The Small But Powerful Bobcat
87Lynx rufus - The Bobcat
Almost present throughout the entire United States of America, and extending into Southern Canada and most of Mexico, the Bobcat is seldom seen but yet is at a very healthy population levels, and not the slightest bit endangered. This is one successful and stealthy cat.
Though the Bobcat is not very big, and usually about twice the size of a average sized house cat, the Bobcat is an extremely powerful hunter. In fact, the thirty five pound Bobcat can kill a deer regardless of the size of it. The Bobcat does not kill deer in the way that a Cougar or Mountain Lion would. The Bobcat is more into working smart instead of hard. Bobcats sitting on a tree branch observing a deer underneath them will leap onto the deer's back, and quickly bite through the deer's jugular vein, bringing a speedy death and dinner.
The Bobcat
North American Bobcat Distribution.
Bobcats - Solitary Carnivorous Predators
I hope that you were as impressed by the notion of a thirty five pound cat bringing down a deer as I was. That's all true, of course, and you can fact check it if you wish. The Bobcat can hardly eat a whole deer, it's true, and of course a pack of coyotes is likely to finish the rest, but in the meantime the Bobcat will cover his or her deer carcass with leaves and twigs and debris in order to hide it until he or she is able to enjoy some more venison, if possible.
Deer, however, are certainly NOT the primary meal for a Bobcat. That would be the common rabbit or mouse. Of course there are many species of both hare and mouse, and as the Bobcat is an extremely widely distributed kitty, it's diet is opportunistic in regards to it's inhabited region.
Squirrels, birds, fish, and even insects are often too the meal of the Bobcat. Sheep and Goats are not safe from Bobcat predation, but cattle and horses have neither ever been recorded victims of a Bobcat's hunger.
Speaking of Bobcat's eating birds, I found the following video to be pretty wonderful.
This Hunter's Video is Outstanding! No Bobcats were harmed here either.
Lynx and Bobcat Hybrids
- LYNX AND BOBCAT HYBRIDS
Bobcats can be crossed with lynxes. The outcome depends on which lynx sub-species is used - the European (Spanish) Lynx is more heavily spotted than the Canadian lynx. Bobcats are usually reddish brown with dark spots, but grey or bluish bobcats....
Relatives: The Canadian Lynx and the Eurasian Lynx.
The Bobcat is thought to be a smaller, but evolved cousin of the largest of the Lynx Genus, the Eurasian lynx, or, as it is in the Latin, the Lynx lynx. The Eurasian Lynx, often found in Siberia, can be twice as large as a Bobcat, and is big enough and bad enough to take down a Russian wild boar.
The closest American relative of a Bobcat, however, is the Canadian Lynx. Please do not think that the Canadian Lynx is much concerned with national boundary lines. The Canadian Lynx doesn't care for the American or Canadian border patrol, and cares not one whit for green cards, Visas, or birth certificates - The Canadian Lynx can, will, and does come to the USA as it pleases.
Not only do Canadian Lynx's not care for national borders, they're also not much into discriminating against their smaller more American cousins - especially the females. You see, it's been confirmed more than once that Male Bobcats find female Canadian Lynx kitties just as arousing or even more so than they do their own kind of lady cat. Lynx and Bobcat hybrids outside of captivity and very much in the wild have turned up in both Maine and Minnesota.
Species-ism is about as dumb as is racism, and all the pussies agree.
The Canadian Lynx - NOT a Bobcat. Take Note Of the Lynx's Sideburns.
Bobcat Hunting.
Bobcats are extensively hunted by humans. Despite this fact, Bobcat populations are resilient and in no danger. Bobcat's are exceedingly aware and stealthy, most of them know who is a danger to them.
Having stated that Bobcat populations are in no danger, I'd like to say a word about Bobcat hunting. I think it is ENTIRELY amoral to kill a Bobcat for any reason outside of one being rabid and attacking either you, someone else, or maybe one of your pets. People do not eat Bobcats, and because of this - I find absolutely nothing in the way of a moral justification for the hunting of Bobcats. If you do happen to have a taste for Bobcat meat, and are so poor and pathetic that that is what you eat - then by all means, pardon me - do go eat your Bobcat, and seek professional help for your mind as soon as is possible.
