Bobcats - how do you tell a big one from a small one?

erict

erict

Member
OK - I'll ask a stupid question, or maybe not so stupid.

This is the third year that I'm getting deeper into coyote hunting. I now have some opportunities to hunt in areas where there is a good population of bobcats. Now I don't get to see bobcats everyday, so I want some help in sizing them up. Assuming I get a shot at one I'd like to feel confident that I'm shooting a "mature" bobcat instead of a youngster.

Most of us know a big deer from a small one, I know enough to compare a bear's ears to it's head size as a good measure, and a big ole tom turkey is easy to identify. Is there any "secret" that you use to tell a "big" bobcat from the young ones?

Thanks in advance.

PS - I'd like to get one mounted, but they also say that bobcat pelts may be going for $100-140 this year!
 
One thing to keep in mind first.......you are in New York, and the kittys up there will generally run a little larger than, say , here in Tennessee or in Texas. Genetics and Mother Nature produce a larger strain there to help combat the colder winters.

As for your question, I think that in your area, an average size tom would be about twice the size of a larger housecat. As for what makes a "big" one......well, you'll know it when you see it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif They're scary looking when they get up around 25 or so pounds.

I would suggest that you get one of Byron South's videos, or one of the other videos that are available and take a look. There are several that show bobcats that have been taken, and you can get a good idea of what constitutes average size when you see the pic of the kitty being held by the hunter.

Here's a photo of an "average" size adult with a rabbit. You can get a little comparison from it. As you can see, she looks to be 2 or maybe 2.5 times the size of the rabbit.

Bobcat.jpg
 
Bobs are hard to figure if you have not been around them some. Their long legs make them appear larger than they are. A muture bobcat's track will be about 2" or more around. Head size can tell you a lot... if the cat's head looks like it could be as big around as a large grapefruit that is a muture cat. Good luck on those kitties! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I live in Albany county, NY and I have gotten bobcat pictures on my trail cam. This one has tracks that are 2 1/2 inches across and he is 22" tall His girlfriend had ones only 1 1/2 across but I only got one picture of her and it was not very good.

027_27.jpg
 
Try taking a trip to your local taxidermist shop. Sometimes they'll have a few of different sizes. Also, I think the cats from down south look smaller than their northern brethren. Could just be because of the heavy pelts. Even up here, they look scrawny in the spring and summer.

Try to compare them standing or sitting. A running cat looks big because he/she is stretched out. To my eye, the cat in the photo above is a very good one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

When you see a big one, you'll know it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Good luck.
 
To me, little bobcats look small and delicate. Small cats are thin and narrow in the shoulders. I passed one last year that I don't think would go over 15 pounds. Big cats look big. They have a big head, long legs, and stocky shoulders. They don't look delicate at all. I saw one Saturday while squirrel hunting that was a big cat.
 
Thanks for the ideas here. I've got a deer season (archery) to get in first, but it gives the critters time to build up a nice pelt.

The DEC biologist told me that the area I'll be hunting likely has the highest concentration of bobcats in the northeast - we'll see about that.

(Marlin - nice pic - are you waiting for him to get even bigger?)
 
I saw one last Sunday while I was bowhunting. If I had to guesstimate, I would say it was about 20 lbs. Didn't look petite, but wasn't real thick thru the shouders either.
 
Quote:
To me, little bobcats look small and delicate. Small cats are thin and narrow in the shoulders. Big cats look big. They have a big head, long legs, and stocky shoulders. They don't look delicate at all.



THAT'S A GREAT ANSWER. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Those same thoughts were in my mind.......but wouldn't transfer to the keyboard. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I think the record is 68 pounds from a cat that IIRC came from Maine. Of course, that's a record book specimen and far larger than even a normal "big" bobcat. To me, anything over 30 pounds is big, over 35 is a real biggun', and forty+ is a whopper and a half!
 
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