Tag: bobcat

Colorado photographer captures bobcats adorably playing with golf balls during charity tournament

“It wasn’t until everybody teed off from the box … that we noticed that they were actually bobcats.”

David and Lynn Townsend were on assignment outside Denver, Colorado, capturing images for a charity golf tournament when they noticed a gallery that was starting to take liberties with the golf balls being played.

After a little more inspection, the duo, which operates under David Lynn Photography, realized the pack following the shots on the signature 13th hole at Arrowhead Golf Club in Littleton was in fact a group of playful bobcats.

A bobcat chases a golf ball on the 13th hole at Littleton’s Arrowhead Golf Club. (Photo David and Lynn Townsend/David Lynn Photography)

A story by Landon Haaf of Denver7.com has the details.

“We noticed two little two little animals, kind of scurrying out from the bushes onto the fairway, and they were far enough away you couldn’t really tell what they were,” David Townsend recalled in an interview with Denver7. “It wasn’t until everybody teed off from the box and then made our way down the fairway that we noticed that they were actually bobcats.”

Fortunately, they were “perfectly prepared” for the unexpected visitors. David and Lynn switched camera lenses and turned their attention to the bobcats.

“One of them just sat there with it in his mouth and the other one was kind of like grabbing the ball and running over another cat and jumping over him,” David said. “That’s where I got those kind of aerial photos where the one cat was kind of the most active of all of them.” …

In addition to a “healthy” bobcat population that includes two dens and at least nine cats, Arrowhead and the surrounding area is home to two mountain lions, and a bear and her two cubs, in addition to the requisite population of Colorado regulars like deer and foxes, Arrowhead assistant GM Kenny Windey wrote in an email.

Backing up to Roxborough State Park – a vast open space – helps, Windey said. Wildlife sightings by golfers, he said, are not uncommon.

“All these animals are wild and we do not go out of our way to bother them. This is their home and we are fortunate to share it with them,” he said. “The interaction with golfers is random and we try to communicate to our guests to let them be and keep a safe distance.”

For more on Colorado golf, here’s a look at Golfweek’s Best public-access and private golf courses in Colorado, ranked.

 

Bobcat caught on trail-cam ‘spicing up’ menu with rattlesnake

The striking image is reminiscent of “nail-biter” footage – that we’ve included – showing a bobcat battling a rattlesnake.

A motion-sensor camera at the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona has captured a striking image showing a bobcat walking atop a hill with a rattlesnake in its jaws.

“Bobcats like to spice up their usual meal planning with an occasional rattlesnake,” the U.S. Fish ad Wildlife Service explained Thursday via X. “Rabbits and hares tend to be a favorite meal, but venomous snakes make the menu every now and then.”

Although challenging a rattlesnake might seem risky for a bobcat, their quickness and instincts are such to make the task of subduing the reptiles look fairly routine.

Perhaps the most notable example was from “nail-biter” footage captured in California’s Angeles National Forest in 2020. That clip is featured below.

Can you spot the Yellowstone bobcat hiding in plain sight?

Trent Sizemore encountered the elusive wildcat while leading a photography tour last week in the park’s northern range.

Bobcat sightings are rare in Yellowstone National Park, in part because the stealthy felines are mostly nocturnal but also because they’re masters of camouflage.

How easily can you spot the bobcat in Trent Sizemore’s image?

Sizemore told FTW Outdoors that the extraordinary encounter occurred last Monday during a photography workshop he led in the park’s northern range.

Can you spot the bobcat? Photo: ©Trent Sizemore Photography

“We stopped at a pullout near Lamar Valley to have lunch, when one of my clients spotted something up on the rock, and it was the bobcat watching us,” Sizemore recalled.

“This was my first one in 10 years here. We spent several hours there, seeing the cat a few more times that day. Up against the rocks, the camouflage was impeccable.”

The same bobcat in full view. Photo: ©Anne Reinhard

The image showing the bobcat less camouflaged was captured by one of Sizemore’s workshop participants, Anne Reinhard.

“[She] was off photographing birds so she missed the first sighting we had,” Sizemore said. “She got this one a bit later in the day.”

Location of the bobcat. Photo: ©Trent Sizemore Photography

The Yellowstone website states that bobcats occupy habitat throughout the park but are “rarely seen.” Most reported sightings occurred in rocky terrain near rivers.

Bobcats are in the lynx family and can weigh up to 30 pounds. They prey largely on small mammals and birds, but have been known to stalk deer and pronghorns.

Yellowstone is currently plowing roads in preparation for the spring opener, scheduled to begin April 19.

However, the road connecting the North and Northeast entrances – about 55 miles, passing through Lamar Valley – is open year-round.

Feisty young bobcat has choice ‘words’ for handlers upon release

The growls and actions of the spirited wildcat, Mr. Murder Britches, are amusingly translated in the video text.

An environmental activist on Sunday recalled translating a young bobcat’s actions for an amusing video showing the spirited critter’s release into the wild.

“One of the highlights of my life was naming this chicken-poaching bobcat kitten Mr. Murderbritches and ‘translating’ his growls on video,” Russ McSpadden stated on X. “This cat’s wild spirit then went viral and inspired millions to be feisty as hell.”

The accompanying footage, first published by the Center for Biological Diversity in 2018, contains McFadden’s sometimes salty translations as the kitten, being relocated after dining on ranch chickens, sparred with his well-meaning handlers.

After viewing the footage, many might share the sentiment expressed by the Center for Biological Diversity in the original video description:

“Long live Mr. Murderbritches!”

Watch: Stealthy bobcat scores actual birdie on golf course

A recent image showing a bobcat on a Florida golf course is reminiscent of a wild scene involving a bobcat shown hunting ducks at an Arizona course.