The rest of you - anyone who hunts and kills that which poses no threat to him and that he plans not to eat. I think you are a horrific moral philosopher, or more likely, a mindless violence loving idiot. I think you should learn to appreciate wildlife, and I think that should a gang of rabid Bobcats rip you to shreds as you sleep in your tent in the woods - that you've earned that bit of karma.
Here's an Example of an Amoral Ignoramus That Murdered Something He Had No Intentions Of Eating.
The Pixie - Bob, a Domestic Cat Bred To LOOK LIKE A Bobcat.
Wikipedia, the Pixie Bob.
- Pixie-bob - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pixie-bob is a breed of domestic cat. The breed was claimed by breed founder Carol Ann Brewer of Washington state to be the progeny of naturally occurring bobcat hybrids; while some DNA-tested Pixie-bobs have showed wild markers,[citation needed]
Taxonomy and Sub Species.
There are thirteen sub species of Bobcat recognized from Southern Canada on down to Southern Mexico. At one point whether or not the Genus Lynx was valid or not was a bit of contention, but nowadays the Lynx Genus is accepted.
The Bobcat, in the minds of some biologist, was thought to belong in the Felis Genus, the same Genus that your house cat is classified in as Felis Domesticus. While it's clear that the Bobcat is very very similar in some ways to the house cat, and that they can create a hybrid, though whether or not this has ever happened outside of captivity is debatable - Bobcats should NEVER be thought of in the way that one thinks of domestic cats. A Bobcat will not make a poor pet. A Bobcat will NOT make for a pet.
Let's be clear here, if you think that you want a Bobcat for a pet, you are wrong. You may, however, find that a Pixie - Bob is right for you.
I well understand if you would like to own a large cat that looks like a Bobcat. If you have the understanding that you wish to own a cat that acts like a Bobcat, you're actually in possession of a misunderstanding. You can, however, move to certain counties in Texas, like mine, and indulge your misunderstandings as much as you wish. You'll possibly become wiser in the process, and hopefully move back to wherever you came from. We've enough stupid people here in Texas as it is.
Please do not mistake my rancour in regards to the charity of this man in the following video, the man rescued a Bobcat kitten that he'd found, and I do think that that was a VERY noble deed, but the man and his family came to understand that a wild cat rescued would not make for he or his family a pet.
Bobcats Do NOT Make Pets.
The Bobcat - Distinguishing Characteristics
Now clearly, the Bobcat is called a Bobcat because of his or her bobbed tail. It's a very short tail in comparison to the length of a tail on pretty much any other species of cat be it large or small. The tails of cats aid in keeping a cat balanced, and everyone is aware of how athletic cats generally are. The Bobcat's bobbed tail, however, doesn't much prevent the Bobcat from being an outstanding climber, and as stated before, Bobcats do hunt deer from trees. It's beyond plain as well that a Bobcat can and will climb trees to get away from things like a pack of coyotes, or a rare wolf.
Other than the bobbed tail, the Bobcat always has a pointed black tuft of hair extending from it's ears. The best way to determine whether you are looking at a Bobcat or a Lynx is that a Lynx such as the Canadian Lynx will have sideburns - big mutton chop sideburns the likes of which would make Glenn Danzig a bit jealous.
The Bobcat - Look For the Tufted Black Hair Extending From The Ears.
Bobcats and Distinguishing Characteristics - and Excellent Video.
A California Bobcat - Notice the Much Brighter Coat.
A Bobcat Kitten.
The Bobcat, Physical Characteristics and Behaviour.
The Bobcat is the smallest of four species of the genus Lynx. The colour of the Bobcat's coat is variable, but is typically tan and greyish brown. A Bobcat's face may appear wider than it is due to thick hair behind the ears. A Bobcat's eyes are malevolent yellow with black pupils.
Don't take the Bobcat's eyes to heart, he doesn't hate you, he thinks you look sort of yummy, and he thinks you're an idiot if you want him or her for a pet, and he or she will KNOW that you're an idiot if you hunt bobcats for their fur, or to hang a trophy on your wall.
Adult Bobcat's are generally 18 to 50 inches long from nose to tail, and weigh in between nine to forty pounds while standing from a foot to two feet high. The low numbers represent the low end of a female Bobcat, and the larger numbers represent larger male Bobcats. Also, the Bobcats of Appalachia are generally the smallest, while those of South Eastern Canada are the largest.
