Bobcat Sightings

[deer hunter]

Has anyone saw any bobcats while hunting in Indiana?


Bobcat sightings grow in southern Indiana

COLUMBUS, Ind. -- Wildlife biologists says southern Indiana's bobcat population has been growing quickly in recent years, leading to more encounters between the animals and humans.
Kathy Hershey of Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators near Hope in Bartholomew County says backyard sightings of bobcats are becoming common at homes in wooded areas that are part of their habitat.



The state Department of Natural Resources says bobcat sightings had disappeared in Indiana in the early 1990s before the animal re-established itself. Sightings happen most often in the state's southern third.
DNR biologist Scott Johnson says bobcats, which can weigh up to 30 pounds, mostly eat rodents and pose no danger to humans.

 

[tyler34]

the only sightings I've ever had was as a kid in ellettsville.

 

[G-Niner]

I've just seen tracks, b-i-g tracks, while deer hunting in Switzerland county. Others in my hunting party saw them too.

 

[possum_128]

A couple of years ago my wife saw one on our deck while she was in the hot tub. And about seven months later as I came out of my garage I had one standing about 25 yards away from me at the woodline. Pretty neat to say the least.

 

[den57]

Seen a young one in Morgan-Monroe S. F. about 5 yrs. ago

 

[Leadeye]

I see them during deer season off and on at our place in Lawrence county. never saw them in the wild before that.

 

[westfork]

i spotted one about a year and a half ago as i was heading north out of bloomington on 37 early one morning. it crossed the road ahead of me just north of the 45/46 overpass. seemed odd that close to town, but i am 99.99% sure it was a bobcat.

 

[4sarge]

Theres a whole darn family of them living in my area

 

[RogerB]

I saw one sitting in tall grass near US52 and CR700 near New Palestine a couple years back. A few days later I was driving down CR700 coming up to US52 and saw the skull and rib cage of what appeared to have been a medium sized deer. It was picked clean, granted could have been any wild animals eating on it, but it was the same field I'd seen the cat in earlier.

 

[DEC]

A few years ago here in Steuben Co. I was driving one morning to go deer hunting and one crossed the road in the dark in front of me. I kind of questioned if I had truly seen a bobcat, but a week or so later, I saw it again in the same field in daylight hours. It was only about 100 yards out into the field and I glassed it with the binos ... it was definitely a bobcat. I spoke to a guy that lives in that area and he too had seen a bobcat in the area on multiple occasions. They are definitely around.

 

[bradkilburn]

Ive came across a few while coon hunting in southeastern Indiana but not while deer hunting or anything else

 

[MoparMan]

We have them at Atterbury. They've trapped some accidentally a couple years ago and just last year we seen 2 together. The coyote population is getting bigger as well.

 

[medic67]

A couple have been caught just outside Columbus on the NW side of town while trapping coyotes.

 

[deer hunter]

Ive came across a few while coon hunting in southeastern Indiana but not while deer hunting or anything else

My son keeps thinking some night his dogs will tree one. It will probably scare him bad.

 

[Indy317]

I swear I saw one hiking in Turkey Run SP. I was walking west on trail four coming up to the closed coal mine. I swear a Bobcat was standing there and quickly jumped into the coal mine.

A really cool story: About ten years or so ago, some friends and I were at Uncle Bills Pet Center on the east side. This was when it was in the smaller store. My friends were looking for a cat and they had some cats in cages in the middle of the store. This one cat looked bigger than the other kittens and wild, and it's meow was more of a roar. The co-worker said it was a mix cat, that a bobcat had impregnated a common house cat (maybe a barn cat??). Not sure if that was true or not, but that cat was different than all the others.

 

[El Cazador]

Wait until you're camped primitive somewhere, with just a small fire going and one screams nearby. Once the hair on the back of your neck finally relaxes, and the triple-decker goosebumps quit running up and down your arms, it's kinda neat to hear. Sure puts a close by coyote to shame!

 

[SSilvers]

They're all around me, had an old farmer shoot one a few years ago because it was chewing on his Turkey. DNR fined him $5000 and took his double barrel.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I have heard them as I am walking to my tree stand in Brown County on a couple different occasions. A very startling sound that makes you think of Zombie Women Banshees. Well I have an overactive imagination but it is startling in the dark.

 

[Whosyer]

My son keeps thinking some night his dogs will tree one. It will probably scare him bad.

If you've never heard comedian Jerry Clower before, you have got to hear his story of him and his cousin treeing a lynx. "shoot up here amongst us and give one of some relief!"

 

[Rey B]

Knock him out John!