bobcat trouble

[pseshooter300]

I had a guy contact me that he is having what he thinks is a bobcat problem. He says that something is attaching his sheep at night leaving scratches and tearing the wool off the sheep he says he has found tracks inside the fence. The animal has not killed one yet because he says he thinks his sheep dog is running it off. He asked if I could take care of the animal. But here is the tricky part he doesn't want me to use jaw traps and I don't have live cage traps big enough for a bobcat. Is it legal to call them at night in Tn never done any night hunting? I'm suppose to go tomorrow look the property over maybe set a trail camera to see if it is a bobcat. Any ideas

 

[Nhill]

Not legal to hunt them at night.

 

[pseshooter300]

What is the easiest way if there is one to call them in the day

 

[Crosshairy]

You should probably call your local wildlife officer, because he may be able to issue the landowner a depredation permit that covers you as well.

Although normal hunting seasons don't necessarily allow certain tactics, I've heard of people getting permission to do all kinds of stuff for protecting property.

Look into it before you write that off.

 

[pseshooter300]

Well I went to the farmers house today and I can't believe a bobcat has done this damage to a sheep. One of the sheep is missing 50% of its wool has scratch marks down its back and can hardly walk. I set up a trail camera to try to get a picture of what I'm working with. I contacted a local trapper over in Va and he informed me that it is possible to live trap a bobcat it can be hard though he said just takes more work so if I get pictures guess I'm buying a big live trap not like my Coon traps. I did find tracks in the area it does look like a bobcat so just letting the trail camera do the job.

 

[redblood]

not a bobcat, i would wager. a big one is 25 lbs.

 

[pseshooter300]

Ok well what are you thinking? Coyote? The tracks I found look just like bobcat there were no claws with the tracks.

 

[stilllookin]

Bobcats can get in the 40lb to 50lb range. I have live trap with doors on both ends that will catch a bobcat. I would talk to the landowner about the soft jaw traps. They won't harm a dog or at least the ones i've seen won't.

 

[redblood]

we call and kill a lot of them. our average is about 18 pounds and our biggest is 32. they may get 50, but those come from the northern states and are exceptionally rare

 

[stilllookin]

Not to dispute your word. But we catch 30 plus lb cats when we really get serious. I know of 40 plus lb cat being caught right here.

 

[stilllookin]

I'm curious as to what you find on the trail cam.

 

[pseshooter300]

I'm waiting to here this morning if the landowner has had anymore attacks and I got to check the trail camera. It weird because it is coming right to the barn near the house I guess if it is hungry it will do what it has to.

 

[Beekeeper]

Did you get anything on the cam?

 

[pseshooter300]

Not a thing

 

[MRUTVOL]

I will say it is a bobcat. A big tom can work over a sheep size animal pretty good. Takes more effort but they can take one down. I have seen goats that were torn up bad by a big 30 pound bobcat. My Grandfather finally caught it by setting his traps around one young goat it killed the night b/4 and came back the next night for seconds! I also seen one jump a doe a few years back. He knocked her down but she got up and run off. For the most part in the mid-south a large tom will go between 25 and 30 pounds but there are exceptions where they live longer and have good food supply and can grow bigger. Here is a pic of one that weighed 53 lbs caught by the son of a friend of mine. It was from upper NY,State.

 

[pseshooter300]

Still not one single photo maybe it moved on

 

[redblood]

I will say it is a bobcat. A big tom can work over a sheep size animal pretty good. Takes more effort but they can take one down. I have seen goats that were torn up bad by a big 30 pound bobcat. My Grandfather finally caught it by setting his traps around one young goat it killed the night b/4 and came back the next night for seconds! I also seen one jump a doe a few years back. He knocked her down but she got up and run off. For the most part in the mid-south a large tom will go between 25 and 30 pounds but there are exceptions where they live longer and have good food supply and can grow bigger. Here is a pic of one that weighed 53 lbs caught by the son of a friend of mine. It was from upper NY,State.