Bobcats are on the move from an hour or two before sunset until midnight, and then they prowl again just before dawn until a few hours after sunrise, often covering anywhere from two to seven miles total in a day's time. Also, Bobcat behaviour changes during the seasons to match the behaviour of Bobcat prey, and isn't it just how you'd think it to be, the way that life adapts towards it's own well being?
The largest documented Bobcat on record weighed fifty pounds. There have been, however, reports unverified of sixty pound Bobcats.
A Bobcat's hind legs will be longer than the front legs giving the cat a stilted look.
Bobcats are fiercely territorial and solitary outside of mating season,and Bobcats do not tolerate overlapping of an individual's territory. They mark their territory with urine, feces, and claw markings on trees.
Bobcats typically only live six to eight years in the wild, and it's seldom that one lives to be ten years old - despite those low averages, wild Bobcats have lived to sixteen years of age, and in captivity - twice as long. Imagine the wisdom of a 32 year old Bobcat in relation to the average wild Bobcat that only lived six years.
Bobcat's generally mate in February and March, and the almost totally silent cats on the male end will then make all manner of noise. I suppose that breeding is pleasurable for them. It's generally less than two months before a female Bobcat has her between one to six Bobkittens, and she then raises them alone. Before an entire year is up, the kittens will hunt on their own, and then leave their mother and never write home.
The only predators of the Bobcat outside of stupid humans are Cougars, which are simply annoyed by their smaller cousins, grey wolves, and coyotes. Bobcat kittens, however, face danger from owls, eagles, foxes, and even other male Bobcats. Outside of that, fleas and ticks are forever on the lookout for any canine or cat that they can annoy and spread their diseases to.
Friends, nature is to be enjoyed, appreciated, respected, and maintained. Nature and wildlife is not to be destroyed or manipulated, or dominated without good cause, and there is no good cause for trying to make a Bobcat a pet, or for shooting one that isn't bothering you. I hope that this has been either entertaining, useful, or pretty, and that you never face a bobcat in a telephone booth.
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But YOU are a badass, and your avatar is all rufus!!!!!
Also, I love you and am always so very pleased when you visit me here!!!!!
Hey..! Honestly, I never heard about bobcat before. Thank you for the information.
dumindu89 You're welcome!
Thing is, if you ever came over to North America looking for one...you'd probably have to go to a zoo to actually see one. They are everywhere here - but one almost NEVER sees one!
Wesman. Just to look at the videos of those Bobcats makes me go weak at the knees. They are so beautiful. But if I ever met one, I would probably end up with NO KNEES.
That's nature for you.
Thanks for a really interesting hub, with some special videos.
Thank you for sharing this extremely informative Hub about the Bobcat. Here in Kentucky we used to have wildcat called the Panther, but I believe this cat has pretty much went extinct here. I do look forward to reading more of your Hubs.:) I voted this up and informative!
Excellent Hub, Wesman -- we have a sizeable Bobcat population in our part of Texas (it's reported) but as you say, they're rarely seen. When traveling a country road one day I saw one in a ditch. It would go a ways and then turn and come back -- repeatedly. I slowed down first and then finally stopped when I saw what was going on. It was a mama Bobcat with three kittens and she was trying to get them to follow her. She finally got them herded to some brush and they all four disappeared. I understand this was a very unusual siteing -- even very early in the a.m. -- and I cherish it. We have some idiots that will kill one every so often around here and it's heartbreaking. As you say -- why? Wonderful Hub and definitely voted UP! Best, Sis
The only time I have ever seen a bobcat is dead beside the road. People in our neighborhood have seen some around, but I have never had the privilege. I love them cats - large and small.
Great hub!
Thanks Christopher!!!!!
You just never see these things, but you know that they are there.
I think that if someone sees one and it approaches them at all - then it's possible that the cat is rabid, and oh my, nobody should want to go out like Edgar Allen Poe!!!
Hey hazelwood4 - I'd bet there's still some panthers or "Cougars" or "mountain lions" in your state!!!!
It's not nice to see one, but I'm certain that they are there!!!
Thanks very much, Angela Blair!!!
yes that was a special sighting!!!! I've NEVER seen a bobcat in the wild, only one I've ever seen was in Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas.
Here in Kaufman County though - a friend of mine ran over a bobcat early one morning - the cat was dead from internal injuries, but it's body wasn't torn up....so he stuffed it!
homesteadbound - me too! Meaning, I love em'!
Never seen one dead or alive other than the stuffed one I just mentioned, and the one in the zoo.
