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“We’ve lived in the same place for 20 years, and I’ve only seen two,” Giles County resident Philip Vaught comments on an elusive, opportunistic creature, one few New River Valley residents may be lucky to see. They weigh an average of 10 to 25 pounds, the males being larger.
A little bigger than a domestic cat, lynx rufus is a smaller cousin of the Canadian lynx. The tail is the most distinguishing way to identify a bobcat. The tip of the bobcat tail is black on top and white underneath. The lynx’s tail is completely black-tipped. A bobcat’s feet are smaller than a lynx, but about twice the size of a domestic cat.
Vaught’s sighting was a surprise. “This one was bigger than I expected, more like a medium-sized dog, not as tall, but longer. It runs like a cat.” His neighbor has seen it several times. “This sighting was about 300 yards from my house, not very close. Bears come in much closer.”
Habitat and Meals
If you live in a heavily wooded area, you’re in the right spot for a chance bobcat sighting. They can exist in urban settings and live in every county in Virginia. These cats can be a bit of a double-edged sword to farmers. They eat rodents, which is beneficial, but they may attack livestock (typically fowl) and domestic cats. Wily and thrifty, bobcats have been reported in other regions to eat white-tailed deer, especially sick or maimed ones.
To secure their prey, bobcats can leap up to 12 feet, killing with a swift bite on the neck. They are lone hunters, making their rounds under the cover of darkness. Although their main prey is small game, a bobcat can attack and bring down animals eight times its own body weight. Attacks on humans are rare and usually only occur with bobcats that are rabid.
The Stealthy Side
One reason why sighting the creatures is so unusual is simply what they have for stealth. A bobcat’s field of vision is 200 degrees, and they have excellent sight, so they are aware of your presence before you see them. They sleep in hollow trees, crevices and places which are largely hidden. Their fur is mottled reddish-brown and spotted with black, a built-in camouflage that gives them the upper hand with their prey. Their “bobbed,” short tail is what gives them their name.
Preserving Bobcat Population
Bobcats have a short mating window in late winter and are pregnant around 65 days. Litters most commonly number two to three kittens. They may stay with the mother up to a year or leave a few months earlier.
Conservation has recently taken an uptick in concern. In later decades of the 20th century, bounties were placed on bobcats. They are hunted for their luscious fur which is exported to other countries. Some 65,000 pelts were exported from the United States in 2013.
Today, there’s a steady increase in bobcat numbers, and Virginia has hunting limits. Only two bobcats can be bagged per hunting party in one day, and the kill must be reported within 24 hours.
Extremely territorial, the average individual bobcat’s territory is six to 11 square miles. Both males and females mark their territories with pungent spray to keep other animals away. Their keen vision, super stealth, and night hunting tendencies make them elusive and rarely seen. Perhaps with some luck and patience, you might glimpse this unique, mysterious wildcat.
Text by Caitlyn Koser
Caitlyn Koser is a New River Valley homeschool student who loves being outdoors and hopes one day to see a bobcat in the wild.
