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Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys #7009012
10/05/20 03:08 AM
10/05/20 03:08 AM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
A
AJE Offline OP
trapper
AJE  Offline OP
trapper
A

Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
Next time I Bobcat hunt I might put out a turkey decoy & call like a turkey. I called in a Bobcat this spring turkey hunting. The other night my neighbor was bowhunting & a bobcat came by chasing after a group of turkeys. He didn't think it got one but he thought it was interesting to watch. Bobcat seem to be quite a success story in Wisconsin. The harvest quota in the southern Zone has increased every year since the season started 7 years or so ago.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009024
10/05/20 04:48 AM
10/05/20 04:48 AM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
If I remember correctly, you put in a Herculean effort trying to catch a cat last year but came up short. Did you draw another tag this year?

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: Posco] #7009044
10/05/20 06:07 AM
10/05/20 06:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,717
Maine
M
Mac Offline
trapper
Mac  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,717
Maine
A few years ago a guide friend had a Bobcat come leaping into the ground blind while calling for a turkey hunting client. The Bobcat continued on it's way that boring and the boys did not need any more coffee to stay awake for the day.

Mac



Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009052
10/05/20 06:34 AM
10/05/20 06:34 AM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
H
hippie Offline
trapper
hippie  Offline
trapper
H

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,689
pa
No doubt.

I've called Coyotes in twice while calling for Turkeys.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009053
10/05/20 06:34 AM
10/05/20 06:34 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,628
indiana
W
wamp Offline
trapper
wamp  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,628
indiana
We are getting an overload of cats here in southwestern Indiana with no season.


"Keep your traps free"
Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009063
10/05/20 06:48 AM
10/05/20 06:48 AM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,619
Nebraska
WadeRyan Offline
trapper
WadeRyan  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,619
Nebraska
I always said if there’s turkeys there’s bobcats here. Followed many in the snow as they sit up on a high bank of a creek while turkey walked below. They’d stalk em then there’d be a puff of feathers on the ice.

Here in Nebraska pack rats are the only thing I’ve seen get more attention than turkeys.


Follow me on YouTube if you’re bored

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Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009067
10/05/20 06:57 AM
10/05/20 06:57 AM
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,712
NW Mo
M
Michael Lippold Offline
trapper
Michael Lippold  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,712
NW Mo
I think the bobcats have a lot to do with our declining turkey numbers. I’ve found more than once where a turkey had been killed and always suspected it was a cat

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: WadeRyan] #7009091
10/05/20 07:29 AM
10/05/20 07:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,190
Kansas
Pawnee Offline
trapper
Pawnee  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,190
Kansas
Originally Posted by WadeRyan
I always said if there’s turkeys there’s bobcats here. Followed many in the snow as they sit up on a high bank of a creek while turkey walked below. They’d stalk em then there’d be a puff of feathers on the ice.

Here in Nebraska pack rats are the only thing I’ve seen get more attention than turkeys.


Wade is spot on. Turkey’s equal cats. State dumped turkeys at our farm in 1987 when they began reintroducing them to western Kansas. Older brother and I had been trapping hard on the creeks as kids and never seen cat sign. Within 2-3 years of them dumping those birds we both were constantly catching cats.


Everything the left touches it destroys
Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009098
10/05/20 07:41 AM
10/05/20 07:41 AM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 127
Pennsylvania
TRAPDOC57 Offline
trapper
TRAPDOC57  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 127
Pennsylvania
I think the cats ate all the turkeys in the Allegheny National Forest. Haven't seen a turkey up there for 10 years.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009102
10/05/20 07:50 AM
10/05/20 07:50 AM
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,312
Firth, Nebraska
jabNE Offline
trapper
jabNE  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,312
Firth, Nebraska
Trees are common thread for both species. Turkeys need big mature trees to roost. Cats seem to prefer similar habitat. The study on stomach contents of cats by Nebr G&P on trapped cats showed number one prey found in stomachs was rabbits.


Money cannot buy you happiness, but it can buy you a trapping license and that's pretty close.
Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: Michael Lippold] #7009106
10/05/20 07:53 AM
10/05/20 07:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
O
Osky Offline
trapper
Osky  Offline
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O

Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,294
Northern MN
Originally Posted by Michael Lippold
I think the bobcats have a lot to do with our declining turkey numbers. I’ve found more than once where a turkey had been killed and always suspected it was a cat


They will have a lot to do with declining deer numbers as well if the bobcat cat population gets strong. They are heck on fawns and darn good at finding them.