I also love all dog related creatures!!!
Awesome Cats! I love wildlife, and I agree that anyone who kills animals JUST for the fun only, has something wrong with them. I know there has been a few sightings of them in Indiana, but they are rare here.
Thanks, this WAS entertaining and informative.
Chris
Thanks Sir!!!!
Yeah they get sore of rare to non existent up around the mid west. I'd read why that was last night when writing this....but dang if I haven't already forgot what the reason for that was.
An animal that resembles the Bobcat/Lynx called the Scottish Wildcat breeds successfully in the Highlands - not Bob Crowe, the Scottish-born General Secretary of the railwaymen's union - augmenting the hunting team of wildlife in Britain. They look pretty much like a big 'Tabby', and they might look cuddly - but they ain't! Their kittens are not that much bigger than the usual household moggy, either, but the females wouldn't let you within a mile to find out whether they are cuddly or not. Like their bigger cousins they prey on smaller, herbivore wildlife including rabbits (and since someone let Muntjacs - dog-sized Indian deer - loose in the wild there's a guaranteed food source as Muntjacs are not that bright).
OUTSTANDING!!!!
I'd never heard of those cats! It's a critically endangered cat - the most endangered mammal on the British Isles!
FASCINATING!
Wesman, I'm mighty glad you stopped by my coyote photo Hub (one of 'em, anyway) so that I came to realize you existed. This is a tremendous piece of writing--and your profile ain't bad, either.
That said, I only noticed one sentence that left me scratching my head. That would be where it says interbreeding between the bobcat and the house cat is "doubtful". That puzzles me because my wife and I can state with no doubt whatsoever that:
1. In a remote, off grid location in the Montana mountains (1999-2002), a half-bob, half-domestic, showed up and adopted us one day. It didn't work out in the long run, but he (male) was clearly familiar with humans and just as clearly a mix of the two species. Somewhere around 15 to 20 pounds (probably closer to 20), could jump 15 feet across the local rancher's irrigation ditch with hang time that would have made Michael Jordan jealous, and absolutely loved the two of us.
Unfortunately, he was also deeply and sneakily jealous of our fully domestic cats and tried to kill our gray longhair, Curly Girl. (The only reasons Curly Girl survived it was because she was [a] one helluva survivor on her own terms and [b] we were on it pretty quickly.
2. One of our current two in-house-only cats is just as clearly...not HALF, but likely between 1/8 and 1/4 bobcat. She's a touch overweight these days, which disguises the conformation slightly, but the first time I ever saw her, I took one look and said, "Bobcat!"...and Pam agreed. She has the head conformation, the taller back end, the black ear tufts (which Pam used to clip 'cause she didn't realize how distinctive they looked)...the works.
3. Our other in-house cat is NOT part bobcat...but is, we finally figured out, part Margay (which is a tree-dwelling Mexican wildcat with the only feline ankles that can turn the foot around backward like a squirrel's).
Gato's ankles don't swivel, but the more research I did on the Margay, the clearer it became that he has at least some of that DNA in his system.
Note: Every cat we've ever had (and we've always had cat) was born feral and adopted as a "rescue" during kittenhood.
You nailed it (duh) when you pointed out that bobcats are plentiful but seldom seen. We have them here on our Sonoran Desert acreage one mile from the Mexican border but have NEVER seen one. Have spotted their tracks on occasion (when the ground is soft enough during and shortly after the monsoon rains). One Mommy brought a kitten along with her to tour our yard a couple of times.
Voted Up and Across (including Funny for karmically consigning idiots to death by rabid bobcats).
Thanks very much Sir!!!!
I can't recall if I make that statement concerning whether or not domestic cats breed with bobcats in the wild based out of wikipedia or another site. I might need to revise that one.
The Margay - FASCINATING!!! I've never heard of that critter! You can bet you're last dollar safely that I'm going to find out about it though!!!!
I've got a question that I want to have answered somewhere sometime by somebody, maybe you know? Sometimes here in North East Texas I hear something that sounds like a woman or something screaming in super pain in the dead of night. What the heck is that?
I've had folks say that it's bobcats, cougars, and peacocks.
I'd be surprised to find out that there were peacocks running around here - but either of the other two wouldn't surprise me much at all.
...but I sort of worry about my late night bicycle riding sometimes!
LOL!
Thanks for liking my hub!!!
