Do Bobcats Kill Deer? (Walter Arnold)

Do bobcats kill deer? The topic was a contentious one among trappers across the U.S. in the 1930’s and ‘40’s, and continued to be debated on the pages of Fur-Fish-Game and other publications for many years. Western trappers argued that bobcats did not kill deer, while Eastern trappers fiercely defended their claims of witnessing evidence of ‘cats killing dear repeatedly. In reality, both Eastern and Western trappers were probably right in their claims. Western ‘cats probably rarely killed deer, as they were ill equipped to stalk or pounce on deer in open ground. Back East, where timber was thick, snow blanketed the ground, and deer were a readily available source of feed, ‘cats killed deer.

Walter knew many bobcat trappers in those days, including the legendary V.E. “Wildcat” Lynch, who hunted and trapped perhaps more bobcats than anyone else in the state at the time, and made his living in the big woods west of Ashland, Maine. Lynch commonly witnessed evidence of ‘cats killing deer, and likely saved a good portion of the deer herd in those days through his efforts.

Today, the area Lynch and other trappers frequently caught bobcats has changed a great deal. Modern timber harvest practices have changed the forest habitat. Habitat change combined with the invasion of the Eastern coyote have all but wiped out the deer herd in northern Maine, and along with the deer went the bobcat. Canada lynx migrated south into northern Maine, and their populations are now very abundant in the young growth softwood timber that supports high numbers of snowshoe hares. You can hardly find a bobcat in northern Maine these days.

Here are some of Walt’s views on bobcats.

Those Troublesome Cats

First Published in Fur-Fish-Game June 1933

Walter Arnold

Say, but what a cat hauling there is between Eastern and Western trappers regarding the wild cat, alias bob cat, alias lynx cat. Yes, some even confuse the true Canadian lynx with the above-mentioned species.

Naturalists probably distinguish a difference between the wild cats inhabiting the various states, but during the years I was buying fur I bought wild cat skins from many sections of the country, they being shipped to me from the Rocky Mountain, Central and Eastern states. I bought all these skins as wild cat and sold them to the firms I was buying for as wild cat. Nevertheless, I realize that cats are known by different names in the different sections of the country. Here in Maine our state treasurer classes them as bobcats when paying bounty on them. The pelts do not look the same from all parts of the country, or for that matter, neither do those of mink. I do not know of any kind of animal that holds a uniform size and color and at the same time maintains the same habits throughout the several states of the union. Possibly it was a case of coincidence, but all the wild cat skins I purchased from the far west were more of a dirty, dullish color than our eastern cats. A careful survey would reveal a pretty fair percent of our Maine cats presenting a beautiful silvery shade or color, some of the prime winter skins displaying the silvery sheen that is many times noticeable in those large prime Northeastern raccoon skins. Naturally such skins are the most valuable, and at the crest of the boom I paid as high as around $15 each for some of these fancy pelts.

I think I am safe in stating that there are but few Canadian lynx in the United States. A few are taken each year here in Maine. If my memory serves me correctly the few lynx skins I handled were all taken here in this state. The last one was brought in to me during the last winter I was buying. A trapper brought in the animal unskinned, which provided me with the opportunity to examine it carefully.

Knowing that so many people mistake the light colored or silvery wild cat for Canadian lynx, I will mention one point which should be sufficient to enable any person to readily distinguish a lynx from a wild cat. My observations have been that the feet of a wild cat are not unlike those of the pet house cat, there being the same bare spots on the bottom of the feet, while those of the lynx are like those of a rabbit; the hind feet are long and the bottoms covered with a thick layer of fur or hair, and the forward feet correspondingly like those of the rabbit.

On more than one occasion I have read articles written by Canadian trappers, who doubtless know their lynx, in which doubt has been quite plainly expressed as to the truthfulness of the statements of Eastern trappers relating to the prowess of Eastern cats. Now, unless I have been greatly misinformed by those who should know the habits of lynx, no professional lynx trapper has any logical right to question the veracity of the statements of any wild cat trapper, relating to wild cats, unless that lynx trapper has also had considerable experience in trapping our Eastern cats.

