Bobcat Poop Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Quick easy drive up cache on a country rd.
Bobcat (Felis rufus) Class: Mammalia Order:
Carnivora Family: Felidae Size: Length: 24 to 48 inches
Height: Up to 24 inches Weight: 13 to 57 pounds Diet: Rabbits,
rodents, birds, deer Distribution: North America from southern
Canada to southern Mexico Young: 1 litter (1 to 7 kittens)
every year, twice per year in southern parts of their range
Animal Predators: Kittens are preyed on by coyotes, cougars,
wolves, large owls and eagles Terms: Young: Cub or Kitten
Lifespan: Up to 14 years of age in the wild and up to 32 years
in captivity · · Bobcats are the most common wildcats in the
United States. The bobcat population throughout North America
is approximately 1,000,000. · · Bobcats can swim, but rarely
do so. Bobcats are light brown to reddish brown. Their tail,
which is only three to seven inches long, appears to be
bobbed, giving them their name. They have a sturdy and
powerful body, with long legs and large paws. Their ears are
long and sharply-pointed, and some subspecies have tufted
ears. Bobcats are found in forests, mountains and desert
areas, as long as water is available. Rocky hillsides and
sparsely treed areas are the preferred territory of these
cats. They are extremely territorial and will mark boundaries
with their urine and droppings. Bobcats can occupy ranges of
up to 125 square miles. Females occupy smaller areas (which
fall within the male’s territory) than males and generally
will not associate with other females. Males will usually
accept other males within their home ranges, but not in mating
season. Bobcats can be very aggressive and can kill large
animals such as deer, but usually prefer cottontail rabbits,
with smaller animals such as mice and birds filling out their
diet. They eat approximately 3 pounds of meat per day. Being
expert climbers, bobcats wait on a low-lying tree branch or a
rocky ledge for prey to pass by. They also creep up on prey
from behind and kill by pouncing on the animal and biting at
the base of the skull. Males mate with all the available
females (usually two or three) within their territory during
mating season, which usually occurs during February and March.
A litter of one to seven spotted kittens are born late April
to early May. The kittens’ eyes open within a week and they
nurse for two months. As they grow, the kittens’ spots fade to
match those of their parents. When they begin to eat solid
food, the male cat will bring food to the den for the kittens
but when they begin to learn to hunt at the age of five
months, he leaves the family to return to his solitary life.
The kittens leave home on their own at approximately nine
months of age to find territories of their own. Bobcats are
mostly nocturnal, but depending on the season and the scarcity
of food, they can be seen during daylight hours. I saw a
bobcat moving in for a kill on a faun. The faun started making
a whining noise and the mother came bounding over the hill.
The mother attacked the bobcat with great vigor. It had the
bobcat pinned against a sage bush and proceeded to kick the
bobcat with its rear legs. Every time the bobcat came off the
bush the deer would kick it again. The faun was screaming the
bobcat was screaming and the doe was not letting up. Finally
the bobcat managed to squirt out of the bush and take off
running. He was limping but it looked like he would be ok. I
guess he will stick to squirrels and the like for a while.
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