Bobcat Rut

[BlazeNBrat]

I have seen some of you guys on here talk about a bobcat rut, what is it that changes when they rut, if they "rut" ? Do you see lots of pairS? Long walking/traveling toms?
I've always read and been told that bobcats can breed a few times a year, or when ever a female comes in heat, like a barn cat, but was curious about this rut.

[Unreal_tk]

Out western regions they generally rut or breed in Feb/March. You'll see pairs often in the snow, or get on very long traveling tracks. Had a tom the other day stay ahead of me... I couldn't box the track in like I prefer to do, so of course it was a long traveller! First bobcat I caught with another guy... we had two cats traveling together when we started it.

[Gary Roberson]

Last week when hunting down in South Texas, drove up on a pair. Bobcats and coyotes typically rut in late Jan. or early Feb. down there and about the same here.
Adios,
Gary

[mondomuttruner]

Big toms are on the move now. They put on some miles looking for a lady friend. Haven't seen their tracks all winter, now their everywhere. I'm not sure if they come in from other areas or if they have been laying low over the winter...

[Warner5]

Its the time of year here where saving the females pays off in toms. John.

[Dads dogboy]

BlazeNbrat,

Here in the Southeastern US the 1st (Primary) Rut starts around mid January and will run into March for Sows who do not settle on the 1st service.

Then around the 1st of May into July there will be a secondary Rut for Sows who loose their Kittens or who have had an Ole Tom slip in and kill them.

Out in Western OK where they have lots of CRP fields that are full of Rabbits and Rats, Bobcat appear to have Kittens year round (sometimes even two litters a year). this would be do to lots of feed. (One time Dad was out at his Camp hunting with his buddy and they treed a Sow with 6 Kittens of two different ages. The little ones looked to be two months or so old, the bigger appeared less than a year...sub adults for sure.)

In years of poor feed conditions (lack of prey game) Sows will skip coming into estrus, thus no or very little Rut in those years.

Now as to traveling during the Rut, Both Toms and Sows will range out of their normal "Home" territories. A Good rule of thumb we have found is that Cats will expand their travel by a factor of 3. If a Female's home is normally two square miles, She will range over 6 miles during the Rut. A Tom, who normally covers 4 to 6 square miles (or Sections) will travel out to over 12 miles looking for love.

When two Rutting Bobcat meet up, they will travel together....sometimes a short ways....sometimes for Hours. This will vary as to individuals and at what stage of Estrus the Sow is in.

You should find lots more Scent (piss) Posts and Cat Kicks this time of the year. These are, for the most part Toms advertising their Charms for the Lady Cats.



We have had some flat out RUNAWAY Races during these Rut periods, where if you did not KNOW your Hounds you would think you were after a Yote or Deer.

These are the Unscientific findings of Dad's 55 years of chasing these darn things!

[Rod Vinson]

Sure wish our cats would raise that many times in a year...if they raised like house cats we would have plenty...ours only raise once a year and they are rutting hard now...our season goes out this thursday.

[Dads dogboy]

Mr. Rod,

The down side to high numbers of any animal is that mother nature will always balance things out.

In parts of West Texas and Western OK Feline Distemper has knocked the numbers way back on Grey Fox and Bobcat both.

We had a report of one place in OK where 106 dead or dying Bobcats were turned in.

Now that is a WASTE!

[Rod Vinson]

I'd say it is...dang