# Never thought I'd have a chance to see this in the wilds of Ohio



## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

Was out deer hunting this morning at the Tappan Lake public hunting area. Got to my spot about an hour before daylight to get the jump on the deer. About 7:30am I use my doe bleat call. About 5 minutes later, I hear a noise uphill from me which I can't see because of a big tree in the way, then down the trail walks a bobcat! I didn't even hear it until it was about 40' away. It trotted down the trail not 20' away! The bobcat continued on into the brush and never even noticed that I was there! Wish I could have gotten a picture, but at least I got a great look at it. I just wonder if the doe bleat attracted the bobcat to my location. Of course it could have also been the turkeys clucking. 

As quiet as I was, I still didn't see a deer today. Had one snort at me before daylight, but that was it. Was sitting in the same spot where I saw a 4 pointer on opening day but shot the grape vine in between us.


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## leupy (Feb 12, 2007)

bobcat were just taken off the endangered list.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

PA had had an open Bobcat season for about the last 10 years with some taken in SW PA. So it's not too unreasonable to think that some have made their way over into Ohio. 

Just think...you probably just had a once in a lifetime event of seeing one in OH...cherish it...

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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

I have a buddy that has a lot of acerage crawling with Bobcats. Heks keeping an eye on them and making sure his animals are penned up at night but he's lost some cats and thinks the Bobcats are getting them.

IKve been watching his tril cam picks and there are atleast 3 or 5 grown adults with a ton of little cubs right now. Guess well see what happens over the next few years.....

A

My wife says I have a fishing habbit....


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

My son's wildlife biology professor has been doing a study on bobcats for the last 2 years and said you'd be surprised how widespread they are in the state ; not numerous in most parts, but well distributed. She said that an extensive study just a few years ago revealed that there were cats living within 50 miles of every major metropolitan area in the US. 
A guy I work with lives near Sunbury & sees one along the CRP fields behind him fairly regularly. I've yet to be 100% on seeing one, but I know there are a few around.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I'm not surprised to hear that they are basically everywhere in ohio, but in limited numbers in most places. They are so elusive and blend in so well, that it was hard to see it when it was just 20 yds away. Just happy to have had the chance to see one, especially at such close range! Funny thing is, in my 20 years of hunting deer and rabbits I have never ever seen a coyote while out hunting! I've seen a couple while driving, but never when out deer hunting and sitting in the woods for hours! I've seen 3 foxes over the years, but never a coyote and this is my first bobcat.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I&#8217;d like to think that within 10 years there may be a limited season for cats in Ohio. That may be wishful thinking, but there seem to be a lot more cat sightings than otter sightings and we have an otter season. I&#8217;m still waiting to see my first one.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

My BIL told me about seeing his first bobcat. This was in Oklahoma, not here. He was in a wooded area squirrel hunting. From a way off he noticed squirrels just flying up trees, perching on the branches and barking their heads off! He figured something was coming, so he just hid behind a tree and watched. Here comes a bobcat that passed by him about 30 feet away. Never knew he was in the world. He thought about whacking it, but said it was so cool looking he just let it walk.


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## johnrude (Mar 29, 2009)

a friend of mine has property in Meigs county and he has seen 2 in the past couple months.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Jefferson county has had several sighting over the last few years. A few on trail cams, and my dad saw one stalking a rabbit in his garden this summer. It just hung at the edge of the yard watching the rabbit for a few minutes till it drifted back into the woods. Hasn't seen it seen it since though.

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## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)

What a great sighting, hope to see one in my lifetime. 

I hope there is never population enough to warrant a season, limited or otherwise.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I have seen two in my looooooong life, one in MI and one in Ohio in the early 70's

I would love to be able to see them in Ohio. I also hope there is never a season to hunt or trap them. Just can't believe we will ever see a population that would warrant that.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Pa and w va. Have had hunting/trapping seasons in place for a long time and the population remains strong. We're a long way from the population those states carry, but once they build up enough, a hunting/trapping season will be the only way to keep them from turning into the next coyote type nuisance. A litter of bobcats require a lot of rabbits and squirrels to survive... 

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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Bad Bub said:


> . A litter of bobcats require a lot of rabbits and squirrels to survive...
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Perfect, send a couple to my house to take care of all of these squirrels


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

Lundy said:


> Perfect, send a couple to my house to take care of all of these squirrels


Yeah, my house too. Saw a coyote in the back woods this year, but it hasn't done anything for the squirrels. Have lots of stray cats in the area, but they aren't big enough to handle the adult squirrels. Not many rabbits in the area though. 

When I saw the bobcat, I had no urge to raise my gun to it. If it had been a coyote though I would have unloaded all 3 slugs!!!


