How to field judge Bobcats

[Aggiehuntress]

This year our ranch is over run with bobcats. Last year I called in and shot my very first cat and was lucky, he came in at 28#. We will be starting to really go after predators this spring (mostly coyotes), but want to leave the younger cats.

Can anyone explain how to field judge size on a bobcat?

Thanks in advance.

[HUNTNETIME]

My experience has been the brighter and more defined the markings(along with smaller size), the younger the cat. I think the markings tend to fade or the whole hide tends to get darker with age(and of course size). But, I am curious...if the place is over run, why worry about ages of the cats? Why leave the younger ones? They are just going to grow into older cats.

[Big Bill]

I would say kill as many as you can and don't worry about the age if they are over populated. No matter how good a hunter you may be you wont get them all. And there is ALWAYS land around you that more will come from.

[texashunter56]

IME there are more Bobcats on a place than one realizes, especially if you have thick drainages or draws. I managed a LaSalle County ranch for 3 yrs and snared fences for predators. I caught 30+ Bobcats per year for 3 yrs. I rarely saw any Bobcats and I lived on the ranch everyday. I might see 2 per month in the off season and maybe 1-2 per week during the MLD season hunting everyday. I see more where I live know in Goliad County than I saw on the ranch in LaSalle County.

[RobinHood]

We've noticed the same thing in Duval county. We kill em all. We've killed 15 since last season on our 600 acres. The quail, turkey, and fawns thank us every time we pull the trigger.

[Jmsck12]

It takes time seeing them in the field to judge them. Recent years I have seen more and more in the field and am starting to really hone in on the mature old ones vs the young ones. I've only shot one bobcat and most likely won't shoot another again. Got my mount and I'll leave them alone.


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[Arrowflinger84]

Kill them all and let God sort them out.

[Aggiehuntress]

The reason for leaving the younger is that we have a bigger coyote problem than bobcat, we just happen to be seeing more of them this year. If I am going to shoot a bobcat I want it big enough to mount. Any coyote seen gets wacked.