heck of a bobcat. a hoss for sure. the biggest bobcat ever weighed in the U.S. on certified scales weighed 49. your buddy could have been famous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat

 

[MRUTVOL]

I will say it is a bobcat. A big tom can work over a sheep size animal pretty good. Takes more effort but they can take one down. I have seen goats that were torn up bad by a big 30 pound bobcat. My Grandfather finally caught it by setting his traps around one young goat it killed the night b/4 and came back the next night for seconds! I also seen one jump a doe a few years back. He knocked her down but she got up and run off. For the most part in the mid-south a large tom will go between 25 and 30 pounds but there are exceptions where they live longer and have good food supply and can grow bigger. Here is a pic of one that weighed 53 lbs caught by the son of a friend of mine. It was from upper NY,State.

heck of a bobcat. a hoss for sure. the biggest bobcat ever weighed in the U.S. on certified scales weighed 49. your buddy could have been famous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat

Redblood not sure where you seen that but I have 2 Rocky Mountain westerns one weighing 72 and one weighed 53. Also have seen some years back from Idaho that weighed over 40 lbs when I did taxidermy work. Their hides bring upwards of $600 to $800 on fur markets. They are different cats than what we have. Here is pic of the 72 lb and 53 lb cats.

 

[MRUTVOL]

Also here is a big alpha yote they got last year that was over 50lbs also. Some of their yotes have been found to have a wolf mix in them.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I will say it is a bobcat. A big tom can work over a sheep size animal pretty good. Takes more effort but they can take one down. I have seen goats that were torn up bad by a big 30 pound bobcat. My Grandfather finally caught it by setting his traps around one young goat it killed the night b/4 and came back the next night for seconds! I also seen one jump a doe a few years back. He knocked her down but she got up and run off. For the most part in the mid-south a large tom will go between 25 and 30 pounds but there are exceptions where they live longer and have good food supply and can grow bigger. Here is a pic of one that weighed 53 lbs caught by the son of a friend of mine. It was from upper NY,State.

wow,what a cat

 

[Boone 58]

 

[OCLhunter90]

I saw a video or trail cam pictures of a bob cat taking down a doe. I believe it was a muzzy moment on North American Whitetail.

 

[Hungerfighter]

it is easy to get them with a cage

 

[timberjack86]

Bobcats can get in the 40lb to 50lb range. I have live trap with doors on both ends that will catch a bobcat. I would talk to the landowner about the soft jaw traps. They won't harm a dog or at least the ones i've seen won't.

I killed one that was attacking my goats at night that was 38 ibs.Thats been 8 or 9 years ago. I wieghed him on a bathroom scale. I have had coon dogs come in after a fight with a cat eyes clawed out shoulders laid open and ears split.Theres no doubt in my mind if a dog harasses a cat it will attack.

 

[farmin68]

If it hasn't made a successful kill, I'm thinking it's going to be a dog(s). Wild animals such as bobcats and coyotes don't fool around and tear a bunch of wool off a sheep. They get down to business.

 

[Timber Ghost]

If it hasn't made a successful kill, I'm thinking it's going to be a dog(s). Wild animals such as bobcats and coyotes don't fool around and tear a bunch of wool off a sheep. They get down to business.

X2

 

[Beekeeper]

If it hasn't made a successful kill, I'm thinking it's going to be a dog(s). Wild animals such as bobcats and coyotes don't fool around and tear a bunch of wool off a sheep. They get down to business.

How about a young cat that hasn't figured out how to close the deal on something as big as a sheep?

 

[farmin68]

If it hasn't made a successful kill, I'm thinking it's going to be a dog(s). Wild animals such as bobcats and coyotes don't fool around and tear a bunch of wool off a sheep. They get down to business.

How about a young cat that hasn't figured out how to close the deal on something as big as a sheep?

Very unlikely. While predators sometimes fail at killing their prey, I believe they are born knowing how to 'close the deal' and don't have to figure it out.

Just my two cents worth of thought on it.