Bobcat tracks

[dragoncjo]

Just an update on the bobcat, I left my camera out for a two one week periods. First time around I got a raccoon and possum. This last time I got absolutely nothing not a single picture taken. However yesterday when I was out I caught a brief 2 sec. glimpse of what I can honestly say was a cat. Now when I hike my head is always down looking for turtles and snakes. However there is an area that is elevated off the trail which I routinely explore for black racers. Therefore I started climbing the very small incline when I caught site of the top and back 2/3 of a cat. It appeared to small for a coyote but bigger than a house cat, similar to red fox size. My main focus, while trying to contain my shock and suprise, was to catch a glimpse of its tail and fur. It had longer hair than a domestic cat, similar to a maine coon cat or persian. Its tail was short and down. Now the sighting was so brief I couldn't get an accurate description. Two things that stand out in my mind was that it was completely silent while walking in a leaf covered area, and it walked very similar to a cat. What I mean by this is dogs kind of walk with a bounce in there step, this animal's back was not moving up and down. I attempted to pursue it cautiously but to no avail. The camera is still out, and this sighting was directly in line with were a saw the tracks. I'm furious that I couldn't get a picture I feel like this was my one opportunity. A question for you hunters. Would animals be able to completely sniff out a motion camera, and subsequently avoid the area? I use to see ton's of tracks in the area and now none, along with no pictures....seems odd.

 

[grendel]

Just an update on the bobcat, I left my camera out for a two one week periods. First time around I got a raccoon and possum. This last time I got absolutely nothing not a single picture taken. However yesterday when I was out I caught a brief 2 sec. glimpse of what I can honestly say was a cat. Now when I hike my head is always down looking for turtles and snakes. However there is an area that is elevated off the trail which I routinely explore for black racers. Therefore I started climbing the very small incline when I caught site of the top and back 2/3 of a cat. It appeared to small for a coyote but bigger than a house cat, similar to red fox size. My main focus, while trying to contain my shock and suprise, was to catch a glimpse of its tail and fur. It had longer hair than a domestic cat, similar to a maine coon cat or persian. Its tail was short and down. Now the sighting was so brief I couldn't get an accurate description. Two things that stand out in my mind was that it was completely silent while walking in a leaf covered area, and it walked very similar to a cat. What I mean by this is dogs kind of walk with a bounce in there step, this animal's back was not moving up and down. I attempted to pursue it cautiously but to no avail. The camera is still out, and this sighting was directly in line with were a saw the tracks. I'm furious that I couldn't get a picture I feel like this was my one opportunity. A question for you hunters. Would animals be able to completely sniff out a motion camera, and subsequently avoid the area? I use to see ton's of tracks in the area and now none, along with no pictures....seems odd.

dragoncjo,
Just came across this old post. The pics with the hat are otter sign, the other set in the wet sand are fox. I was wondering if you still use the trail cam?

 

[manumuskin]

i agree with Grendel.top tracks and scat are otter and the bottom is fox,judging by the claws I'd say grey fox,the habitat would be a good judge of that also.
Al

 

[dragoncjo]

Al, those tracks were from....well were you get your name from. I did actually see a bobcat out there but briefly and with no picture I don't talk about it much.

Grendel, thanks for the clarification I always wondered about the ones in the wet sand. If you look back at some previoius posts you will see I got otter and yote/fox on my cam. The camera spent this season in the pines watching a timber rattlesnake which was gravid, it was set up primarily to watch poachers but all I got on it were deer.......and very few strangely.

 

[manumuskin]

Thats one critter I've never seen yet though i did see a cougar on the mullica in 78.No one seems to believe me since i don't have a degree,I think thats a criteria to sucessfully identify a large predator.Bobcat claws do not show in their tracks and many times red foxes don't either and can be confused on tracks alone.Grey foxes climb trees and have a little more claw but their partially retractable but will usually show in soft sand.Foxes commonly follow trails and make no effort to conceal their tracks.Cats commonly jump trails and travel logs and are routinely sneaky and leave little sign.They cover their poop when possible which foxes don't do and fox poo in summer can be more vegetable matter and berries while cats very seldom eat anything thats not meat so their poo is hairy.
What county was the cat in?Thats if you care to divulge it.I know several areas down here where their reported to be and have found one tree that was torup and looked like a cat tree.Something large with claws did it.It was in a rather large swamp and one noted for virgin timber(the only place in jersey) and a very wild place.
Al

 

[Aaron]

A buddy of mine has family land he hunts down in the port norris area and he saw a bobcat on the property while deer hunting. Cat walked with in 100 feet of his deer stand, he didnt take a shot.:happycat:

 

[grendel]

