Bobcat Calling Primer

Bobcat like brush and many times will gravitate to rocky areas. However, a trapper once told me that the biggest 'cats are out on the flats. They have little fear of running into a coyote.

bobcat-calling-primer-027.jpg


Because bobcats have amazing natural camouflage, optics are of greater advantage while calling bobcats than when targeting coyotes. At a minimum, scan the area at the end of the stand. Bobcats are famous for appearing out of nowhere. Binoculars help pick out the bobcat's head as it sits studying the area from which the call is originating. Be very careful to move slowly while deploying the binoculars and while scanning. More on this later.
Night hunting, where legal, can help a hunter overcome the incredible camouflage of the bobcat. The glowing eyes give their presence away even in heavier cover and since the 'cats are hunting the night shift, they may respond easier. Ensure you have a sufficient shooting light to make a positive identification before the shot. Huge gains in light technology continue to benefit the nighttime caller.

The second adjustment the coyote hunter needs to make is the length of his or her stands.

Psychology
Psychologically, bobcats are not as bold as coyotes (although, big, dominant 'cats won't necessarily follow this trend). Like a housecat, bobcats stalk their prey. Because of this, bobcat stands need to be longer than coyote stands.

A friend of mine regularly stays on stand for up to an hour and a half. My patience won't stand that but I will extend the time on stand when in bobcat country. I've found that when calling rimrock country, 'cats will usually show up on the top of the rim within a reasonable amount of time. If the 'cat must respond all the way to your call before you're able to see it, give them more time. They may cut the initial distance quickly then slow as they make the final stalk on the "prey". You may find it helpful to use a seat or cushion to stay comfortable allowing you to remain still during extended stands.

Bobcats also tend to have a little ADD so "busier" sounds may work better at keeping their attention. Bird sounds and cottontail sounds may be more effective on your 'cat stands. For the same reason, I run my caller continuously. I also change sounds more often when calling bobcat. Coyotes are intimidating to most bobcats so avoid coyote vocalizations when calling in 'cat country.

Finally, bobcats seem to have no "call memory". It's been said that a bobcat which is shot at and missed may be called back an hour later with the same exact sound. It's extremely unlikely a coyote would be fooled again so easily.

The largest adjustment the coyote caller needs to make when hunting bobcats has to do with the bobcat's senses.

Physiology
Physiologically, a quick look at the characteristics of the bobcat gives a clue to this. The cat's nose is much shorter than the coyote's. This hints at the sensory priorities of the animals. That long snout of the coyote houses many more scent receptors than the bobcat's short nose. You will never completely fool a coyote's nose. Cats, on the other hand, seem to pay little attention to scent. Bobcats can be called from straight downwind giving the hunter much more flexibility in bobcat stand selection. The bobcat's nose may not be an issue for the predator caller, but the eyes are another story and the reason for the next adjustment.

To be an effective bobcat caller, a hunter must understand the visual perceptiveness of the bobcats. This is important on multiple levels. If a coyote's nose can never be fooled, the same may be said for a bobcat's eyes, at least where movement is concerned. Concealment is critical. (See my article "Camouflage, Concealment and Coyotes" in the December 2012 issue of Long Range Hunting magazine.
(http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/coyote-camouflage-1.php ) Good concealment and slow movement cannot be overemphasized when calling bobcats. Bobcats may not compare in intelligence to a coyote but their eyes are amazing.

All the rules of concealment when calling coyotes pertain to bobcats in spades. Set in front of something to break up your outline. Sit in the shade whenever possible. Keep the sun behind you. Cover your hands and face as well as anything shiny on your firearm and equipment. Of all these things movement is by far the most critical. As with coyotes, it's not necessary to remain completely motionless but your movements must be slooooow.
Next page: Bobcat Calling Primer
Previous page: Overview