What information I have acquired pertaining to the lynx leads me to believe that in reality it is a coward, does not attack larger animals such as deer, and creates but little fuss or disturbance when caught in a trap. (Canadian trappers correct me if I am wrong in this assumption). Some years ago I met and camped one night with two Canadian trappers who had the appearance of being truthful and honest men. They informed me that they were in the habit of taking 20 to 35 lynx a season. They also had, during their years of following the trap line, enjoyed some of our Eastern trapping and had taken several wild cats. The gist of their story was to the effect that when it comes to scrapping and creating havoc around a set, when caught in a trap, one wild cat was equal to half a dozen lynx; furthermore, nearly any small sized trap such as a No. 1 would hold most any lynx if a toe or part of its foot was fairly within the trap, whereas it requires a real trap to hold a fighting bob.

Much has been written in recent years regarding the deer killing habits of wild cats, and the size of traps best adapted for the trapping of them. Judging from articles I have read, written by, and correspondence I have received from Western trappers, coupled with my personal knowledge of existing conditions here, it is evident that Western trappers, as a rule, successfully use a smaller trap than that used by their Eastern brothers. There appears to be considerable misunderstanding in regard to these and other points, between the widely separated brothers. The Westerner is up and hopping when the Easterner truthfully asserts that wild cats do slay deer and it requires a large size and strong trap to hold them. In return the Easterner turns red and rears upon his hind legs when the Westerner truthfully and emphatically states that wild cats do not kill deer and any No.  2 trap will hold them. As I see it, there is no doubt but what both parties are right to a certain extent; both are describing cats as they have found them in their respective states during their many years of hunting and trapping them. What causes the shoe to pinch is the fact that both parties are usually including too much territory in their claims, and are getting mixed up with certain cats, the habits of which they know nothing about.

Whether or not the deer killing cat prevails throughout the New England states I cannot say; I doubt if it does. In fact, I do not believe there are a great many of this type in southern Maine. However, there is one fact of which I am very sure, and that is there are plenty of these deer killers in the northern wilderness portion of the Pine Tree State. When we see  with our own eyes where deer have been attacked, dragged down and killed, and the only tracks in the snow are those of the wild cats and of the slaughtered deer, we are forced to either believe that wild cats are responsible, or else believe in evil spirits. As for my part I am not superstitious.

No longer ago than this past fall I found where cats had killed a small deer. It did not strike me as an unreasonable or uncommon happening, as I am aware that most any hound dog can kill a small deer, providing he can corner the deer and get at him, but it takes one whale of a dog to kill a wild cat. We read where hunters shoot a cat out of a tree  and then several dogs rush in and finish off the dying animal, but there are mighty few dogs that, unaided, can kill a healthy, full grown, fighting wild cat.

In the course of about three weeks after finding the remains of the deer I have just mentioned, I came upon the scene of a more interesting encounter. This time two cats had leaped out and attacked a very large buck deer right in the middle of an old road. This battle had taken place not more than four hours, at the most, prior to my arrival, as the tracks on the flurry of early morning snow so plainly showed. Evidently a desperate fight had taken place.  The cats tore into the shoulders or neck of the deer, and soon the blood was flowing freely and the snow was littered with hair and blood. It was then that the tide of battle turned; either the buck caught one of the cats off guard and gored him with a horn , or struck him with a hoof, I could not tell which; at any rate he got in a telling blow of some sort which took out plenty of hair, causing the cat to make his retreat leaving a trail of blood behind. With but one of the attackers left to contend with the buck soon found an opportunity to beat a hasty retreat, which he did at the rate of fully twenty feet to a leap, with blood splattering out over the snow in front of him every time he hit the ground. The uninjured cat followed for some distance and then gave up the chase. I followed the injured cat and the deer. The bleeding of both had practically ceased when I left their respective trails. I had failed to come in sight of either one. As I stood reading the details of this thrilling encounter which was so plainly written in the half inch of fresh snow I thought to myself how well I would like to have with me some of the well-meaning but skeptical boys who can not be convinced that a cat will attack a deer. I am positive that the most skeptical person would have changed his mind when he saw where those two cats, one large and one small, had courageously attacked one of the largest bucks in the woods right there in an open road and on almost bare ground.

