Are Bobcats a threat to the deer population?

[Mark K]

Here’s my 2 cents, if you’re seeing cats or have trail cam pics of cats then you have a good population of them. I trapped a place that swore they had no cats just coyotes...caught 6 bobcats, lol. They have cameras all over that place for security and have seen one cat one time.
I realize everything has a purpose, but even predators need managed. Think about it, what takes out the Bobcats or Coyotes? Nothing except the next higher species up the food chain and that’s us.
I prefer trapping them, but will shoot one given the opportunity. Anything left unchecked causes another species a decline in population.

 

[TurkeyKiller12]

So you have no trail cam pics of any deer whatsoever??? Where are you located? Must be in North Georgia, I know you’re nowhere close to the SW part of the state, lol.

I'm in the west part of the state. Just a little north of I-20. I have followed QDMA's guidelines for trail cam surveys and most of my results have averaged around 10 to 12 deer for roughly 800 acres of land. Surveys are done during the summer time over shelled corn. During the rut I do get pictures of bucks that are not resident deer but that is the case with everyone.

 

[Twiggbuster]

Hunted since 67, never saw a bobcat live till 10 years ago. See one or two a year now. Doubt they have negative impact on deer .
Coolest sight ever was watching kittens play with a field rat , tossing it up into a sapling.
Watched for 30 minutes and slowly looked behind and the mother was in a thicket watching whole thing.

 

[KILLNTM]

I used to see bobcats fairly often in the mid-nineties while hunting creek bottoms. They may pick up a fawn or two, but I don't think their impact on deer is significant. I won't ruin a hunt over one, but I don't mind picking up a few while trapping. I'm sure they're rough on the other small game. I picked this one up last week.

 

[danielk]

I personally don't think they kill that many deer, but I know that they will. I have never shot one but have seen a good many. Coyotes and Hogs are a different story, shoot everyone I see. But here is a video I saw the other day.

Man, that bobcat was fast!

 

[ProAngler]

I would have to say no, since they have lived together for so long. Not say they don’t take one sometimes. I doubt you would notice a difference in deer pop even if you removed all bobcats.

 

[HIGH COUNTRY]

I agree, they get a pass...

 

[gma1320]

I have taken every measure to manage this property with the resources that I have, trapping included. There have been a total of three deer taken off this property in a span of roughly 10 years. I have a year round feeding, mineral sites and food plots. It's just very hard for the deer population to rebuild especially in this area. I haven't seen a deer from the stand on this property since November 7th.

What county are you in?

 

[GunnSmokeer]

I was deer hunting when a bobcat took down a fawn right in front of me, 100 yards away. The adult deer near the fawn ran off when it pounced.
I didn't shoot the bobcat.
It was so small, it looked like a Maine Coon housecat.
But it got the deer's neck and dropped it, dead on the spot.
I decided to call it a morning, so I walked over the bobcat to see how close it would let me get. My 'deer rifle' was a semi-auto .308 with a 10 round magazine, so I wasn't really afraid of it attacking me.

It let me get pretty close, maybe 20 yards, and after a little bit of hissing and posturing, it let go of the fawn's corpse and ran off.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I see 0% reason to shoot a bobcat. In fact, it is written in the guidelines for my farms that cats are protected.

They are indigenous and the balance between cats and deer was struck a long time ago.

If you have low deer populations - I can almost garauntee you that cats ain’t the problem.

Turkey hunters may have an argument but they (cats and birds) have also coexisted a long time too.

I have not, nor will I ever, shoot a bobcat.

These are Illinois cats and seem to run a little larger than the ones we have here in SC.

Bergman’s rule, I suppose.

 

[swamp hunter]

Just wait till you get Panthers !!

 

[Nicodemus]

Just wait till you get Panthers !!

They won`t bother some of us, Mr. Florida.

 

[swamp hunter]

We trained our Panthers...They think a Mineral Station is a KFC Drive thru..
QDM , Yea , right...till I run your Big 10 you been saving slap down in the Swamp . You'll find his horns and neck this summer.
Feeders...They Love um...No need to stalk anything...Deer are right over there..eating Corn....

 

[Nicodemus]

We trained our Panthers...They think a Mineral Station is a KFC Drive thru..
QDM , Yea , right...till I run your Big 10 you been saving slap down in the Swamp . You'll find his horns and neck this summer.
Feeders...They Love um...No need to stalk anything...Deer are right over there..eating Corn....

Come back and post when you sober up and can talk some sense.

 

[oldguy]

Just wait till you get Panthers !!

Waiting...