Bobcat behavior (Belfast: live in, food, backyard)

[hedgie1]

Hello all.....

I hope someone out there can help me, or point me to an expert who can help.

I live in the Belfast, Maine area, and have been fortunate to observe a female Bobcat and her almost full grown cub hunting ducks at my mothers backyard riverside duck feeding station. This past weekend, with the heavy snow cover, some very unusual behavior was observed. Apparently, the Bobcat dug herself a hole in the snow, and waited for the ducks to land on their "duckpad" to feed on cracked corn. She waited patiently until there were a number of ducks on the ground before she pounced. She was rewarded with a fat, cornfed duck feast.

I know little of the hunting habits of Bobcats, but this behavior seems very clever and unusual to me. I'd really like to hear what an expert has to say about "our Bobbie's" clever duckblind.

thanks!
hedgie

[Elcarim]

Doesn't sound unusual at all to me. Sounds about like any other cat in the wild and their hunting tactics. I've watched a LOT of Animal Planet with my little nature girl (age 6) and it sounds like a re-run of big cat episodes we've seen. I think what you're experiencing is just the natural hunting instinct coming into play during a season where food is more scarce.

[Maine Writer]

I agree with Elcarim. When we had a bobcat hunting here several years ago it ate whatever it wanted of the rooster du jour and buried the rest in the snow for another day. I've come across a few deer carcasses buried in leaves while hunting. They're clever cats. I spent some time in my woods yesterday afternoon specifically looking for bobcat tracks. The wild turkeys dwindled from a dozen to zero in the last two months or so. We do have have a cat. My birds won't be able to go out without one of the dogs for the rest of the winter.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

A bobcat can take down a deer. They pounce from the snow or drop from a limb above. They go for the neck and they are very efficient.

Strangely enough, the larger lynx in Canada lives almost exclusively on snowshoe hare.

[hedgie1]

All your replies (THANKS!!) sound just right to me. The thing I found odd, was that the cat dug herself a hole in the snow, and then waited for a duck to land. It didn't bury anything, it just hid there in its hole and waited.

I'm attaching a couple pics here (same ones I've sent to the good folks that sent me personal replies) I've got other pics, and Mom takes more every chance she gets, if anyone would like to see them.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

That bobcat is blind in his left eye. Look at the pics. He's nice and fat anyway. Smart cat.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by hedgie1

All your replies (THANKS!!) sound just right to me. The thing I found odd, was that the cat dug herself a hole in the snow, and then waited for a duck to land. It didn't bury anything, it just hid there in its hole and waited.

I'm attaching a couple pics here (same ones I've sent to the good folks that sent me personal replies) I've got other pics, and Mom takes more every chance she gets, if anyone would like to see them.

awesome pics, thanx for sharing, this is one of my favorite animals, ive hunted for over 30 years in the woods, travel extensively, lived in maine all my life, and have yet to see one of these cats

[forest beekeeper]

Feel free to post more of those photos!

They are great

She would make such pretty babies too.

[msina]

Beautiful pics thank You

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I noticed that eye, is she blind or does she have one blue eye and one brown?

What an amazing site to see in your own yard.

Such a gorgeous animal.