Bobcat Hunting Tips and Tricks

Bobcat Hunting Tips and Tricks

By Troy Hoepker

The lead bobcat could be in our laps in a matter of seconds if she thought something looked edible. If she chose to attack, there was a chance the larger, more powerful male 10 steps behind her might just pile in on the attack as well. Crouched low to the ground with her head forward, the female closed to 15 feet away in full stalk mode, eyes locked on us. She knew where she’d heard the turkey sounds come from but little did she know, she wasn’t hunting a turkey; she was hunting us!

After a few tense moments, the lead cat stopped while staring in at us and then turned left flanking us as she moved into the cover we were sitting in. The trailing male, one of the largest bobcats I’ve ever seen, followed her exact steps and did the same. Both cats moved through the cover until they were behind us. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or more worried at the thought of these cats behind us pouncing in on us from cover we couldn’t see through.

Eventually they both moved off not to be seen again and my youth hunting partner, Jack, and I continued on with our spring turkey hunt. The soft yelps from my slate call had brought both cats looking for a meal. I had warned Jack prior to the hunt to not be surprised if we called a bobcat in that spot. I was proud of how he maintained his composure in the face of predators stalking us. It was a memorable hunt for both of us and I was glad Jack was able to have the experience.

Earlier that year, I had called in the female once in December, once in January, and once in February. Then Jack and I called both the female and the male during spring turkey hunting. The next November I called and killed a different male. Days later I called the large male again and the female once more. That made seven successful calling attempts in that exact location for the year. Needless to say, it was a very good spot where bobcats loved to spend their time. The female living in that section helped attract multiple males to the spot and her kittens increased the population the following year. I learned a lot about bobcat behavior from those cats during that period and enjoyed every second of it. There is no substitute for the experience gained in those situations to study how bobcats react to calling.

Understand Bobcat Territorial Areas
At the time the bobcat legal harvest in Iowa was one cat per year and since I had already taken a cat each year, the rest of these encounters were a bit of a case study in bobcat behavior. I was able to take many amazing photographs of these cats, some of which I’ve shared with you on the pages of this magazine over the years. Trail cameras in the area, some as far as a mile away, showed that these cats were very nocturnal in their hunting habits venturing out at night. Various males were photographed at night or in low-light conditions. One particular male wearing a DNR tracking collar even showed up on camera, though I never called it in during that calendar year. Pictures showed the female with her kittens in the fall of the year and I witnessed her and her kittens multiple times up to a mile away when the kittens were old enough to hunt.

I had a hypothesis that the female would venture out that late in the year past her normal territorial area frequently so eventually she could ultimately abandon the kittens to start a new territory of their own. Once winter would hit and the female was ready to breed once more, only she and different male suitors would come to the call in that original location of calling success again.

The territory of a male is much larger than a female’s territory. A male’s area may encompass the territory of 4 or 5 females. In November, days before calling the same very large male Jack and I called during turkey hunting, I had taken another male in the same location. That male was noticeably smaller yet still weighed near 25 pounds, which told me that it was likely not a territory kitten born that year. It appeared that multiple suitors were checking this female. Given the chance, I would not have shot the female, as it was her dedication to her home and her attractiveness that led to such a great learning opportunity.

The intimate home area of this female was surrounded by 80 acres of CRP. Bordering that 80 acres were row crop fields to the north and the south, each harboring multiple wooded draws and a heavy stand of hardwood timber to the west. On the 80 acre CRP farm itself, was a wooded ditch leading to a thick pocket of cedar trees and briars that held a small frog pond within the cover. This 2 or 3 acre patch was the interior home of the female. A creek was just down the hill and the Grand River was a mile away. This gives you a good picture of where a bobcat calls home and areas like this exist all over with the common denominator for all of them being easy access to water, heavy cover to hide and move around in and good rabbit habitat nearby. Good rabbit habitat usually includes bountiful mice populations and bird populations such as turkey, quail, and songbirds. Find areas like this and find bobcats.

Plan Your Set-Up
Once a good spot like this is found, success lies in finding the right way to set up. Look for areas with good visibility yet close enough to the cover. I try not to ask a bobcat to come very far and cross open ground. Bobcats are visual hunters. Their ears alert them to the sound but will only bring them so far in certain places. Bobcats want to stalk their prey so they naturally prefer to have cover around them while they do it. I love to give bobcats a natural travel approach from heavy cover to me that they feel comfortable with while I can observe their movements. Finding an elevated position to sit is always helpful.

Have you watched a bobcat stalk its prey up close on television? If you have, you might have noticed that the cat stealthily slinks his way in to the range when, with a short burst of speed, it can catch and overpower it’s prey. You may have also noticed that the bobcat will freeze every time an animal lifts its head or he thinks that the prey can see him. They rely on their camouflage to blend in to their surroundings and ability to freeze in an instant to have a successful approach to close range. Think about this when selecting a decoy. If you use a decoy, make sure it does not have an upright head or eyes. Position it in a feeding position or position of distress. When a cat thinks something can see its movements, it’s more hesitant to initiate a stalk. Instead it’s more apt to sit and watch from distance. It’s for this reason that I usually simply rely on the caller only to bring the cat and I will hide the caller in a small amount of grass or cover so that an approaching cat can’t see what is making the distress noise until it is very close.

Once a bobcat’s ears bring it to the scene of the sound, it will survey the area around the sound. Remember they are a visual hunter. If they can’t see the source or hear it they may sit and watch from cover. Three things are important here. The first is to survey the area before you start calling, especially when hunting prior to dusk, to identify objects that look bobcat sized. By doing so, you’ll know if something is out of place if a bobcat arrives and is sitting watching. Secondly, increase the amount you call to keep the cat on the move more. The more it moves, the easier it is to spot. The third thing is to move your eyes more than your head. A bobcat sitting and watching will catch you moving.

Keep Calling
Now that we can harvest three cats per season in Iowa, it’s important to keep calling even after you’ve shot at a cat. You’d be surprised how often another bobcat is nearby and the sound doesn’t always bother the second cat. Bobcats tolerate calling pressure better than coyotes do so you can make attempts more often in bobcat country. Bobcats love lip squeaks but if you’re using an electronic caller as the source of your sound, they don’t always tolerate the sounds of distress coming from multiple locations. Try these tips for better luck with the kitties this season!