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The Kitchen Table

Just saw a bobcat on the road next to my place.

17 years ago

I was coming home from the grocery store and there it was in the middle of the road sunning itself. I never have my camera with me when something like this happens. We live up in the Santa Cruz mts., way out in the country. They look so cute - at a distance. This is why I wouldn't leave any pets alone outside.

Do you have them in your area? Have you seen any?

Clare

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Comments (10)

mariend
17 years ago
We had them in So Cal near where we use to live. Also Lynx. In fact during the winter when we had to walk the 1/4 mile to get to house, we saw the track of these cats and some a bit larger, like mountain lion. Never were bothered. The bobcats had a den in a nice pile of rocks and brush between our place and neighbors. Lost a few cats but did watch the smaller dog.
orie
17 years ago
I'm in NC. A town called Holly Springs. Supposedly, the next 2 towns (Angier) over have a nice population of bobcats. We have tons of deer. I did see a dead coyote last year in the outskirts of Raleigh.
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George, I can just imagine the expression on your son's face as the cougar ran to him! Can you imagine what the cougar was thinking when he could smell a deer and not see one? I bet he was confused. Jessaka, That's been one of the hardest things for me to keep in perspective since moving to the country....that everything in the web of life either eats something or gets eaten by something. I know that's the way the ecosystem works, but I hate it when I see a coyote with a rabbit in its mouth or whatever. I hate it even more when I see a coyote running off with someone's cat or chicken. It is natural though. The other day, a neighbor who lives a couple of miles up the road from us warned me to be on the lookout because her DH had seen a bobcat running up the road. I told her that I was "aware" of the situation because we have two bobcat trails through our property and I have been seeing bobcats several times a week. She's at the opposite end of our roadway where there is a neighborhood of closely spaced homes and not nearly as much wildlife as our end of the road with much more widely spaced homes and ranches and lots of wild land available for the wildlife. I always enjoy seeing the wild things around, but there are times I wish they'd stay a bit further away from our house and animals. Dawn
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Comments (19)
LOL! I wanted to cut him off and make him climb the tree 10' from his hole to see how well they climb. I also wanted to get a close-up look at him. He is very cute and very fat! At the end of the day I was driving past that area in my Mule (little farm vehicle) and floored it when I came around the corner of the brush. There was one about 30 yds away from where this one normally has been. It stared at me for a few moments and then ran under a huge brush-pile that is waiting to be burned. Either this is a second one that lives near the first one but near a different brushpile, or just the single one that has it's second tunnel entrance 30 yards away from the first hole. The next time I am at the farm I will try to get a picture of the fat little guy.
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Comments (3)
Dirtgirl - loved your writings about the bobcat/coon encounter! We have a few bobcats here in North Texas, but so many new houses have been going up the last few years, many of the critters who were here 10 years ago have now headed to more secluded spots. We keep a swing in the woods on our property. One night, several years ago, we were setting in the swing, night had fallen and we were armed only with a flashlight. It had been so quite, I was sure nothing was going to be viewed that night. But I turned on the flashlight and it shined right into the beautiful eyes of a silver fox who was standing about 10 feet away from us. How we didn't hear it approach, I'll never know. It was not afraid of us and wandered along it's way. We were so delighted! Back into darkness - still very quite, so again I turned on the light and this time, we saw what we were hoping not to see - a skunk. Very quietly, we got up and hurried up the creek bank and out of those woods. That night viewing was over in a hurry. We see lots of critters around here - one of the real joys of country living. Too bad the country is vanishing here, but we've seen and enjoyed this place for years now. We are truly blessed. Janice in Texas
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pattico_gw
17 years ago
Although I've not seen one....they are being seen more and more around here. There are a lot of wooded areas out here...just about 3 miles from the city limits.
It would be exciting to see one...but then I wouldn't make anymore trips out to my car after dark anymore...LOL

I went out there one night and heard something run through the fallen dried leaves. I'm sure it was a deer...they are quite thick here...but it sure made my heart beat...!!!

Oh and now when I'm about to hit submit..I see you said bobcat....I was thinking mountain lions....but we see bobcats too.

patti
marilyn_c
17 years ago
We have them here...have seen them several times here on the place. They don't bother anything. I am always happy when I see one.
marlingardener
17 years ago
We're in Central Texas, out in the country, and we have bobcats. They are great mousers, cut down on the rabbit ravaging of our gardens, and are most welcome to stick around our place. We have chickens, but with a secure coop we haven't had any depredations.
maryanntx
17 years ago
My neighbor has seen one on her place. She has penned chickens. I've never seen one on my land.
roseluver
17 years ago
My son sees them all the time on our place while he is hunting turkey and deer. I just can't talk him into shooting them..who knows they may bounce on him one day!!
jemdandy
17 years ago
Watch your babies and small children. When these cats are hungry, anything's a meal to them.
marilyn_c
17 years ago
A bob cat attacking a person who is not trying to harm them is
about the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
susanjf_gw
17 years ago
we did have a deer crash thru a store window in our downtown and we're surrounded by city...(burb of detroit)

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