A brilliant read and thanks for sharing.
Take care;
Eddy.
Thanks Eddy!!! I like the wildlife hubs because folks seem to like them - probably because I can't say too much that folks can get angry about. LOL!
Plenty of bobcats here, Wesman! A friend recently saw a fox catch a young bobcat while he was sitting in a tree stand and until then I never realized they were prey to foxes.
While deer hunting I get the chance to see many of these beautiful creatures as they slink silently under my tree stand. Their variations in color often surprise me as some are quite different than others in appearance.
I've also observed several Florida panthers in my neck of the woods. Now this gives one a rather different feeling when having to climb down and walk back through the woods to the truck.
Rated up, of course!
Randy, I'm jealous!!!! Not of the bobkitten taken by the fox, of course....
I'd LOVE to see a panther - but only when well armed! Of course I'd not wish to shoot a big or medium sized kitty, I hear tell that if you just throw rocks at one that it'll just head the other way.
Holy smokes if you dropped the gun and that thing decided to climb your tree!!! WHEW!
Yeah, I think I read when making this hub that foxes would eat little bobcats given the chance, coyotes definitely will.
Them Cougars have become nearly a nationwide big kitty. I only ever worry about them when riding my bicycle down rock roads early or late...but I'd never see it coming if it came! Just make it quick! LOL!
It's tigers you have to watch out for. They're unpredictable, like crocodiles, and they've got perfect camouflage. You don't go into tall grass where or when you think tigers are about! Nor are they frightened of people. They'll go into someone's home and drag anyone out. I'm glad I don't live in S.E.Asia.
Oh man, me too!
We've both Jaguars and Mountain Lions around here - both very large cats. The Jaguar is extremely rare - but has the most powerful jaws of any cat, including the tiger and African Lion. It's just a bit bigger than a Leopard.
Cougars or Panthers or Mountain Lions (same thing) are more of a danger, and have killed persons jogging in Parks in the Americas, and have been spotted from coast to coast.
I ride a bicycle a lot at nights and early mornings - and live in a somewhat rural area...I do worry about it some!
Thanks for this overview of a fascinating animal. Voting this Up and Interesting.
Thank YOU, Sir!!!! I LIKE writing about animals! Mostly, I do some serious learning during the research end of it, which is really enjoyable!
The picture of the hunter all dressed up in his hunting equipment reminds me of the Predator movies where humans have no chance against the technologically advanced aliens. Where is the sport?
I would like to go hunting, but for animals that I can eat so I can experience the connection between eating meat and hunting and killing it. I don't know if I would do it very often, but buying meat in packages makes us oblivious to the idea that some sort of violence or sacrifice occurred in order for that delicious meat to make it to the table.
But why hunt any animal to make a trophy out of it? Look at what I shot and destroyed so I could make it look real and put it up for display! That makes no sense. Now if I were forced to kill one in a bare hands contest, then maybe I'd stuff it and mount it, but going out of your way to kill a majestic animal is downright stupid.
I'll have to disagree with you on Bobcats not making a good pet. I have heard and read about Bobcats actually making very good pets if they are domesticated properly (probably from birth).
I find it interesting that in the video, the couple let their daughter walk up to the Bobcat and she put her hand up to the cage where she could have easily been scratched or even bitten again. They were either not really as concerned as they seemed or were aware of the Bobcat's moods and behavior and knew when it was dangerous and when not. I think it is better to say that owning a Bobcat requires a different mindset than owning a domestic animal. There are times when a dog or cat can be dangerous too.
Wild animals or hybrid animals just aren't the domesticated variety of species we are used to and they take extra care and carefulness. I have met lots of cats that have scratched the crap out of me when they were "only playing." I have also owned a cat that knew exactly how much pressure I could withstand when biting me and never broke the skin. Every situation is unique and it's safe to say that a potential Bobcat owner better think it through before getting one, because they can be good pets if handled correctly.
Oh well, that was my five dollars worth about 5 cents, hope I don't offend, just want to offer a different perspective.
Love the entire hub and learning more about Bobcats. I saw the hind end of one disappearing into the bushes once, unfortunately that was all I ever got to see :-( Guess I'm lucky.
I have always loved the Lynx as opposed to the Bobcat, but it's mostly a matter of looks as I suspected that they were very closely related - I just like that Lynx "mane". But the bobcat is the more recognizably North American animal and it is impressive it can take down a deer.
