stakeout myself. DH goes out for 20 minutes and gives up. Also sits right there in the open with the dogs with him - DUH....yeah you're gonna really get him that way.

 

[buck-wild-chick]

Either stake out or buy a 40-50$ trap. But the only thing I used to catch a bobcat was a dead chicken. It worked like a charm.

So next time he kills a chicken or leaves the remains there
(they rarely do) try a stake out or trap. idk I understand were your coming from I (had) one kill 16 birds,2 ducks,1 goose. I swear im a professional at tracking down chicken bodies

 

[Tempest1971]

I'm having the same problem...... 12 silkies, 2 barred rock, 2 black australorps all gone..... theres a mated pair of bobcats here picking off my birds... like you we live in the middle of the forest.. it started with the silkies and then moved to my big girls and my hubbys prize rooster, i have a dead chicken we're gonna use for bait and try to get one of them... our friends are really sympathetic, and my husbands installing an electric fence tomorrow. we've got about 4 friends willing to help us find various traps including live traps and baited snares. and i'm going to talk to my cousin who is an avid hunter. but it is still hard on ya especially when they get your favorites... (Poor Agatha and Leo) the cats are getting cocky, attacking in the same spots, the daytime and practically ignoring the dogs... of course my german shepherd is pregnant and not up to par on her protective abilities at the moment. I'm thinking of putting the dogs on lines and setting up baited snares.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Hope you get them both before they have cubs.

 

[Tempest1971]

I think they've already had some, we found a bobcat cub a couple months ago and took it to a rehab and release expert the next county over. no telling how many others they had