A “good size” bobcat was photographed recently at a Florida golf course, leading WINK News meteorologist Matt Devitt to remark via X: “Golfing in Florida is always full of surprises.”

The image atop this post, credited to Bo Jackson, is a reminder that bobcats, like coyotes, sometimes hunt on golf courses.

The bobcat was prowling the range at The Sanctuary Golf Club and the image is reminiscent of a wild scene captured on video last January at Silver Leaf Country Club in Arizona.

The accompanying footage, captured by the River Pig Saloon, shows a bobcat hunting ducks around one of the greens, using steep bunkers as cover before launching a successful ambush attack.

“Oh, he got one!” someone in the group exclaims as the bobcat leaps from the bunker, scattering the flock, as other golfers react giddily.

Viewers will have to click to a second video segment on the Instagram post if they wish to see the bobcat securing and running off with its feathery prize.

–Image showing a bobcat patrolling a Florida golf course is courtesy of Bo Jackson, via Matt Devitt of WINK News

Bobcat shows stunned golfers proper way to score a birdie

Video footage captured recently at an Arizona golf course shows a bobcat masterfully stalking ducks from an expansive bunker and executing a perfect ambush.

Video footage captured recently at an Arizona golf course shows a bobcat masterfully stalking ducks from an expansive bunker and executing a perfect ambush.

The “birdie massacre” footage was captured by Instagram user River Pig Saloon during a round at Silver Leaf Country Club.

As viewers will note, the bobcat used the deep bunker to remain hidden until it could strike from the nearest possible point.

“Oh, he got one!” someone in the group exclaims as the bobcat leaps from the bunker, scattering the flock, as other golfers react with giddy laughter.

ALSO: ‘Massive’ lion forces standoff with safari vehicle; video

The footage was shared by the popular Instagram page, Nature Is Metal, which began its post, “For playing out of turn, this bobcat incurs a fowl.”

Bobcat shown stalking raccoons in surreal nighttime footage

A trail camera in Colorado has captured footage showing a large bobcat hunting raccoons at night in a narrow passageway.

A trail camera in suburban Colorado has captured footage of a large bobcat stalking raccoons at night in a narrow passageway.

“Raccoons are some of a bobcat’s favorite meals, due to their small size and lack of an effective defense system,” Twitter user Suzanne Dickerson explained in her video description.

At 13 seconds, before the bobcat saunters into view, the nearest raccoon scurries forward as if trying to escape the threat. (Footage of the raccoons is shown at four times the normal speed; the bobcat is shown at normal speed.)

Dickerson routinely tweets footage of raccoons and other critters passing through this area, which she refers to as the Racoonobahn.

Asked by a follower how many raccoons use the Racoonobahn, Dickerson answered: “I’m guessing we have 10-13 raccoons around here based on different cameras. Some or all use the Raccoonobahn each evening.”

Her pinned tweet shows a skunk using a rock to break ice in a water bowl to access water below the ice. Images from that sequence were used in a scientific paper about tool-use by striped skunks.

–Image is a video screen shot

Watch: Bobcat hunts down duck on Arizona golf course

A hungry bobcat wasn’t going to let a few golfers interrupt mealtime at Silverleaf Country Club in Scottsdale.

A hungry bobcat wasn’t going to let a few golfers interrupt mealtime.

At Silverleaf Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, last week, a group of golfers were playing the 15th hole and as they approached the green, noticed a bobcat enter a sand trap to start stalking a team of ducks.

The bobcat was able to hide behind the high side of the bunker, going back and forth in a crouched walk, waiting for the perfect moment to make a move.

And when it was go time, this bobcat went. The ducks quickly got airborne to escape but one wasn’t so lucky. In the video, you can see the bobcat and its prey just before scampering off.

Five bobcats photographed in Ohio woods – can you spot them?

A trail camera in Ohio captured a remarkable image showing five bobcats traveling together in the Washington County wilderness.

A trail camera in Ohio captured a remarkable image showing five bobcats traveling together in the Washington County wilderness.

The image, shared by Kimberly Murnieks and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, shows how well the cats blend with the trees and leaves.

“Pretty cool to see 5 bobcats in one pic!” The ODNR exclaimed on Facebook.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Lonely Yellowstone wolf cries out in surreal dawn encounter; video

The image was captured on Christmas Eve by a motion-sensor trail camera operated by Murnieks’ father, Bill West.

Bobcats are native to Ohio but were extirpated by hunters and trappers by 1850. They began to repopulate in the mid-1900s, according to the ONDR.

The image is remarkable because bobcats are solitary and elusive. Thanks to the advent of trail cameras, bobcat sightings in Ohio are increasingly common.

Can you spot both bobcats photographed in Wisconsin forest?

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two camouflaged bobcats in a wintry landscape and asked its Facebook followers if they could spot the animals.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two bobcats camouflaged in a wintry landscape, and asked its Facebook followers:

“There are two bobcats in this snapshot from Lincoln County! Can you find both?”

It’s probably not so much a matter of if viewers will spot both bobcats, but how long it will take them. (One bobcat is clearly more visible than the other.)

The top two images – the same image in different sizes – show how well these predators blend in with their surroundings, and how thick their coats become as winter sets in.

The bottom image provides the answer, with both animals circled.

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The WDNR wrote on Facebook: “Bobcats are crafty hunters, and with small prey, they will wait motionless and then pounce. Bobcats hunt small mammals, like eastern cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares, as well as birds and even reptiles.”

The image was posted as a promotion for the Snapshot Wisconsin program, which allows schools and the public to participate in research by hosting trail cameras that help the state monitor wildlife activity.