Loved the videos, especially the decoy bird and the one chewing on the gloved hand. What a cutie.
Wesman, a great write on a stealthy Kittypuss. You got to get up early in the morning and just after first light you'll catch them moving. If you fetch a small stick and you can sit still when they are just where you can see them and they ain't winded you or heard you, bend the stick till it pops. The cat will freeze and look right at you and as long as you set still they stare you down until they figure your just a butt ugly tree and slowly disappear or if they figure out you stink they split. Unlike your coyotes the cats learn so when they hit the chicken wire on the coop the cans rattle and they're gone and usually don't come back, but even if they do the cans set them running and really other than one being rabid I don't see them being a problem, but then they don't run in packs like coyotes do and I've not heard none about them attacking humans, they don't have that pack mentality that feral dogs have adopted in the inbreeding. I heard a tale from the game warden that a guy was attacked by a German Shepard/coyote. The coy took three shots from a lever action 35 Remington, a good 158 grain hollow point, to put him down and the guy got all the belly shots after it tested rabies positive.
Anyway, great essay on a critter I find interesting to watch, along with Bob the Mountain Lion that they came hunting for after he got a pack of lunch meat off a tail gate. He's so old he just about has no teeth, he's got a den up on a hill that I throw rabbits already skinned for the old feller. I shortened his tail with a bad shot over his head and clipped his tail and I reckon it fell off at about 6 inches. I later got a look at him through a spotting scope while he was laying in the sun and a big yawn I saw black broken off teeth and started feeding him pre skinned rabbits and I got a wheel on a bench grinder that grabs and pulls feathers out of birds pretty fast so I give him an old hen that has stopped laying with the big feathers pulled already. I first saw him you could count his ribs now he's sorta fat and lazy when he hears my old 84 Honda big red 3 wheeler coming up the hill, he comes out to meet me as I throw rabbits to him, I got a 44 mag cocked and ready and we stay 30 ft apart and he just waits 'til the meat hits the ground picks it up and disappears with it. While I'm gone hunting Cabelas I think, I got a 30 pound steel drum feeder the goes off at 7:30 every morning and he comes out and looks at it like clock work he be standing there as it spray's dog food right un his back and don't even flinch any more, at first he'd run until it stopped now he waits fore it to start. Ah good times.....
dusty
I'm right there with you on the hunting and appreciation of meat, Alexander Mark.
I think the Native Americans had a superior point of view concerning the animals that they ate. They had respect for those animals and their lives....there's not much like that going on in the minds of American children or adults nowadays.
I've not been hunting at all in many years, but I'd like to get back into that. I also want to take up archery - as surely it's a much more skilled person that shoots and kills a deer with a bow and arrow!
I maybe admired Legolas the Elf in Tolkien's LOTR too much!
I've got a friend that hit a bobcat on a rural road, the cat died of internal injuries, but his body wasn't tore up...so my friend had that one stuffed.
So far as bobcat's for pets go.....I dunno, but what I do know is that where I live in Kaufman County Texas...there are idiots that think it's perfectly fine to have a Mountain lion as a "pet" in a tiny cage.
Once in the little community known as "Black Jack" a little girl had her arm ripped off ....she wanted to pet the mountain lion.
That's pathetic.
I think the same sort of thing could happen were someone to have a pet bobcat.
I should investigate whatever the law or lack of law actually is here...but there are more large wild cats - even tigers and such...and totally unqualified persons keeping those animals as "pets" here than should be tolerated.
Dusty, sometimes you tell some amazing tales!
I could see that bobcat and stick thing working. I dunno how I'd ever get so lucky as to pull that one. I imagine that I've got a personal smell.....cheap light beer and nicotine flavoured....that a wild cat could smell a mile away!!!
Dusty, I love that - and I can well imagine you seeing after an old Mountain Lion!!!!
I'd never recommend that gig to anyone but you though, and it's because you already know what the deal is, and pack that backup heat with you!
I hope that one of these days you maybe spot a Jaguar while you're out and about...but I hope you spot it a long ways off and have a camera along with your gun!
Thank you very much, alocsin!!!!
I think it's wonderful when we can think of something a bit off beat to write about - it's much more wonderful still when folks seem to like or approve of it!
