My First Bobcat

I know it is not the greatest image but here is my first bobcat sighting in the wild. I tried to get it to hang around while I moved all the branches out of the way but no deal. That is a lot easier to do with wildflowers. It sure was beautiful with it's winter coat on.

Way to go Dale! Like you said, it may not be the greatest shot, but ya gotta start somewhere with bobcats. I consider it quite an accomplishment to just see one in the wild, and how exciting it must have been to get this one in your viewfinder. Were you in a blind?

February marks the beginning of their mating season, and should be a good time to try to photograph them. Keep up the great work!

I'm impressed Dale, I've never been able to capture anything but a house cat.
Nice reflexes to get him before he ran away. Where were you at?

Thanks Bill. I was walking along one of the local nature trails and noticed some motion out of the corner of my eye. I am very surprised that I saw it before it saw me. It was slightly in front of and downhill from me. I managed to get off several shots before it finally turned and looked at me. This was the cleanest shot of all of them. I had to focus manually due to the AF locking onto all the underbrush.

Dena, I was hiking one of the trails at Burr Oaks. It would be great if it made another appearance for our group outing. Sounds like they will be getting frisky in February.

What a fortutious moment Dale! I would think it's extremely rare to walk up on one in the wild. Nice job on the shot. I'd have been so nervous that I would have blown the shot altogether! Looking forward to meeting you in a couple of weeks at Burr Oak.

Hey Dale, is that a swan feather I see sticking out of the corner of his mouth? Oops, sorry 'bout that....

Very Cool Dale!

Under the circumstances, you did well--my only encounters with bobcats have been watching them disappear into the brush a few hundred feet down the road

Dale nice capture especially with him looking back at you. I've never seen a wild bobcat so I can understand it's always fun to get a shot of a new animal.

Back in the 90s, I recall some Burr Oak Woods N.C. staff seeing bobcats on a regular basis. Like other urban critters, maybe they are more accustomed to people and less wary. You may have encountered the bobcat on a regular route so camping out for a few days or weeks may reward you with a classic keeper!

The best place that I have found to photograph bobcats in a natural setting was at Wildlife Prairie State Park, outside of Peoria, IL. thanks to a tip from one of Leonard Rue's magazine articles.

Best,
Don

Wayne my heart rate did go up slightly when it finally dawned on me that this was not a house cat out for a walk.

Tim if I am lucky enough to see this guy again I will give it the 3rd degree about it ware bouts on the day the swans were attacked. :)

Thanks Ed, Rob and Gale.

Don it is supposed to snow today and I plan on getting out when the ground is covered and check for tracks. I was out there yesterday and I did see some tracks in this same area that looked like it was from the cat. But the remaining snow was so light that the tracks were not to distinct.

Dale, I just thought of something, you may want to ask staff at the nature center on the bobcat's habits. I recall Wayne Bass, the Maintenance Supervisor, telling me when I was there back in the 90s that he frequently encountered a bobcat on his daily walk from his house to the nature center. You may want to ask him for an update. If you do, tell him that I suggested you contact him and that I said Hi! At one point in my career, I was the administrator over the MDC nature centers so Wayne should remember me. Ha

Best,
Don