Cat populations

[Huntintony]

Great post Dewey. The bobcat forum has become interesting again.

Rabbits rabbits rabbits! If we have a couple bad years of a rabbit population, I usually will notice a low in the kitten sightings, as well as the bigger toms moving to the lower elevations. This last year Ive noticed more dog boxes than ever, in areas where theirs never been any hunters. (fur prices) Looking forward to seeing the results of that this next fall.

[South Texan]

In the year 2000, we high fenced the home ranch (2000 acres) for the purpose of deer management. Up to this point I always left the cats that I treed here at the ranch, so I would have something to play with when I couldn't go cat hunting anywhere else. When we high fenced the ranch, I decided if we were going to try and raise trophy deer I better start taking off every cat that I caught here at the ranch for the purpose of varmint control. Boy...did I get an eye opener.

There is about 3 different spots here at the ranch where the cats will be if they're on the ranch. So all I do is hunt these 3 different areas when I'm hunting for a cat here. Up to the point of high fencing, I always thought we had a cat move into the ranch every now and then, always excited to start one here at home. Then when I started harvesting what I caught, I was overwhelmed. In the year of 2006 I harvested 32 cats on this 2000 acre ranch (highest recorded year here). I just couldn't hardly believe the numbers of cat caught in a year here at the ranch. And I'll bet there is never a maximum of a total of 3 cats here at the ranch at one time. But....what was happening was when I would catch one out, within one to two weeks time another one would move in. Just as Mr. Streepy mentioned in an earlier post. The neighboring ranches that border the ranch didn't harvest any cats, so as soon as I would harvest one, another one would move in. The harvest numbers over the last five years has finally started to decline, so I would guess after time the cats numbers on the neighboring ranches has declined also. But here in south Texas I would bet 98% of the land is private owned. Lots of ranches won't allow you to come in with a pack of hounds. So there is always going to be plenty of good cat habitat here producing the cats.

Here there is lots of food out there for the cat to eat rabbits, rats, quail, fawns, etc. so I wouldn't thing the food supply here has a negative affect on the cat population.

I have noticed over the years when we have a good wet year, with lots of ground cover, I see a higher percentage of kittens raised. Just mother nature protecting the young in all species.

No fur buyers coming to south Texas any more to buy hides. They had rather have a northern hide, thus no trappers in the woods here trying to trap cat. Lots of the ranches here now are high fenced, so there is a good bit of snaring for coyotes going on and they occasionally catch a cat, but I don't believe they snare enough cat to hurt the population very much.

So, overall I'd have to say the cat population here in south Texas is pretty stable. Robbie

[Rod Vinson]

Here we have a season that starts mid October and ends last day of February, and in the clubs I'm in and the other land I'm able to hunt I live by it. I quit to allow sow cats to raise and during the season I do catch a few sows but I never jump a small cat that could be a sow out of a tree. Three years ago I treed the same sow around a cross roads in one of the four blocks at least 9 or 10 times and she would always run 15 to 20 minutes, I would always leave her up a tree...I caught 7 toms out of the same crossroads. One thing is for sure if you leave a sow, she will always bring in the toms, one behind the other. Last year she had 2 kittens and one of them was a female, so I have helped myself. Every year I get the chance to get some cats from trappers in other areas and I relocate them and it helps.. I also never hunt a place out, if I catch what I think is enough by the amount of sign, I quit and don't go back til next year. YOU HAVE GOT TO LET THEM RAISE! It seems that all the timber companies around here are cutting twice as much now then they were cutting 10 years ago. Then when the cutover grows back and is replanted they go thru and chop every other row of pines with a chopper and opens it back up...that makes the food source disappear, then the cats will move as well. That is something we are just going to have to live with so I must help the cat population as much as I can to preserve my passion. Last year there seemed to be rite many young cats and this year there were less young cats.... We would be lucky if they bred like house cats...there would never be a shortage then...... Dogboy, I would love to visit and watch your dogs sometime...I wonder if them rig dogs would work in my country?? Good Luck everyone!

[Ringo]

Tim mention that the cats were rutting. What time of year does this happen and why were they spreading out? Are they kinda the same as lions and the toms just check surrounding females? How many kittens do bobcats usually have?

