Do Bobcats eat deer?

[Tim Hull]

I am having an interesting discussion on the DNR Page with people who believe that Bobcats have no impact at all on deer and turkey numbers. I saw 5 Bobcats in 2 days on my farm in Washington County, Iowa. I used to see 30 to 40 turkeys a day and now I am lucky to see 5. Am I wrong in believing that Bobcats destroy deer fawns in the Spring and don't have any impact on Turkey numbers?

 

[Turkey Creek]

Without a doubt they will eat new born deer fawns and plenty of flightless turkey poults. Mature deer probably have little to fear. I am unsure about the impact on mature turkey numbers.

 

[Daver]

There is a pretty wide range of opinion on this subject and in my experience, knowledgeable, well intentioned people disagree on this. Incidentally, I spoke with 2 DNR agents just a couple of weeks ago when I had them register a bobcat that I shot on my farm and suffice to say, we had different opinions as to the effect that bobcats have on turkeys in particular. I respect their point of view and I do realize that they are professionals and all, but I also feel like I have had enough first hand observations to question the idea that bobcats don't eat turkeys, etc.

Nevertheless, here are my thoughts on the matter...I believe that bobcat kills are one of the primary limiters of turkey populations, at least on my farm in SE Iowa. (Note - Assuming suitable habitat and sufficient available food, I think that the weather, particularly a wet spring nesting season, is the predominant limiter, but predation is in the top 3 or 4 IMO.) I have seen way too many turkey carcasses on my place over the years and I NEVER found them until there were bobcats in the area. I don't think that coyotes get too many turkeys, some perhaps, but not enough that the population overall will suffer.

I know there are studies that indicate that bobcats only eat small game and birds, etc. There are also seemingly legitimate accounts where 30%-40% of the mortality in a given year can be attributed to bobcats. Do I think that the study showing that bobcats do not prey significantly on turkeys is wrong? Well, I tend to think that this study was only for part of a year. I think the bobcats take more turks in the winter/spring than they do in the summer/fall. That is based on when I have found the most carcasses.

I think bobcats likely get some fawns, but not so many that the deer population is greatly affected. I do know someone that witnessed a bobcat taking down a fawn in the fall a few years back, but I think if that was happening often that we would see more skeletons around than we do. We do normally find one or two dead fawns in June/July each year. That could be coyotes or bobcats, but some get gotten then!

 

[HorseDoctor]

If bobcats don't eat turkeys, then the cats that tackled my Pretty Boy decoy two years in a row must have had some kinky sex on their mind!

 

[soil]

Bobcats definitely eat turkeys. I've seen plenty of that firsthand.

 

[BDAHMS]

Not sure if this is a lynx or bobcat- but I remembered seeing this and figured I would post the picture.........

 

[Jbohn]

Not sure if this is a lynx or bobcat- but I remembered seeing this and figured I would post the picture.........

That is a Lynx I would say , hunted them a few years in BC ..

They eat deer for sure maybe not a mature deer but no question ....as far as bobcats

 

[Deer Nut]

Since the cats have become regulars on one section I hunt in Van Buren County, I have been finding between 3 and 5 turkey carcasses a year. Usually when running cameras. The carcasses are never fully eaten. I believe if it was coyotes the carcass would be pretty much destroyed but they are not so it has to be bobcats. Another thing I've seen is in winter I will find turkeys dead and chewed on below roosting trees. I think the cats are pulling them down from the trees. If there was a big freezing rain event I would blame it on weather but we haven't had one of those in quite some time. 15 years ago you could walk into this section in late April and hear 15 different toms gobbling. Now you might hear 2. It has the best variety of cover you could ever want and plenty of grain crops all around it. The other major factor, in my opinion, is racoons and possums just destroying the nests in the spring. Nobody hunts them and they are way out of control. I've been trying to call them out of the their dens with little success. Of course the wet springs do not help but it sure doesn't explain turkey carcasses in late summer through the winter.

 

[bwese]

Deer nut, if you can trap on your property get yourself some dogproof traps and you will catch your coons. An occasional possum might get caught in them as well. I have caught 2 of them in them in 6 years but close to two hundred coons and a few field mice.

If you can use connibears get the 220's and build some boxes and run those. I have caught coon, possum, skunk, bobcat, and feral cats in mine. It helped bring the turk numbers up considerably but the last couple years the pop has plummeted(not sure why)

 

[Close]

This year I had a mature doe bed along a creek approx 60yds from me. From my stand I watched a bobcat stalk the bedded doe and pounced on her. He didn't get the job done but wow what a sight! Ballsy little devil!

 

[Daver]

Fwiw, my son found two dead, adult turkey carcasses yesterday while shed hunting. Something had to have killed them, the winter has been mild and I know theyou aren't going hungry.