You cite some excellent examples that show that idiots shouldn't own these beautiful animals and that they do need greater care. I guess, the way I see it, the general populace is completely pampered, most of us wouldn't survive two weeks in the woods - there is an unhealthy lack of respect and understanding of nature and our place with it.
I agree with you about the Indians - the ones that thanked the animal for its sacrifice and then used every part of its body for not only meat, but bowstrings and tools and so on. We could learn alot from them. And hunting with a bow and arrow is better sport. If I were ever to make hunting a permanent part of my life, I would hunt with bow and arrow as well.
I do believe that each situation concerning wild animal ownership is unique. Personally, I would never own a tiger. And if I ever end up with a cougar, I would make sure it had enough room. You've read my hybrid hub, so you know about the wolves in the cage. I despise that. Animal ownership entails great responsibility - which is why I don't own a dog right now, I live in an apartment and I'm gone for over 10 hours a day.
Thanks for the sensible response. We need to be reminded of not only the joys but also the possible dangers of wild animal ownership.
Alexander Mark - it's so bad here in general area around Dallas, Texas that one friend of mine swears to me that he once saw an African Lion dead on US Highway 175, which is basically the "life blood" highway of my little town, Kaufman.
I hate to say it, as I'm not really a big lover of governments or laws - but in the case of owning an animal....I think there should be a LOT more laws, and tests that should have to be passed in order to even own certain kinds of dogs.
The prejudice and media attention or total fear mongering concerning Pitt Bulls is pathetic.
I've wondered if some of the Pitt Bulls I've known weren't trying to kill me.....with affection.
Anyway - here's a hometown big cat refuge - it's a place that takes in these animals because some fool thought that a tiger would make for a house cat pet or something
I think education is the key to helping people understand how to treat animals. I would perhaps support animal rights laws because they are beings that feel physical and emotional pain and therefore separate from personal rights of human beings such as ownership over things.
The unfortunate thing about those fighting breeds is that it's the idiots that turn them into pariahs and idiots who make laws for everyone else about it - sort of like gun control laws, they only work for law abiding gun owners and do nothing to stop some gangster from abusing a stolen or unregistered weapon.
Thanks for the link, it has some great pictures and they look like a good organization to save the unwanted. I'll be checking that out in greater detail.
I agree with you about the Indians - the ones that thanked the animal for its sacrifice and then used every part of its body for not only meat, but bowstrings and tools and so on.
view this: http://www.dogkennelsoutlet.co.uk/
Haniajoy -EXACTLY!!!! People want to eat things these days, but they are almost never much thankful for the lives of what they are eating, and they never bother to think about it much at all. To me, that is a terrible sin.
I gathered from your hub that your not to keen on eating pussy? Lmao,
50
I think I just used a flagged word as my comment was sent on for moderation, LMFAO
dusty
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL! Dusty, that one did come in with the first two options of "not spam," and "delete forever," - then after hitting "not spam," I had to hit "approve!"
Don't feel bad, for months and months every comment that just(tom) left on my hubs....I never got no notification, and they all came in like that!
Wesman, sometimes there are things that I know ain't right but I say them anyway. I don't know if you remember the old Bugs Bunny thing where he sneaks up on Elmer Fudd who is bent forward looking around a tree, he's got a wide board in his hands and turns and looks at the audience and says," IF I dood it, I get a whipping...... I get a whipping" then pow he smokes Elmer's ass. It's old school humor but funny. I probably saw it at the theater before a movie or between a double header movie.
Anyway, they can detect a word and send it for moderation, but they cannot get notifications out and I have to go to the RSS feed to find things that have been written...... go figure. I have laid down some filthy comments and that's the first time they pulled one like that. LOLTMDFO
It's really sort of "spotty" these days. I'll leave a long and detailed comment on things and never get any notification telling me that it was responded to.
Sometimes my comments might get deleted by an author or something, or just never replied to...but when that happens I generally shorten up my "follow" list.
Other times it's near instant - emails saying "so and so" commented also on their hub.
Anyways, it sure beats the old days when they either didn't send those notifications or I didn't have my account set up right for it!
Wesman, I try to make sure that I respond to every comment, I kept a file to move a hub to marked "read/comment" I then checked back now and then to see if the author received it in good heart, I don't remember ever leaving a remark to upset or belittle anyone. If I find a hub I don't care for I vote it up and move on. I vote people up for just writing the hub, after all it's the effort and the down button should be removed all together in my opinion, I have followed and watched writers grow they get better and better, I feel like the Hub Pages is fertile ground for people to come and work at the art of wordsmiths, while reading and learning. I left a comment on your coyote hub as to how well I thought you had done and you prolly thought I was being a smart ass or scenic, but I really enjoyed the write and you peppered it with some excellent lines. Anyway, I enjoy this part of a hub where we can have a little fun.