[twist]

In this area bobcats breed in Febuary. They are unlike Lions that can breed any time of the year. Most of the bobcats I would say raise 1-3 kittens on the average in this area from what I have observed. Andy

[CRA]

I want to say that this bobcat section is very blessed with some very experienced hound hunters. I’m very impressed with a lot of the knowledge being passed around in some of these threads. This section definitely has a very wise counsel of hound hunters to learn from. As long as everyone gets along we can all learn from everyone. Here’s my opinion on the cat population thread;
The female bobcat by wild animals standards are not the best mothers. They often pick some horrible places to give birth to their kittens. They really don’t make any type of nest with dry grasses like other wild animals do. Female bobcats will give birth to their kittens in some much unprotected places, like an overhang in the rim rocks, a large crack in the rock jumbles, up tight to a downed log, brushy thickets that don’t offer much in the way of protection.
A female bobcat will often leave their kittens for long periods of time to feed herself. This makes the litter wide open for attack. A female bobcat will defend her kittens, but only to a certain extent before leaving to save her own life. A lot of wild female animals will fight to the death to protect their young. This isn’t always the case with female bobcats. They are more prone to leave than fight. Female bobcats will sometimes abandon their kittens when faced with a serious threat to protect their own safety. The bobcat doesn’t produce larger litters even when conditions are right and food is abundant. This is something that hound hunters may think about when out conditioning their hounds during the spring (late April, May& early June). Female bobcats have been known to kill their own kittens when a female bobcat gets very disturbed and something causes them to get too nervous. I don’t know why some would do that but it is something that some female bobcats have been documented doing. Bobcats are very susceptible to the same diseases as house cats are. It’s best to avoid any type of disturbance to the female bobcat during this time of the year.
I know that every serious bobcat hunter develops a bond with the bobcat and would do almost anything to protect the same species that they hunt. If we could just get the animal rights groups to understand the feelings that hound hunters have with their quarry and the obsession with protecting them. If the anti’s could only understand the true passion hound hunters have with their quarry and hunting them has nothing to do with the harvest. It’s for the love of the hounds and the thrill of the chase. Lifelong serious hound hunters are very passionate about the bobcat and their existence. One thing a hound hunter has to learn to recognize is just how important a female bobcat is. Just knowing the whereabouts of a female bobcat is very beneficial. I have noticed as high as 3 Toms trailing 1 female cat. Keeping the females around is almost like a bait pile to a bear hunter.
There was a question about when the bobcat breeding season starts. Bobcats breeding seasons change with geographical locations and weather. It’s impossible to give an exact time. In my area I have noticed cats paired up as early as a week before Christmas and as late as early April. Knowing when the bobcat breeding season has started comes from knowing the bobcat and attention to all the details.
One thing about bobcats is they are very adaptable to changes. They can recover from almost anything. Overharvesting isn’t the threat to a healthy bobcat population, it’s all the other unmanaged enemies that the bobcat has that raises my concern (Coyotes, Hawks, Eagles, Owl’s & Mountain Lions), and what Mother Nature throws their way and is out of anyone’s control (brought& diseases).

[Big N' Blue]

WOW CRA you are a welcome addition to this site! You sure your from California? LOL just kidding! Hope you guys can keep your hunting rights in place! Great info you are passing on. Thanks!

[Ker_man]

BnB +2

[Dads dogboy]

Gosh Folks, this thread keeps getting Better and Better!

OK, Rod Vinson, as to Rig Hounds working in the Carolinas, you bet it will. We made a trip last year to Columbia, SC to hunt with some friends. They road and cast like most everyone else out your way, and are very successful. However they had heard through Mr. Hardaway about Dad’s Rig Hounds and wanted to see for themselves if works. When we left they were no longer Doubters but were Believers. It is just a matter of putting some of your Strike hounds up and finding the ones who are comfortable and willing to “Work” the wind.

You are blessed with that “Year Round Snow” in lots of the country that you hunt, so finding the Cat’s track when the Hounds strike should not be a problem. If you have a Hound who is striking in the Box that is who we would start putting up.

Good Luck and it will work….if you get chance come to Florida in May or June and Bring a couple of Strike Hounds and we will put them up with ours for some seasoning.

Mr. Robbie, very well said as to what you find in S. TX. No matter the region in North America, if the Cats are harvested or die off for some reason, sooner or later others will move in to take their place if FEED is available. It is amazing how fast another will move into an area. Some of this is probably due to Overlaps in territory, but we have seen Toms move into an area where we have removed another Tom in three days….and do this for 3 to 4 Toms. One Culvert (a natural game crossing) in Florida produced 4 Toms in 3 weeks of Hunting.

Ringo, CRA has nailed the reproductive skills or lack thereof and traits of the Bobcat. They are the Poorest mothers, Mother Nature has.

In North Florida the Rut hits about Mid January and last 3 to 5 weeks or so, in AR a week or so later for the start. You will find lots of Bobcat Tracks on all the roads during this time and it is not unusual to see two or three Cats traveling together.

The next period of hyper activity seems to be mid May through June; this is when we find lots of Tom Cat activity. Our theory is that these Toms are prowling to find the Sows with Kittens to kill the Kittens or see if the Sow has already lost the little ones and is ready to Breed back.

