Big Bobcat and video

[Brian Shaffer]

At 26 lbs. and female at that, this is the biggest bobcat I have taken. I was after hogs, but that didn't happen. Twice, I thought I had lost her, but patience paid off and she ended up sitting about 20 yards right behind me.

It certainly impressed Mr. TBR who immediately branded her a long term deer killer.

Right now waiting to see if we are just going to have a pelt done or a full mount.

Angry Bird even wanted to see the cat.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Nice cat. I had a big one like that a few weeks ago chasing squirrels near my tree stand. Every time she stopped it was where I couldn't get a shot. I make a large live trap for bobcats, they are becoming the #1 predator in Texas some say. Good job and cool video!

 

[theblakester]

Nice shot. Where did he bullet enter/exit? At that range I woulda thought u should aim an inch or so high....

My dad's had an adult bobcat on camera since summer. He just recently had 4 youngsters on camera. I assume they're the kittens of the adult on camera from earlier in the year. He thinks they're pretty and wants to let them walk.
Is there a statistical or logical reason to shoot them on sight? Or are they less of a threat to game animals than coyotes, coons, snakes and other predators/varmints?

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Congrats Brian that is since cat I would have it stuffed. Sure is a big one those paws are almost the size of a mans hands!

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Bobcats are smart killers. You notice she didn't come across the field like a coyote would, she snuck around using cover to conceal herself and make a stalk on her prey. Bobcats will wipe out your turkey and quail population completely in an area. They kill fawns often and even adult deer. They are tenacious and efficient killers. There are many more bobcats out there than one would think. That being said they are pretty and cool to watch, although I personally will take a large bobca

 

[Curly Shuffle]

Stout cat. Nice going. BANG BANG!!!!

 

[FrankT]

Way to go Brian, she sure was stalking your call, pretty soon she would have been in the blind with you!

Blake The stats I see are bobcats kill about 10% of deer coyotes do, they are more bird hunters and will actually climb a tree where turkeys are roosting and take them. I have seen no real stats but I normally let them walk too unless I am having it stuffed for someone.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Good morning!

Blake, I assure you I didn't think she was just 20 yards away when I took the shot. That was my assessment from Google Earth. At the time, I thought she was probably double that, but, at the time was was more worried about vegetation and going back and forth between two windows in the stand. I definitely did not want to hit the tree that was blocking the view of her head.

Also at TBR, I am supposed to shoot coyotes and bobcats as part of the deer/turkey management program. Mr. TBR labelled this gal as a deer killer because of her size and maybe so. She was undoubtedly taking the turkeys. Either way, Mr. TBR was very pleased to have her go to the big hunting grounds in the sky.

Dan, YES, that was the dangest thing. She crossed right to left and I expected her to turn and come down the tree line toward me and instead she just up and disappeared. I spent the next 15 minutes looking, calling, and kicking myself because I was thinking that I could have ramped up the zoom and made the 160 shot, right? And now the bobcat is gone...I thought.

By golly TLM, she DOES have man hands!

 

[Andre Lopes]

Nice cat Brian!
And now, carpe lynx? Very good!

 

[Ratdog68]

That's a big putty-tat! You stirred birds all over Brian. Congrats on that one!

 

[slim_shady]

Very nice. Hey what are the specs on your Thermal?

 

[rob072770]

Brian great shooting and a heck of a big bobcat. Are you going to mount?

 

[DaveABQ]

Nice Bobcat for sure. I get them on my camera's, but haven't seen them while hunting in the lease.

 

[Afalex1]

Very nice cat Brian. I've only seen 3 in the wild in my life. They are elusive creatures.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Slim, I am running an Armasight Zeus 3 640x480 with a 75mm lens and 30 hz. I was using an Ultimate Night Vision MDVR recorder. I don't know what happened on the cut out of the image, but the sound remained. Subsequent testing did not repeat the fault. I had my scope focused at about 80 yards and did not refocus.

Rob, getting a pelt done from the cat and I will process the carcass for the skeleton.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Got the carcass back from the taxidermist and got a chance to look more closely at the ballistic damage. It is impressive. The bullet entered the left arm above the elbow, broke the distal end of the humerus, then (fragments?) entered the chest cavity and destroyed a section of ribs and shredded the heart/lung area, exiting on the right side at rearward portion of the ribs, drawing out a goodly amount of tissue through pingpong/golf ball-sized hole.

6.5 Grendel Hornady SST 123 gr. ammo, probably traveling at a bit over 2500 fps at impact.

I have watched the video multiple times. I have trouble seeing that my should would have traveled as it did. Apparently, the cat was sitting, slightly quartered toward my left, and the bullet impacted below my POA because the cat was much closer than I anticipated.

I am starting to believe that SST stands for "Super Shredded Tissue" because the damage seen here isn't atypical of what I have seen with the coyotes or the hogs.

 

[Ratdog68]

Brian... a little rough on that puss, eh?

Nice getting a chance to critique your own work like that. That "other right" humerus does look pretty shredded. Hopefully a little creative needle work will net you a purdy pelt.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Oops, and corrected. I will now enroll in a remedial symmetry class.

 

[Ratdog68]

Another magic bullet mystery solved. LOL...Those SSTs are an efficient killer, aren't they? Kiddos get cookies for kitties too? (say that quickly after a few beers and a glob of peanut butter)

 

[FrankT]

They are good to eat like lion

 

[Brian Shaffer]

You know, Frank, I know folks who eat mountain lion, but not bobcat and I don't know why. Mountain lion is supposed to be a sweet meat.

No cookies for a bobcat, only hogs. The kids have been without cookies for a while.

Yeah, when time and opportunity permit, I like to take a look at just what the bullets are doing in the critters I shoot. I don't like how the SST comes apart, but maybe that should not bother me too much as it still seems to penetrate quite well and do a lot of damage and kills things quite well. It would appear that if it hits anything hard, it breaks into a lot of (bigger) pieces and when it doesn't hit hard things, it has small parts break off and the core is still apt to separate from the jacket.