I pass on the cats & fox, studies have been done in the east that fox control the rodents that carry the lime disease tick, like snakes, fox help keep the rodent population down.

I wonder how many bobcats are going to get a pass this weekend with the West Texas Big Bobcat Contest going on??????
Adios,
Gary

If they get one from me it'll have more to do with my marksmanship deficiencies than any bobcat hugger tendencies I might have.

I'm not familiar with that contest but it sounds like fun! If we had more access in my area I wish some of them would come here and help eradicate some. I don't want to see them completely taken away from the area, but I don't like finding a fawn/doe carcass burried on the creek bed, tucked into a hole on the bank and leaves scraped over it. I have been told that's what the cars will do. Seems when we put pressure on them and take a fe out, they come back in about two or three years and always more than one and about this time of year.

Been letting most things go on my place - hogs and beaver only get whacked thus far - stuff that does damage I can see I guess. Bobcats are cool to watch but keep thinking about taking one.

I leave cats alone

I killed one bobcat, got it mounted, that's all I wanted. I have a couple on my place that I see from time to time, now I just watch them...one of the coolest creatures in the wild.

Ok, I've been watching this thread for a bit now, and I need someone to explain it to me. I keep seeing how cool and neat cats are, and I just don't get it. If you call or trap much, it doesn't take long to learn they aren't particularly smart. There isn't 3 cents worth of difference between their behavior and that of my daughter's tabby. They aren't uncommin. To my view coyote is much more interesting with his adaptability and social structure.

Don't misunderstand, I like bobcat fine, I just don't understand why so many place so much special on them.

Depends on what the freezer looks like... I put them right below venison but that's about it.... they eat much better than wild hog and turkey.. if you can imagine getting a squirrel but 5xs the size... the meat is identical

Because most people see about hundred times more coyotes than bobcats. I've been hunting for about 30 years and have seen maybe a handful of bobcats in the wild, but I've seen countless coyotes.

Yup

Maybe so. Guess I see them so much because I look for them. I've had 3 hunts this year alone that I've seen more cats than yotes. Still a lot more to coyote.

Would never kill a bobcat. They are too interesting, rare, and beautiful to kill in my opinion. I have not had enough opportunities to see them in the wild so I would never shoot one.

Nothing rare about them they are just good at hiding

Yup, it's a night thing. I think I've seen more cats hit on the road this year than ever, was a pretty good one on the southbound side of 6 south of College Station Tuesday.

I shot a couple of bobcats a few years back, but won't do it again.

Its funny most want to see cats but they do nothing to make them at home... if your one that keeps pastures tidy, burns all brush piles, cleans the fence to nothing... this is why your not seeing cats... I have 4 large brush piles along side my creek I build up every year and leave for the wildlife.. I see more cats and foxes each year.. lots of undergrowth and thick areas on the property too.. I rarely see coyotes though... they stay up in the cattle pastures and more open oak timber properties... I do let plenty walk though they are cool animals and I don't want to rid the place of them... but at the same time I don't want them to thick... so I take out some of the older cats I see.. prolly every 1 out of 5 or so... and the one red fox that was the biggest iv seen.... those are one animal ill hardly shoot.. they greys have seemed to raise in population while our once good red population has gone to only seeing a few a year.

Agree with your comments Navasot. Personally when they get 35+lbs well... every picture tells a story don't it ;

X-2

That's an awesome cat Thermal!

I pass on bobcats and foxes as well. I shoot every coyote and raccoon I see.

Took 10 Bobcats from this past winter to sell the hides. These were all central/east Texas cats and best cats were 40.00 and smaller were 30.00. Two years ago they would have brought at minimum twice that.
That's why I have been giving most a pass when calling.... except contests.... they get shot.

I've pretty much always been a meat hunter. The only time I went after the cats is when I started seeing more of them than deer in my hunting area. Yotes I'm kinda on the fence about they're dirty little creatures like said above I'm sure they have their own place in the eco system.