Now out in Western OK there is an abundance of CRP fields. Rats and Rabbits abound! It seems that Bobcat out there have MORE surviving Kittens, and possibly have two litters a year. Dad has seen Kittens of various sizes from Spring through late Fall. It seems that FEED is the key to the Bobcat Population as stated by others.

CRA the Bobcat Section is truly blessed to have some of the Best Bobcat Houndsmen from literally all over North America, sharing their knowledge and experience. Having you join the Campfire Conversation is true Blessing. Thanks for calling!

Thanks also for putting into words the Bobcats lack of Mothering skills.

Also CRA you have captured the spirit of the feeling of Stewardship that True Houndsmen feel for the Quarry that they pursue with their Hounds. The True Conservationists in the History of this Country are the Folks who respect and appreciate the Creatures of Mother Nature due to their interaction with them.

Hats off to Rod Vinson and the other Cat Hunters who work with the Trappers in their areas to relocate Sow Cats who’s Fur is worth next to nothing back into the field to enjoy again!

[al baldwin]

Educational & interesting reading, thanks to all who posted. Did not realize females were such poor mothers. Always reluctant to mention to others about being selective about harvesting. Sounds like I had one thing correct, very important to conserve females. As much as I would like to agree that over harvesting will not hurt the population, there is a part of me that can/t totally agree. It is strange that age has made me have a little regret every time I harvest a cat. Tim you are correct harvest is something that has to be left up to the hunter. I just know, I have a much better feeling about myself & the hounds when I pull the hounds off a catch & leave the cat to chase again. Of coarse there are times when that is not a choice & I understand. Plan to save this thread and offer to let selective others read. Thanks to all Al Baldwin

[Rod Vinson]

Dogboy you have me lost with the "year round snow"???? Maybe some rain but we get snow bout as much as Texas...lol. We had some last year but none this year. I have seen and owned some tree stock bear dogs that rigged but I dont know if I own a walker that srikes cats from the truck. It sure would save their legs if they would. I have seen them wind something in the truck before but didn't ever make anything out of it....I had a battle with vocal cord cancer this past winter and was unable to hunt as much as I wanted but still had a pretty good season and the Dr.s think we have got rid of the cancer, I guess time will tell. I have truly been blessed!!! We have a tough time with trappers my way because of all the fox pens, (at least a hundred of them) and the trappers wipe out the grey fox as well as catch a great number of cats....I beg and plead for them, that maybe I can just save atleast some of them...I would take all that I can get just to save them, especially the females... I got a little place I turned 6 females out this season, maybe they will stay around and load the woods up with kittens... I have noticed about the only thing that can survive around the coyotes are the bobcats....Them yotes wear out the grey fox as well... Dogboy, maybe I can break loose early in the week sometime and go with you a couple days later on in the spring, that would be awesome...

[Dads dogboy]

Mr. Rod,

The "Year round Snow" is the Sand that you all will have in some of your country. I know that over where Poon Hunts that some of the roads are gravel but closer to the Coast is Sand.

If You put a Hound up and it Strikes you can generally find the Cats track in the Sand to verify the Strike before putting the Hound down. Trust but Verify is the way to make Rig Hounds in the Southeast. Once the Hounds have your confidence that they are Striking Cat, it is still a Good Idea to try to find the Cat's Track. If it is a Sow we handle the end of the Race different than a Tom's.

For years Dad bought Cat from the Trappers to relocate in areas where we might could run them. Few stayed in the areas where released but just their being alive had to help the over all Bobcat Population.

[coastrangecathunting]

this is off the population topic but to get your dogs rigging u might try not snapping some and snapping the others . if u drive around at 8 to 12 miles an hour the dogs will smell a cat. the ones that are loose will jump down and the others will want down and bark . do this a few times and u will start rigging cats . i hunt 6 to 10 dogs depending on who is in heat or what have u . i leave all my dogs loose on the box so each has the oppertunity to be the lead dog . if i hit a hot track it sounds like a bear strike . if it is a trailable cold track maybe 4 will strike . if it is to old to run only 2 will strike it. try this i bet it will work for u .

[Rod Vinson]

Check your emails, I have sent some pictures...

[TomJr]

In my area it would be very hard if not impossible to over hunt it. Its a Question of accessibility. I live on the edge of a wilderness area, most people only hunt the edges of it due to not wanting to walk much. Then we have the border with Mexico, people do not hunt the either side of border much if at all anymore due to the risk of running into armed smugglers and them mistaking the hunter for someone trying to steal their "cargo". And Last but certainly not least is there are a lot of people living in the foot-hills and valley with 1-5 acre plots of land. There are actually more bobcats per acre in those areas than in the wilderness area due to unnatural concentrations of feed. Rabbits and rats like to eat the well watered landscaping that are in these peoples back yards. And bobcats find plenty of cover in the thick brush on many of these peoples properties.