January 30, 2013
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Predator Wednesday
I was alarmed to learn that Michigan is issuing bobcat hunting licenses. It alarmed me not because I am for or against hunting ("harvesting"), but because bobcats are really cool.
Sometimes called wildcats, bobcats are the most common wild cat in North America. Naturalists estimate there are as many as a million of them. They are roughly twice as big as the average house cat. They have long legs, large paws, and tufted ears similar to those of their cousin the Canada lynx. The cat is named for its tail, which appears to be cut or "bobbed."
They mainly hunt rabbits and hares. They are also known to eat rodents, birds, bats and even adult deer, which they usually consume during the winter months. They also may kill lambs, goats, poultry and young pigs when a ranch is near.
Bob the bobcat taking a walk with his new friend Thumper.
Bobcats do not attack humans, and they can even be domesticated.
You want to "harvest" this lovely furball? Really?
Comments (23)
I say leave the wild animals and kill all the domestic cats and dogs.
@Lovegrove - Dogs are purposely bred to be stupid. And cats are known to be egotists.
I live in an area that has a lot of wildcats in fact there's a state park not too far from here called Wildcat State Park. I've seen a few wandering about in that area. We've been having a lot of problems with cougars in this area lately.
@godfatherofgreenbay - I read that the bobcat population is increasing in the Upper Peninsula. You're allowed to bag more than one. I understand a lot of species are migrating north on account of climate change. Maybe we'll see jaguars next.
They have long legs, large paws, and tufted ears similar to those of their cousin the Canada lynx.
with the exception of the tufted ears, they sound like me.
they are neat-looking. i hate the idea of hunting animals in general. but i know in some cases hunting them is allowed to control population
I love cats! A while back I watched a feral mommy cat escort her baby across a pasture. They were so lovable!
@bonmots - You want to control a deer population when they cause too many highway accidents. Deer are stupid about highways.
Which predator should I write about next week?
@PlatotheSmurf - A cat is genetically the same as a wild feline, and it is perfectly capable of making a living in the woods without our help.
@we_deny_everything - Which predator should I write about next week?
surprise me
They are pretty thick around here too, but we have more mountain lions. Speaking of which, I waited for the cougar punch line and you never delivered - not even implied. Even with the leggy lady in the video you were a gentleman. I'm not sure how I feel about that? Next week write about coyotes - they are all over my running trail across the street and howling and yipping all night long. They are clever, nasty little predators.
The bobcat is a way cool cat. In one of my lifes i bought a log cabin built by a trapper who lived in the UP, good money in fur, but the legal limit is only two
well if they go to endangered and are protected then the minute the bobcat goes back over the endangered number we'll definitely make a hunting season for them just like we did for the wolf.
@BoulderChristina - meh. I was thinking maybe smilodon or allosaurus. I don't know much about coyotes except that Castaneda called them wise sorcerers in his Don Juan books. . . . I suppose I could write about how my leggy cougar friend jumped a boy scout (true story), but then we would have another protected nsfw post.
@an_OM_aly - I suppose there was a surplus of bobcats back then. Now, of course, PETA would demonize you.
Wow its face looks like it is half cat and half tiger. I have never seen a bobcat here where I live. Pretty good knowledge you gave
I loved this.
Ok, I didn't want to finish the video because I'm afraid he'll eat her hand. And.. poor thumber!!! (boohoo)
@hesacontradiction - Please. I would have warned you if the lady gets injured. Poor thumper was in the wrong place at the wrong time
@fabolousclown - Thank you for visiting me my darling, I will give you wildcats and cheetas if you will only say you are mine.
@we_deny_everything - Ok, it was pretty cute. Reminded me of a time when I was a kid, our cats and dog broke the door to the garage, so they could get in and out. My dad installed a handle at the bottom and the cats would let themselves in and out. One night, this HUGE black cat comes tearing through our house (because you could walk completely through it) and I swear! I was crawling at the top of the roof, clinging to curtains. Sucker was huge! We think it might have part panther in it and it was vicious after it started having babies. My dad had to kill it because it ate it's litter! Anyway, I watched the crocodile pet link on this video. Crazy! They actually found some abandoned crocs and a pit bull 6 months ago in an apartment. Apparently, they tried to eat each other. Then 2 weeks after that, some parent got charged with neglect due to finding the 3 yr croc in a toddlers crib, gettting ready to eat him. Parents thought it was a good time to get rid of the croc. Crazy!
@hesacontradiction - It might be a bobcat, except that bobcats are not black. A panther is the same as a jaguar without spots, but genetically identical. They have been observed in the southern US, I believe, but jaguars are much too large to be mistaken for a cat.
That reminds me of a time I was living in a rural bungalow in Michigan and I heard a tapping on the door. It was a very large cat asking -- well actually ordering me -- to let him in. He stood inside getting warm, drank some milk, and then ordered me to let him out. I always thought it was a kind of barn cat, but on reflection, it might really have been a bobcat.
I'm definitly not a cat person but that bobcat looks pretty badass.
@shandilion - Thank you for visiting. I read your blog, and you're a talented writer. And you have a scary life style.
@we_deny_everything - Thank you. I appreciate that very much. And my life style WAS scary. Lol
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