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Lundy said:


> Perfect, send a couple to my house to take care of all of these squirrels


Ha ha! I wish they would come take care of my mouse population in my barn. I think my wife's cat has befriended them.... worthless....

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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

I left deer camp early during gun week. One of the guys called me after I left and told me that two of the nights they were standing on the deck, and heard the most unnerving, godforsaken, hair raising growling/screeching/howling noises they have ever heard. They said it made every hair on their bodies stand up. They never heard anything like it. It went on for ten minutes each night, and moved a couple hundred yards each night. One of the guys had an electronic game caller at home, and brought it down for the bonus week. They were going through each call/sound, and when they got to 'bobcat', they all said 'that's it!!!' The neighbor was there when it happened. He's lived there thirty years, and said he'd never heard, or seen a bobcat. This is in Carroll County.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

i,ve been lucky enough to have seen a few bob cats over the last 10 yrs. my sister and brother n law bought a lot in the middle of nowhere down in florida. as other people bought and built there houses there was 2 lots left next to there house. there was a couple of cats that lived in those overgrown lots. but at times they would travel through there yards. and when we would dump our left over shrimp and pin fish in the edge of the next lot they would come and feed on them. then i seen a couple down in tenn while riding atv,s.

many yrs ago the thing i thought i or my kids would never see in the wild was turkies. then one morning as it was getting light i walked under a big tree while deer hunting and that tree just exploded. it scared the crap out of me,LOL. i counted 9 turkies flying off. come to find out the wildlife area i was hunting had planted 16 pairs of wild turkey, that was back in the early 80,s. and now i see them everywhere. i think they are also a neat creature.

we was riding our atv,s down in tenn at black house mountain, i turned a sharp corner and there was a whole herd of turky. they took off flying and i took off on my atv. i was running right beside one. i could have just reached out and grabbed it but i knew better,LOL. but it really was fun.
sherman


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

That would be cool to see. When Im hunting I only see turkey, and I don't hunt turkey. 

Reminds me of all the times people have tried to convince me that there are bigfoot or large wild cats living in ohio. "They have seen them" then ramble on about everyone they know that have seen them. 

But at the same time there are multiple animals KNOWN to be in ohio that are rarely ever seen. Bobcat, black bear, weasel, fox, even coyote are living in ohio and almost never seen. I know that fox and coyote are seen more often but there are many people who have never seen one. Even people who spend time outdoors rarely catch a glimpse of these animals and should feel lucky when they do.


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## billk (Feb 2, 2008)

Saw one bowhunting in Belmont Co last year.

There a number on the ODNR website to report sightings. You should report the sighting. Lady I spoke to said that numbers are increasing year over year.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

On a kayak trip down Darby Creek, a friend of mine said he heard something growling up on the bank. We were floating through the same area a few weeks later, and both of us heard it--probably wasn't more than 30 feet away in the weeds. It had to be a bobcat. I was watching a show on them a few days ago, and the growl sounded just like the ones we heard.


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## Shed Hunter 365 (Dec 3, 2007)

I saw a bobcat in Carroll County about 3 years ago.


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## buford2 (Dec 16, 2010)

have never had the pleasure to sight one and have been doing this outdoor thing longer than i want to think about! i have seen mink chasing rabbit while gun hunting for deer, many many coyotes, fox and the occasional bigfoot but no cats. but last month the wife saw a dead one at the intersection of boston and marks rd in brunswick hills(n. medina cty.) she turned around to confirm this and while she was looking at it from the truck (point blank) she said a guy stopped behind her and took it! he asked her if she knew what it was and she replied bobcat. he confirmed that and said he was taking it to dnr? i guess they are everywhere but limited and elusive. i know this is late reply, but have been borred and reading just about everything!


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## Top of the Food Chain (Oct 6, 2010)

1st one on trail cam pic...deer season 2012 Guernsey County


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## buford2 (Dec 16, 2010)

does anyone else think that looks like a domestic shorthair with a stub tail?


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## Gills63 (Mar 29, 2012)

I have to admit that I thought the same. But I don't have much bobcat experience.

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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

That cat's coloration does look similar to a house cat. I did some quick internet research and found that the bobcat's coloration does vary widely over its range. In fact there are 13 subspecies! I found pics of cats that had lots of spots and were very light colored like a leopard and cats that were almost solid colored like a cougar! The bobcat that I saw was mostly a solid brown color like a deer this time of year, but it had some spots/bars on its legs and a white spotted underbelly.

I also read that the largest bobcat ever verified was 49lbs! I wouldn't want to run into a coyote that big let alone a bobcat! Apparently, they are larger in the Northeast and smaller in the Southwest. Also, according to National Geographic's map, they don't exist in Ohio! LOL!