Thats one critter I've never seen yet though i did see a cougar on the mullica in 78.No one seems to believe me since i don't have a degree,I think thats a criteria to sucessfully identify a large predator.Bobcat claws do not show in their tracks and many times red foxes don't either and can be confused on tracks alone.Grey foxes climb trees and have a little more claw but their partially retractable but will usually show in soft sand.Foxes commonly follow trails and make no effort to conceal their tracks.Cats commonly jump trails and travel logs and are routinely sneaky and leave little sign.They cover their poop when possible which foxes don't do and fox poo in summer can be more vegetable matter and berries while cats very seldom eat anything thats not meat so their poo is hairy.
What county was the cat in?Thats if you care to divulge it.I know several areas down here where their reported to be and have found one tree that was torup and looked like a cat tree.Something large with claws did it.It was in a rather large swamp and one noted for virgin timber(the only place in jersey) and a very wild place.
Al

What color was the cougar Al? My old hunting buddy saw a black one near folsom in the 90's. really shook him up.

 

[dragoncjo]

Al, the bobcat was at Manumuskin.

Grendel, is your buddies last name Hartman that saw the cougar?

 

[grendel]

Al, the bobcat was at Manumuskin.

Grendel, is your buddies last name Hartman that saw the cougar?

No, his name was williams.

 

[swwit]

A bobcat leaves two-inch diameter tracks showing a heel pad, four toes and no claw marks. Its trail is very narrow because its hind feet prints lie directly on top of, or in "register" with, its forefeet prints. The trail looks as if it could have been produced by a two-legged animal. :happycat:

I hope this helps.

 

[mike242424]

i heard some years back that a family opf bobcats once lived in haas pit at forked neck and carranza. I don't know whether to believe that or not. I guess its possible due to the rocky conditions and it being a hilly like area even the surrounding woods are somewhat hill like. Anyone else ever hear about this

 

[manumuskin]

Grendel,
The cougar was tan.It was spring and the red maples were just flowering.I was canoeing the mullica and was below 206 just beyond the rr trestle where the meadows start to open up.The cat was in a tree and had it's butt jacked up on a higher branch looking at us from under a limb of red flowers.When we got closer and it realized we seen it it jumped 15 ft out tof the tree,hit the meadow and bounded across and up the bank on the west side of the river which is what side of the stream it was on.left headed down stream.It had a body about 4 ft long with a long tail and solid tan.
Al

 

[grendel]

Grendel,
The cougar was tan.It was spring and the red maples were just flowering.I was canoeing the mullica and was below 206 just beyond the rr trestle where the meadows start to open up.The cat was in a tree and had it's butt jacked up on a higher branch looking at us from under a limb of red flowers.When we got closer and it realized we seen it it jumped 15 ft out tof the tree,hit the meadow and bounded across and up the bank on the west side of the river which is what side of the stream it was on.left headed down stream.It had a body about 4 ft long with a long tail and solid tan.
Al

Must have got the heart pumping. When my friend saw his cat, we brought it up to a game warden we ran into a few weeks later. He was not surprised and explained how the black color is caused by a narrow gene pool. They are very elusive animals. I am surprised that photos from trailcams have not turned up yet.

 

[manumuskin]

I was 14.much too young to be scared.I was disappointed i couldn't catch it

 

[dragoncjo]

Grendel, I bet you these things could sniff out a trail cam. If there is cougar here passing through, then that area around 206 would be the spot....gets pretty wild by rockwood road.....and lots of those savanahs.

 

[grendel]

I was 14.much too young to be scared.I was disappointed i couldn't catch it

I was thinking excited.

 

[grendel]

Grendel, I bet you these things could sniff out a trail cam. If there is cougar here passing through, then that area around 206 would be the spot....gets pretty wild by rockwood road.....and lots of those savanahs.

I have no doubt. I would love to set out some cams in the pines using good scent discipline. I have a spot in mind that I am sure would produce some bear pics. Any cougar in NJ would be a very smart animal, that would be a rare pic.
I have been wanting to explore the great swamp but the time has not been right.

 

[dragoncjo]

I have the intention of putting my camera out again and using animal scent around it. I'm probably going to buy a couple more cameras and place them out.....I'll see what they turn up.

 

[woodjin]

I have placed a stealth cam in the great swamp three or four times. Baited with everthing from chicken left overs to ham. The locations were remote. I even placed one near a watering hole with coyote tracks around it. Nothing.

Jeff

 

[dragoncjo]

Jeff, sometimes they don't trigger, you may have set it too high. I normally set mine real low to the ground and otters have triggered it. I learned this through trial and error. But I did have a similar expierience were I had deer tracks all around my camera but no deer. I had my camera out this year for the entire month of august and got nothing on it, seemed odd.