Bobcats

JohnP · September 05, 2009, 03:28:50 PM

Bobcat aren't only sneaky little suckers they also blend into our desert landscape pretty darn good. I was calling in an area that has over the years been pretty productive for coyotes. In all my years of calling in that area I never once called in a cat. This little gal was sitting out in the open about 10 yards or less from my caller and decoy and I never saw her until she laid down in a crouching position, I assume to pounce on it. At any rate that little bit of movement is what caused her demise.

possumal · September 05, 2009, 04:12:15 PM

Great picture, John. You are the man. I get the impression that if bobcats used their sense of smell like coyotes do, very few would be killed. Thanks for sharing.

JDMiller · September 05, 2009, 11:00:33 PM

Congrats on the bobcat!!

I've called in bobcats while spring turkey hunting & seen them while bowhunting whitetails. Have yet to get a glimpse of one while actually hunting the darn things.

KySongDog · September 06, 2009, 06:32:58 AM

Sure blends in well in that landscape. While coyote hunting I called one in at LBL in '08 but the season went out the day before.

I was using an e-calller too so that made it a double no-no.

BlueDuck · September 06, 2009, 10:12:14 AM

Nice cat. Our bobcat seasn dosen't start until Dec.15. By then the snow is usually 3 feet deep. Makes access and hunting them more difficult.

SCcoyotehunter · September 06, 2009, 08:09:55 PM

They are sneaky. In 19 years of hunting I have only ever seen two. I saw them both on the same ridge about ten years apart. The second one, he didn't make it.

JohnP · September 07, 2009, 01:27:20 PM

JD: We have a fairly decent population of Goulds turkey here. When I'm calling in the mountains I'll often times use a turkey call. Not only does it work well for coyotes but I have fox, bear, coatimundi and lion that also respond to it.

Semp: Not allowed to use an e-caller in KY?

JDMiller · September 07, 2009, 02:34:19 PM

JohnP.... at LBL you can use an e-caller for yotes but not for bobcats. Bobcat hunters must use hand or mouth calls.

In my opinion one of those quirky regs that go along with hunting LBL. As for the rest of Kentucky ...statewide.. e-callers are allowed to use for bobcats. In most of the state... bobcat populations have increased quite abit over the last few years.

A friend of mine who predator hunts actually got me hooked on the sport by inviting me to bobcat hunt LBL.... never specifically hunted yotes or cats before. We did'nt do any good on that first hunt but it was enough to promote my interest. I'm a little more prepared this season than last....so I'm looking forward to getting a chance at them again.

As far as using a turkey call..... a soft yelp one morning from a pop-up blind caused something to hit the blind. I was in a fence row with some huge oaks.... my first thought a squirrel had jumped against the blind. Then I leaned forward just peeking out the window and I was about 4ft ...face to face with a fairly large bobcat..crouched down ready to pounce. He had swatted the blind trying to get at the turkey sounds I was making. I was pretty sure this cat was fixing to get in the blind with me....so I snatched off my facemask and he took off. If he had got in there... one of us would have had to had some relief. With all the doors zipped except for the one window..... it would have been a sight.

KySongDog · September 07, 2009, 06:15:11 PM

Quote from: JohnP on September 07, 2009, 01:27:20 PM

Semp: Not allowed to use an e-caller in KY?

JDMiller already answered your question in that it has to do with Land Between the Lakes regulations. The U.S. Forest Service oversees LBL. Another quirky reg at LBL is that you can only use the hunting equipment in season at the time to hunt coyotes. That means that during small game season you are limited to rimfire rifles or shotguns with #2 shot or smaller. In the rest of KY it is open season on coyotes and one can use centerfire rifles or shotguns with anything smaller than buckshot.

LBL has a centerfire season for coyotes that runs Jan 26 thru the end of February and allows centerfire rifles and handguns along with T shot and smaller for shotguns.

I wish they would just conform to the rest of the state of Kentucky. The Tennessee portion of LBL has different regs also. It gets confusing.