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

buford2 said:


> does anyone else think that looks like a domestic shorthair with a stub tail?


Yep, thats exactly what that is. There are bob tail domestic cats, and thats one of them. Theres plenty of variation in markings with bobcats, but thats a domestic cat for sure. Not only the coloring, but the body itself gives it away.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

picture of domestic bobtail with similar markings
View attachment 68696


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

I wasn't going to say anything, but that is 100% a domestic bob tailed cat. Many reasons, but the short legs are the most obvious.


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## buford2 (Dec 16, 2010)

ditto the short legs!


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

This one was trapped and released in Meigs Co. a week or so ago

http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news...cle_d44c2286-bb90-5b1f-9625-9c980d5afa4d.html


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## Top of the Food Chain (Oct 6, 2010)

I don't disagree with your assessments...it closely resembles the picture of the domestic bobtail. To play devils advocate, the bobtails look to have a bushier tail, and the angle of the camera (in the air) may be exaggerating the stubby legs.

Irregardless, picture was sent to DNR for verification. I would be interested to hear what they say.

Appreciate the education...


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Seriously, it's a house cat.


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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

i seen a bober in highland CO


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## Lucky Touch Charters (Jun 19, 2011)

I hunt a farm in Washington county close to belpre. there are 2 resident bobcats that live around there. i have seen one of them. ony way i know there is 2 is because the land owner seem them both at the same time. They are the suspected chicken thief in the area lol.


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## Flatty01 (Aug 9, 2008)

Saw one from my bowstand 2 yrs ago. Went back with a camera the next day of course i didnt see him again, lol.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

20 plus years ago my friend and I saw a Bobcat while night fishing at Nimisila in Green of all places. (south of Akron) He scaled a tree and we hit him with a spotlight just sitting there 15 ft or so above our heads. We were shocked! The one we saw was def no domestic cat. He was big with long legs and beautiful markings. Just wish we had a camera with us at the time because people didn't believe us.


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## treytd32 (Jun 12, 2009)

I saw one while backpacking out in Shawnee a couple years ago. Beautiful animals


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

I had one within ten yards a few years back while deer hunting the Shawnee forest. I thought about shooting it but had no idea at that time if it was legal to or not so I just let it walk by. Probably one of the coolest things I have seen while hunting.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Hetfieldinn said:


> I left deer camp early during gun week. One of the guys called me after I left and told me that two of the nights they were standing on the deck, and heard the most unnerving, godforsaken, hair raising growling/screeching/howling noises they have ever heard. They said it made every hair on their bodies stand up. They never heard anything like it. It went on for ten minutes each night, and moved a couple hundred yards each night. One of the guys had an electronic game caller at home, and brought it down for the bonus week. They were going through each call/sound, and when they got to 'bobcat', they all said 'that's it!!!' The neighbor was there when it happened. He's lived there thirty years, and said he'd never heard, or seen a bobcat. This is in Carroll County.


A guy I used to work with went hunting with his Son in southern Ohio some years back. His son posted him on the side of hill, and he was sitting there in the black dark just waiting for it to get light, when, just up the hill from him, something let out a scream that made his hair stand on end so hard his hat fell off! When they got together for lunch he told his Son about it. He told him it was a "wildcat", meaning Bobcat. They guy said whatever term you use, it was damned impressive!


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## fishmeister (Jul 29, 2004)

At our hunting place in Washington County we have as many bobcat tracks as we do coyote tracks. My father-in-law almost stepped on one in the dark on the way back from his tree stand in the dark last Fall, let out a scream that completely freaked him out!


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## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

Im only 15 and have seen four in the last two years in Gurnsey Co., my bosses dad trapped one on accident in a foot trap for coyotes/ fox. We had to set a box trap next to it throw a berlap bag over the box for shade and left for a half hour. Came back and was in the box. And this was a real good sized female, I had to pop the trap open while he distracted it. Took the bag off the trap and took a step back and it didnt need anytime leaving the field.


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## bubbster (Jun 2, 2013)

While driving on rte 71 in 1978 or 79 I obsreved a large tan colored Mountain lion. It was running along a woods right off the highway. Have seen coyote many times in Ohio . No bears or bobcats. While on a trip to canada hunting,I got to see a Lynx, and a Wolf,but no bears which I spent every afternoon trying to see. My dad did see a bobcat in Monroe county about six years ago. It was coming on to the cabin porch and gettin scraps he would put out for the neighbors dogs.Heard some noise on the porch and when he opened the door it ran out aways and he shined a flashlight on it. He was very surprised!


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## bubbster (Jun 2, 2013)

A bobcat will have a white spot on the back of each ear.Can't really see in that pic ,but the back of his ear does look lighter. But domestic cats do get around so it could be that kind also!


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