I finally saw a Bobcat

[Uncle Lou]

So me and my young friend James head to a place north of Gladwin. It is a coworker of James' deer hunting camp where they have been seeing cats at least the last couple of years up there. James and I had planned to go last year on the last day, but the -30 windchills finally got us to rethink at last minute. I could handle cold for a few hours, but it was the heavy winds that I felt made it futile, other than to test our cold tolerance. I had been out the last couple days prior on late Oakland County archery to prove I could withstand at least 3 hours of this, but why drive 4 hours roundtrip to set a an ecaller into a 20-30 mph wind.

So we go up on Jan 9, this year. After a 2 hour ride in the dark we get to the driveway about 7:20 am. Check our maps one last time and decide to loop west to get behind the cabin along the river. As we are approaching the river, snow has a slight crunch to it and its real calm, all of a sudden we see movement in the river bottom, and James turns around and says cat. I was slightly behind him and saw it too. Very cool, that is the first bobcat that I have ever seen in the flesh. Neither of us had a shot it happened so fast as it caught us totally by surprise.

I guess we should have taken his friends information a little more serious. We let it calm down and called for a while hoping we didn't run him too far off. Then looped down river at about 9:30 am for another set. We cut his tracks and set up a couple hundred yards downstream.

I want to get back up there, James and his wife are expecting a new baby girl any day here now, so will probably run up solo or with James' dad. Not certain if I can go to the private 40 we started on without him, but it was bordered by state land and we spent the rest of the day scouting an adjacent swamp, before returning to the area of our last set in the morning for an evening try.

I have heard cats really don't have that good of memories and you can call them in again. We will see.

Here were a few pics from that day
track


running down a log along the river

[john1984]

I saw my 1st ever bobcat also, this past Nov.

1106191632b.jpg

Pretty cool lookin animals

[Uncle Lou]

Oh cool, and you got a pic. Only pics I got are from some friends trail cams.

[Jackson Marsh]

I saw my first one while bowhunting in 2018. Cool animals.

[seazofcheeze]

That's cool Lou!

[jporcello]

Buddy of mine swears they are good eating, i have not tried them yet

[jporcello]

Buddy of mine swears they are good eating, i have not tried them yet

[headgear]

Bobcats and wolves are my favorites to see out in the woods. I swear you can have the wind in your favor, not move, not make a sound and its like they know you are there.

[Uncle Lou]

Buddy of mine swears they are good eating, i have not tried them yet

My wife was skyping her parents before I went and I was in the room and he asked if I had been hunting. I said that I was heading out bobcat hunting tomorrow. He said what do you need a bobcat for. I said that I didn't need one. It's America and I want one. He asked if I would eat it, I said yes. I would definitely try it. But I want the mount and the animal more than I cherish the meat, but when I get one there will be some cat meat on the menu

[jporcello]

Buddy of mine swears they are good eating, i have not tried them yet

My wife was skyping her parents before I went and I was in the room and he asked if I had been hunting. I said that I was heading out bobcat hunting tomorrow. He said what do you need a bobcat for. I said that I didn't need one. It's America and I want one. He asked if I would eat it, I said yes. I would definitely try it. But I want the mount and the animal more than I cherish the meat, but when I get one there will be some cat meat on the menu

Let me know how it turns out. He said he soaks it in butter milk flours it and fries it.