My Nephew Pras has really overcome the language barrier, he has the knack for finding awesome topics and he is the most polite, considerate and respectful people I've ever met. He flat out amazes me. I've been on hubs where there is a bunch of keyboard rangers having a verbal shoot out getting down and dirty
Then out of no where comes my Nephew Pras with a thank you for writing a good hub and giving a reason why he liked it.
He is awesome and a good influence on manners, I followed him when he got here to help him get started and I recommended him often. His writings seemed good and you had to read into what he was saying to get his meaning, there is a small gap still but he has grown and I really like his writings, I just can't say there exist a better hub writer.
I've got 3 years and close to 2,500 comments behind me, as a reader. If I had to say who I would pick in the number one position it would be Prasetio. He should be given the 100 point score permanently just for being the most improved writer on this site. I say check him out!
http://prasetio30.hubpages.com/hub/Festos-SmartBir
I have not read this one but I will be shortly and I know it will be good.
Peace,
dust
You know what - I don't think I've EVER seen that guy on here before!
It's wild, but every once in a while I still see a "major profile" or Hubpages person that I've never seen before, and there's mine for this week!
I hit the "follow" button in hopes that the guy hits my stream now.
I think I land on hubs more nowadays from my "stream" than I do from the daily update notification e mails.
Oh I do vote things down, but it's very rare - and I generally just do it if it's something that I thought was either mean spirited or just outright WRONG.
Just the other day I saw one that I didn't vote down, but It was entirely disinformation or propaganda that someone had wrote because the subject matter would probably draw them some viewers and $$$$$
Twas about methamphetamine and the horrible little dopers and how they're a threat to us all....fuck that, I'm one of those people.
I had to do a whole history and manufacture drill down monster comment explaining why the whole piece was "bovine scatology" at best, or out right lies at worst.
LOL!
I wonder if my comment was approved or replied to. If it wasn't approved then I'll be marking that writer off of my reader list, as I don't type out five hundred or more words for it to not stick to a web page, LOL!
Also, my comment was all A1+ factual, so there wasn't room for debate on it - but if I got any of that, then that would be fine.
I might get around to checking on it, or it might be best to forget it.
My hometown school's mascot is the lynx. Go Lincoln Lynx!
My gosh dang hometown's mascot is an African Lion....dude, last thing I want to see when I step outside is an African Lion!!!!!!!!!
This was a nice, informative hub. I was really impressed by all the research you did on it.
I lived in the country outside Bristol, TN for awhile. We lived in a mobile with a big concrete patio and periodically, a bobcat would show up on the patio to lick the bbq grill. We would watch him for awhile and then flip the porch light on. It would scat. I was always nervous about letting my 15 year old small dog out at night. Turned all the lights on to scare the bobcat off before I did.
THAT'S AWESOME Becky Katz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd love to have that experience!
Generally speaking...I do a LOT of learning myself while creating these hubs about critters!
We have had a few experiences (close encounters) with wild animals and enjoy every one of them. I have written about a few of them. I hope you get the chance to experience a few. I wrote about our raccoon experiences not long ago. We used to have a hard time getting the kids to be quiet when we went for nature walks, they scared them all away. Now the boys are in their twenties and our daughter is 15 so they have learned to be quiet and not scare them off.
Oh I'll give you a "follow" then...if I've not already (I forget a lot of stuff).
I seriously doubt that writing about animals is a money making subject - but I do it because I love to do it.
I'm basically scared of Mountain lions...there are some at times in my neighbourhood...you can sometimes hear them SCREAM late at night.
I write about everything. I have a wide range of interests and write about anything that crosses my mind.
I do as well. I've found, however, that ...certain subject matters tend to get more favourable responses from my readers...and from Google - so I do try to focus on those.
I think that doing what we do the best strengthens our "standings" with the monster search engine...Google.
But I'd never ever discourage anyone from publishing on something they were feeling passionate about here on Hubpages or anywhere else.
Acid Rahne 4 months ago
Hee hee. His name is "Rufus."
you can't be a badass named "Rufus."