I know most deer hunters error on the side that hogs and coyotes are typically shot when seen. Do most of you shoot a bobcat if you see one or give them a pass?

Bobcats will always get a pass from me...unless in the chicken yard.

Rook troll…..

Bobcats have a very minor overall impact on deer populations. Will they nail a fawn they bumble upon? On occasion. You're better of whacking coyotes and stray dogs.

Never shot one though I've had many opportunities.

I don't see them enough, similar to foxes, that I always just enjoy watching them do their thing. I watched a pretty good sized one sun himself and fall asleep for about 45 minutes one day.

I was never that mad at bobcats until 2 years ago when I had one take down a doe during a hunt. They do not get passes anymore.

Edit to add pictures

I have always wanted a bobcat mount, but I can't bring myself to shoot one. I love watching them from the blind and get super excited when I see one. They eat the gophers that wreck our pastures so they will always get a pass from me.

Love watching bobcats go after squirrels. Would never shoot a bobcat.

Ok good because I saw one for the first time the other day and watched in awe and couldn't bring myself to shoot it. Very pretty animal, wanted to make sure I wasn't off base in giving it a pass.

I think the bobcat was just trying to save you some money with how expensive ammo can be.

It was just saving me the embarrassment of shooting one with my Creedmoor and never finding it due to lack blood…

They are hell on our blackbuck and WT fawn crops. Kill 'em all!

I guess it depends on how much you like quail or turkeys…….

Game warden told me- Bobcats are the worst enemy to fawns. Then said- kill em all

Shot one a long time ago for a mount. Won't shoot another, even though I have seen them. Cool animals!

This. They are more apt to catching rats, mice or rabbits.

All the biologist and GW's I have worked with would never say anything like that cause they know it's wrong.

I also would question GW opinion on this. Give me a biologist. Fawns have a very successful survival strategy. No scent. Bed down. Don't move until momma calls.

If cats were destroying the fawn crop this ancient survival strategy would not work. Yet is does.

ShinerDunk93 said:

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I guess it depends on how much you like quail or turkeys…….

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Do you really think the massive drop in quail population was due to bobcat predation?

Bobcats eat quite a few young deer. It's surprising.

And where is your documentation?

Bobcats are our second best predator of adult turkeys. Golden eagles probably kill the most. Coyotes are a distant 3rd place.

Game wardens are not biologists. When they pretend to be, take it with a grain of salt.

On our place (high fence) it's like a buffet, and they climb or go through the wire as they please.







https://u.osu.edu/wildcoshocton/why-bobcats-matter/

Pics are on a feeder just outside the high fence where we feed the native deer for our kids to hunt.

Was tempted when I saw this big kitty a few yrs back, but passed. E TX.

AggieStan said:

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Game warden told me- Bobcats are the worst enemy to fawns. Then said- kill em all

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Wildlife biologist and research have shown me they are minor compared to other predators. Where are you in Texas that your deer numbers are low due to bobcat predation?

heres my bobcat story from last year.....link to video and story

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKL6iorhd5o/?igshid=rpisjpnpdkak

"Not sure if my link will work, but here's the story. Last hunt of the year and I'm waiting for any mature buck to pop out (hadn't seen one all weekend) and it was looking pretty bleak. About an hour before dark things start going south. One direction I have javelinas running my does off. The other direction a bog boar was doing the same. I finally decided that I needed to shoot the hog if I wanted to see some deer. Lights out for him. Everything scattered but quickly returned once they saw the hog laid over in the road. The only thing with horns that showed up was a spike and I told my self to go ahead and shoot him since I have a fridge full of cheese and pork ready to make some sausage. Not the way I wanted to end the season but better than getting skunked. Boom he's laid over in the road about 60 yards from my hog. As I am texting my old man to come get me I noticed my spike had company. A big old bobcat sniffed around a bit and drank a little blood before deciding he needed some fresh meat too. I whistled, hollered and hissed but he didn't care. There was about 15 minutes left of shooting light left so I didn't want to get down just in case something was stupid enough to step out. Boom.....laid over the bobcat over before he could tear into my spike too much. (I saw three different ones that afternoon) He jumped 8' in the air and ran in the brush only to come flying right back out and die 10 yards in the road from my spike. I started packing up as there is no way anything will step out now. I called my dad to confirm I was ready for a pick up I see a pile of does standing in the road about 150 yards away. They are intently looking into the brush and I know something is coming. About that time javelinas decided to step back out and they were about 10-15 yards from the does. I found it odd that the does didn't care about them anymore. About that time an old 9 pt chased another doe into the middle of the road. I whistled as loud as I could and he slammed on the brakes as quick as he could and I put my last bullet right through his lungs. I still can't believe how quickly everything happened. Bummed I didn't see the big 10 from my game cams but at least he'll be there next year."

Well, I was deer hunting about a month ago and shot one that came out during a slow hunt that I didn't see anything else. He's going to Palermo Taxidermy, so all future ones will get a pass, but not this first one.

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Do you really think the massive drop in quail population was due to bobcat predation?

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Certainly didn't have anything to do with the widespread introduction of various "improved" grasses like Bermuda, Klein Grass, King Ranch Bluestem, Johnson Grass etc. and the use of herbicides like Round Up, Sendero, Remedy, Grazon etc. to eliminate weeds.

Don't forget overgrazing

So many protected red tailed hawks wintering in Se Tx now that a big quail population would not last long. They are practically on every third telephone post. And big tree.
We had a great quail population until the late 70s when they started to decline and are now extinct here. Rural farmsteads that kept chickens used to shoot any hawk seen. It was expected. Eventually hawks were protected and now very few rural properties have chickens to worry about. The hawk population has exploded.

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We had a great quail population until the late 70s when they started to decline

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It wasn't because of Hawks. In addition to non-native grasses, weed control & overgrazing, habitat loss & fire suppression has led to thicker brush incompatible for quail.

Sure hawks will take their share (just like coyotes & bobcats do) but remember quail evolved in this habitat alongside those predators and thrived for tens of thousands of years.

I'm not going to post my stories or video, because your armchair know it all's will just say how wrong you are. Those of us that know know. I like em, cool cats. Since we were instructed to not shoot anymore we are overrun.

I'm not really sure what your opinion is but I'm fairly certain it is wrong

Then you should let them walk.
Crap...see what you did there LOL