Mountain lion #'s vs Bobcat #'s

[Tanner Peyton]

Oh man that is bad, yeah David I'm not sure how serious of trappers the Yohes are. But I will tell you this, there isn't a lick of grid electricity or plumbing in that house of there's. Everything they get to earn a living is from them woods around there house. intersting side note, them hides they had put up there at the house were tanned using brains of the critters them selves.

Dewey, answer me this. I'm not a huge fan of shooting out bobcats because I like to run umm. A dead cat isn't a whole lot of fun to chase. But for the sake of the overal population would a fella be better off to shoot males here and there to up the overal population? On one had it would help produce more cats but it would be the younger less experienced cats. The older males that live a long time seem to be the hardest to catch and the most fun.

It sure is nice being able to set down and read what you fellas half to say. Thanks for all your input and happy hunting.

Ps, David I'll be all set down that way buy the fall. You'll have to come out and show me how to catch a cat.

[david]

[david]

[dwalton]

Tanner I have seen areas of stale bobcat populations where all you see for sign or catch is older bobcats no young cats. If I take out toms the next year I see a lot of younger cats. Most animal populations are dependent on habitat and or pray species. With high bobcat prices the cats can be over harvested by trappers or hunters but will bounce back as soon as prices drop as it has done the last two years. Most studies rely on tooth aging to show a healthy population of cats by the mean age of bobcats taken. I have heard you can't run a dead cat which is true. There are very few bobcat hunters or trappers that take large numbers and they seem to be able to do it year after year and not affect their take while others seem not to be able to find a bobcat. Is that do to population numbers or the ability of that hunter or trapper? I hunted some areas this year that I have not hunted for years but it has been hunted and trapped by others. I also hunted for toms only with the prices low. When snow was on left females and young bobcats alone. With bare ground which is most of my hunting I still target the toms. I treed 30 bobcats and took 28 with 22 being large toms. This is over 4 counties 24530 square miles that is 1 bobcat for ever 876 miles. I did not cover that many miles but do hunt over a large area and hunt rough country that most would not hunt. The hides are cared for no matter the price and the carcasses are fed to my dogs. I catch hell around here for the bobcats I kill from other hound men. Is it the fact that I kill what I hunt or the fact that others can't find and catch bobcats? I manage the areas I hunt with the bobcat populations in mind.The only population that we as humans don't manage try to manage is our own. What is wrong with that picture? I do live in a area with a good hunt able bobcat population. The last time I check the amount of bobcats tagged by states, Oklahoma tagged the most with over 8000 bobcats tagged. Just something to think about. Dewey

[Tanner Peyton]

Yeah I figured it was probably Oklahoma or Kansas. Them two states tag a pile every year. I'm not real worried about what other people think I just wanna do what's best for my local bobcat population. Just doing the math base on my past numbers I think 25 or 30 cats caught a year is do able. I either need to have about 500 outings a year or 50 jumps an outing. Hahah I'll get there don't you worrie.

[david]

[Tanner Peyton]

[bearsnva]

Most of the private [best habitat] is locked up now and the public is in a no clear cut policy which is hurting all wildlife. The environmental policy is going to save it until it is all gone. Most environmental policies are the problem not the answer I just hope they[ the ones in control] realize it before it is to late. Hind sight is a great tool to learn from but always to late.--- from Dewey

Dewey,
Your comment from above is totally correct and couldn't be phrased better. Sometimes I have trouble figuring your reasoning but I usually end up learning something from your postings. Keep them coming.

[Liz ODell]

I think the coyotes affect the behavior of bobcats quite a bit depending on the location.
I had never really seen them affect much more than perhaps the movement of bobcats during hunting before but after moving to where I live now I see the bobcats here act different than anywhere else in short tree country that I have been and the only thing I could possibly point the finger at is the coyotes out here. The cats seem to act what I would call 'normal' in the areas higher up, the pine belt and higher but if you run them down in the pinyon/juniper/sage here they will often just try to outrun/maneuver the dogs or jump out easy (obviously some of the jumping has to do with butthead tree climbing dogs but sometimes I just don't know why they do it) and I think that has to do with the coyotes, who are also the biggest coyotes I've ever seen anywhere constantly messing with them and I believe killing the smaller cats when they can catch them.
Just my observations from my brief life here so far.