WI bobcat possible new record

[Emily]

http://www.skinnymoose.com/moosedroppin ... cat-taken/

Here Kitty Kitty…. New North America Record Bobcat Taken?



Wisconsin hunter Dave Arendt has killed one huge bobcat that has surpassed the state record and may be the largest bobcat ever taken.

“I had been chasing a big one up in Marinette County that was the biggest paw print I had ever seen,” Arendt said. “This was just a chance occurrence.”

The cat’s track was already 18 hours old when Arendt, on a hunt organized by Andy Dryja, found it. It measured 3 1/2 inches and the stride was huge, Arendt said, comparable to a small cougar.

The bobcat led the hunters on a lengthy chase, complicated by crossing trails with other cats and a coyote. Eventually, the group came close enough to their quarry to release the trailing hounds.

The animal was treed and dispatched shortly thereafter.

A male, the 52-pound bobcat eclipsed the Wisconsin verified record of a 48.84 pound cat killed in Marinette County in 1984.

In comparison, the largest verified cat taken in Minnesota weighed 38.72 pounds.

“One over 40 pounds is the rare thing,” Arendt said. “Bobcat hunters are always looking for those.”

To date, no record of a verified cat that is larger has been found across North America, meaning that the bobcat might find immortality in the record books.

Arendt said the cat has already been placed on the Wisconsin record list, but it will take more studies before it is certified as a national record animal.