Bobcat Size?

Lonnie

Lonnie

New member
I bet this question has been asked but I can not find it in a search. Probably not doing something right. How big do bobcats get? I have never caught or killed one over 24 lbs and the biggest I have ever seen was 28 lbs. I hear of people that say they saw one that was 45 lbs. Is that true. Biggest I ever remember seeing a pic of on here was several years ago and someone shot one on a Texas night hunt that was hanging on a fence next to some coyotes and made all the yotes look little. Don't remember a weight though. What say you?
 
This is the biggest that I have personally seen. My partner Dean here weighs in about 150lbs, and is average height.
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We have taken quite a few cats here in AZ, and their size seems to vary a lot in geographical areas. I don't know if that is just genetics, or if that ha to do with the available food sources, probably both. I have found the longer legged ones in thicker brush, and the shorter ones out in the desert and up in the rocks.
 
I shot 30 something Bobcats last year and I know only one went over 22 pounds and it was 23lbs.
The biggest two I have weighed were both last year shot by my hunting partners and they were 24lbs and 28lbs IIRC.
This past week we called and got two and they weighed 18lbs and 22lbs.
 
There's a monster bobcat mount in Billy Farris's taxidermy shop in Eldorado, TX. If I remember right, it supposedly weighed 41 lbs and was taken by a trapper. Thing was huge!
 
Ive only killed 7 or 8 so my opinion dosent count around here but the tom in my avatar is the biggest Ive killed. No idea on weight though.

If I had to guess the weight, id say it was maybe 26# maybe a tad more maybe a tad less.
 
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I think it is pretty easy to guess their weight too high. I hear guys say they know one weighed 35 lbs but they never weighted it and are not really sure. Maybe someone else has weighed a really big one and will post up later.
 
+1 on Lonnies response. I think guys get so excited that they've bagged one, that they WAY over estimate the weight. It's easy to do. I have a buddy that has a digital scale and he keeps us both honest. Unless it's been weighed, I never believe the weight of cats.

Average for us out here is about 18-24 pounds. I've seen a bigger one, but it wasn't weighed, so....
 
Theres pics hanging in a restaurant in Orofino ID of a bobcat that weighed 74 pounds. It's belly was almost dragging on the ground when it walked.
 
The ones I've shot were around 22 lbs but I shot this one last year and it tipped in it 33 lbs and long.(I'm 6'5") By far the biggest I've shot. I weighed them on a digital scale.

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Nice cat.

I've got friends and know some guys in AZ that have shot many bobcats. They say they have never seen a bobcat taken in AZ go over 30 lbs.

My biggest is 24. Most I see go about 16-20.
 
I cant put the pic on here cause its not digital, but I have a picture of the only one Ive shot held at shoulder hieght by the back legs and the fronts were on the ground. Im 5 11. It was probably 10" longer than the one in the first pic. Dont know what it wieghed. It was taken in south west Mo.

Up here in north Mo they all look like big house cats.
 
The largest verified bobcat is 54# and was taken in northern Wisconsin a couple of years ago. The guy was a hound hunter. I'll see if I can dig up a link.
 
The biggest I remember weighing was 23 pounds but I may have killed some a pound or two heavier. Our cats are usually very thin, even the biggest toms.

This big tom barely broke 20 pounds but had a body frame like a thirty pounder.

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This here is the biggest one I have personally seen weighed but I have seen bigger hanging in my uncles fur shed. This one was shot buy me and weighed in at 24lbs. We dont have an electronic scale but did weigh it on three different scales to confirm what it weighed. My taxidermist said its one of the largest females he has seen in a long time. I should of held it by its front legs but didnt so the pictures dont really do it any justice.

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cat2002.jpg
 
I shot a big cat here 2 years ago. The game warden guessed it at 40 lbs but when I took him to the taxidermist he weighed him on a digital scale at 38 lbs. But most that I have shot and guys round here trap and shoot are usually in the 18-25 lb range but usually one of us get a one pushing low 30's each year. I will try to get the photo dug out and loaded up.
 


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