Bobcat Shot Question

[WildEd]

My 17 year-old daughter was deer hunting this evening and spotted a large bobcat. She lip squeaked him in and shot him at about 25 steps with a .223 NBT right behind the left shoulder quartering away. She was in a 10 foot high tripod. She said he jumped about 8 feet high and hit the ground running. This was right before dark and he hit a brush line of thick brush about 40 yards away. She called me on a radio and I drove to that part of the ranch to help her find him. It got dark on me with no luck finding the cat and I will be there at daybreak to try and find it. How far do you think this cat could make it hit like that. There are a bunch of brush piles and an open section with waist high thick grass. Would a wounded cat head for a brush pile or run the easy trails. I found no blood other than where the cat was standing when shot. My daughter says she could see the blood spot behind the shoulder as it ran. Thanks for your suggestions. ET

 

[utahpredator_7]

Probably hit for the brush. A good dog would help you there if no blood. While we were in Wyoming, we were taking care of my dad's deer, and a wounded doe jumped up 10 yds from us. She had been there hiding for 20 min while we had been 10 yds away! She took off through the trees. I grabbed my gun and got a couple glimpses of her, but no shot. At the end of the trees there was real thick brush piles and then an open field. There was no way she made it 700 yds. throught the field before I saw her. She must have laid down in the brush again, because I never saw her, even walking through there several times. A badly wounded animal like that will probably try to find a place to hide quick. Let us know where you find it!

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

To many factors to consider to give a good answer. Depends on how angled the shot was and if she got both lungs, one lung or no lungs. With a double lung hit, that cat did not go far. With a single lung hit, it could go aways but I dont think a cat is as tough as a deer or elk. If she never touched the lungs and liver or gut shot that cat, I would imagine your chances of finding it are slim and none. I am by no means a cat expert but I would guess that a Bobcat, like its larger cousins, would go for the thickest tangle of cover they can find when wounded. Hopefully you will be able to find a blood trail. Let us know how you fare.