Osky


"A womans heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth, and I can find no sign on it"

Jabless in Minnesota

www.SureDockusa.com
Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: Michael Lippold] #7009116
10/05/20 08:04 AM
10/05/20 08:04 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 35
Tn
B
biotrapper Offline
trapper
biotrapper  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 35
Tn
Bobcats are hunting turkey mainly as they come off roost. I also think bobcats are controlling turkey numbers.
Bobcats use to hunt mainly rabbits and mice at night now they hunt turkey all morning. I think I like turkey better than mice and rats.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: jabNE] #7009120
10/05/20 08:05 AM
10/05/20 08:05 AM
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 64
OHIO
M
mimusp Offline
trapper
mimusp  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 64
OHIO
We've got tons of turkeys in S.E. Ohio and the bobcats seem to be comin' on strong, too. There are at least two cats haunting my 20 acres there. I heard a rumor that O.D.N.R., a couple of years ago, were talking about a limited trapping season on them, but nothing ever came of it. I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven if I could draw a tag and be able to set for one! They need to hurry it up though. I've got a serious case of O.L.D.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009132
10/05/20 08:17 AM
10/05/20 08:17 AM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
I had a flock of around thirty hens running around my place three years ago, I saw one this spring. I've never seen so much cat sign as I did last season and I get quite a few pics on my cameras. I was blaming it mostly on the heavy snows but I don't doubt the cats put a pretty good ding in the population as well.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: biotrapper] #7009160
10/05/20 08:50 AM
10/05/20 08:50 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
Originally Posted by biotrapper
Bobcats are hunting turkey mainly as they come off roost. I also think bobcats are controlling turkey numbers.
Bobcats use to hunt mainly rabbits and mice at night now they hunt turkey all morning. I think I like turkey better than mice and rats.

I dont think the Bobcats can keep up around here!


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009164
10/05/20 08:52 AM
10/05/20 08:52 AM
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 8,231
Misery
Michael Morris Offline
"Hombre que mata demasiadas cosas"
Michael Morris  Offline
"Hombre que mata demasiadas cosas"

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 8,231
Misery
Good friend told me "When I find chukars I find cats".

I said "I ain't got no chukars".

He said "You got turkeys right?"

I replied "I do".

He said "Turkeys are just big chukars"

He wasn't lying. I always ask the land owners if they know where the turkeys roost, if they do, good chance you'll find the cats close by.


Push yourself to be more than you were
Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009168
10/05/20 08:58 AM
10/05/20 08:58 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,081
NW MO
T
TurkeyTime Offline
trapper
TurkeyTime  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,081
NW MO
Yeah they put the hurt on turkeys as well as everything else. Here in NW MO our turkey numbers have been devastated. In the 80's the turkey population built up and in the 90's and early 00's it was amazing. Since mid 00's the population has steadily declined. I haven't seen a turkey since May. Our department of conservation will say that the turkeys were over abundant and they have came back down to habitat sustainable numbers. Rubbish. For 15 years the land was able to support a certain turkey population but really wasn't supposed to? Yes nest raiders get some but there have always been healthy populations of those. Coyotes and bobcats. Like your states, ours protected the bobcat until their numbers were established. I am fine with having bobcats but they do thin out populations. I am afraid they really hurt the poult population.

Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: WadeRyan] #7009322
10/05/20 11:37 AM
10/05/20 11:37 AM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,234
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
"HOSS"
Leftlane  Offline
"HOSS"

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,234
The Hill Country of Texas
Originally Posted by WadeRyan
I always said if there’s turkeys there’s bobcats here. Followed many in the snow as they sit up on a high bank of a creek while turkey walked below. They’d stalk em then there’d be a puff of feathers on the ice.

Here in Nebraska pack rats are the only thing I’ve seen get more attention than turkeys.



I would say the same thing- if you have turkeys and no bobcat they are on the way and probably soon. I am old enough to remember the re-stocking of turkey in Kansas and for a few years they would roost head high in a low but stout limb. As the bobcats started showing up at the fur buyers, I noticed 2 things. 1) I decided I wanted to be a cat trapper and 2) the turkey started roosting 50 ft in the air.

I am convinced that turkey are one of the bobcats fav and if I find a roost with lots of feathers and droppings I set the trails or ridge lines in and out.


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009328
10/05/20 11:46 AM
10/05/20 11:46 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
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Drakej Offline
trapper
Drakej  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
Increased bobcat numbers climbed right along with the increasing turkey expansion in my area. Think they are a gap food source in winter when rabbits go down.


I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
Re: Bobcats seem to like pursuing turkeys [Re: AJE] #7009339
10/05/20 11:56 AM
10/05/20 11:56 AM
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,234
The Hill Country of Texas
Leftlane Offline
"HOSS"
Leftlane  Offline
"HOSS"

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,234
The Hill Country of Texas
That would make sense. If I can smell a roost you know the cats are crafty enough to get fresh meat during the winter.


“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.”
Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers


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