Road killed bobcat

After the first of October I always stop and check out dead animals on the road. It drives my wife crazy. But over the years I've picked up mink, muskrat, fox, a few coyotes and the like, that I've been able to salvage and make some money on. But until last Tuesday I'd never seen a bobcat killed on the road. We were out calling coyotes. There were a dozen ravens just off the highway. Of course we figured they were just eating a dead rabbit. But as we drove by I glanced down and could see it was something bigger. I pulled the pick-up over, backed up and was surprised to see a dead bobcat. It was hammered pretty good. The ravens had cleaned off the ribs and were working on front shoulder. My buddy said, "That's too bad, we still have a cat tag left to fill". "What do you think", he said. I said, "There's no way you're going to salvage that". But I said we could at least boil out the skull. So we tossed it in the back of the truck and went about calling coyotes. The next day I skinned coyotes and then took another look at the cat. I was in skinning mode so I thought what the heck. It was a mess but after a half hour I'd separated the skin from the carnage. Any way, to make an already long story short, I cleaned up the fur the best I could, got the thread and needle out and went to work. I stitched from the front shoulder along the edge of the belly all the way back into the hind leg area and stitched several other sizable holes until It was done. It took well over an hour. I washed it up and put it on a stretcher fur side in. This morning I turned it and blew it dry. I must say I was surprised. I only wish I'd taken a before and after picture.

Not bad for a Firestone Freebee.

Good deal for sure

Awesome Job Brother! That's the way to take care of business!

Nice save. In some states its an illegal method of take.

The fur fairy was good to you!

Good save.

That looks better than alot of cats we will see a the utah sale in a few weeks

Don't know Cats, but I know its nice looking fur,
Good job.

You know, I hadn't really thought about the way we got the cat. It's tagged now and hopefully all is legal. The tagged didn't have notch for roadkill though.

haha!

well done! Love seeing roadkill stuff get fixed up and put on the market.I have fixed some really nasty roadkill coyotes-did 4 last year-averaged over $100 on them-not bad to roadkill LOL! Good one you for saving it!

Three years ago I was on my way home from school and I noticed an animal in the ditch, like you I thought what the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) stop and pick it up and turned out to be a bobcat too. Only cost $26 for the roadkill tag for it.

Looks darn good for the price! I picked up a small one off the road a few years ago and made about $300

Nice save !! I've seen more bobcats in much worse shape at our auctions before, and then heard the owners wonder why
they never sold.

Always amazed at how much time and effort people will put into trapping but not the put up, it's a real sad thing to see so many pelts that could have went for high dollar just lay there due to poor or uncaring put up.

In Pa, licensed furtaker can pick up roadkill during furtaking seasons, with the exception of otter, fisher, and bobcats.