Although wild cats may run smaller in size in certain parts of the country, I do not believe our Maine cats average any larger, possibly not as large, than those of some other sections or localities. It is not uncommon to be told of cats, the same as we are told about fish being taken, which are most extraordinary, and may I add exaggerated, sized specimens. In most cases it is safe to discount about 50% if you really wish the truth of the matter. Isn’t it queer how our best and most honest friends, yes I mean our real friends, will look us square in the eye, and without batting an eyelash tell us some of the most unmerciful lies about huge fish, wildcats, deer, etc, they have taken? I guess it is just part of the makeup of human nature and quite prevalent among the general run of ‘good fellows(no offense meant to anyone).

I have placed quite a few wild cats on the scales, cats that friends would estimate the weight as high as 75 pounds; the largest I ever saw by actual and truthful weight was 35 pounds. A year ago my partner brought into came a cat that possibly would have exceeded this a little, but as we had no scales we had no way of knowing.

It is not probably, or I might add possible, that I have seen the largest cat in the state, and I have no doubt that much larger ones have been taken. Nevertheless I am going on record as saying, if a man is so fortunate as to trap or shoot a wild cat that his friends estimate the weight of being 60 or 75 pounds, and if he himself should believe this, let that man heed my advice and steer clear of the scales, for as sure as fate, if he listens to a set of reliable scales he has a most shocking surprise in store for him. The point I mean to impress here is, if a cat actually weighs 75 pounds, the estimated weight will most likely be anywhere from 90 to 150 pounds.

Let us see if it is not possible to straighten out this tangle of mixed opinion regarding the proper sizes of traps to use in taking evasive Tom. Even here in Maine there is a difference of opinion. This is usually occasioned here by some trapper who is not trapping for cats and has no idea of catching any, picking up a small or mild-tempered one in a mink trap. From this lone experience many a trapper has got the idea that a good smart mink trap is all that is required, but when such men turn their efforts toward trapping wild cats and are successful in causing a few to step on the desired spot, that small trap idea is knocked higher than the proverbial kite. I personally know several trappers who are quite successful in outwitting and trapping this animal, and not one advocates the use of small traps.

All cats are not alike. A kit can not be expected to put up much of a scrap, and occasionally a full grown specimen is lacking in courage and strength. The last one my partner and I caught was a full grown female and its efforts to make good its escape were meager. A large, lively mink would have created as much havoc around the set. If neither of us had ever caught cats before this probably would have led us to believe as some others, that the cry of larger traps is all hooey, but it so happens that we both have lost as well as caught cats before.

Trappers in many parts of the country tell us that the careful examination of the stomach and droppings of the wild cat has failed to reveal any evidence of deer or deer hair. Now I can take a person over my trap line, on bare ground, and show him plenty of cat droppings, and more than half of these will be filled with deer hair. Wild cats are not eating deer meat and hair back in the dense woods during the summer months unless they are killing them. In localities where its chief diet is rabbits, squirrels, birds and other small game, a cat is not likely to be made up of the same ferocious nature as one that does not hesitate to fight it out with a deer. Although Maine cats may be no larger than those of other states, that means nothing. It is not size that counts, it is ‘guts’. Any cat that has the “guts” to sail into a buck deer is certainly going to put up more of a fight when caught in a trap than is just a plain squirrel or rabbit-eating pussy. That is why some of our Maine cats make good their escape even when caught in a large-sized trap.

It was not so long ago that a large cat stepped into one of my No. 4 Gibbs and then snapped right out of it the first leap he made. I will admit it was a dead hitch, but if a No. 2 trap is of sufficient size then a No. 4 with a four foot chain and fastened securely at the set, should have no trouble in holding any cat.

During the past season a large mountain cat placed a paw on the desired spot of a No. 42-X ranger, and after chewing off what dry spruce limbs and knots there were handy and slivering up a fir tree near by, he succeeded in breaking through the wire, made up from eight strands of stove pipe wire, and as far as I know is still at liberty with my trap. I do not believe or claim that he broke the wire all at once, but by unceasing efforts, lunging and pulling, he wore it through strand by strand. I understand a trapper in the next town from here had nearly the same experience this last season.

Several years ago a heavy cat stepped into a No. 3 Blake & Lamb trap which I had set for a fox. Immediately he started out for parts unknown. About the fifth leap he made the drag caught and held fast, but Tom kept on traveling. When I found the trap one of the jaws was badly bent or buckled up, and was nearly twisted out of the trap.

I hope the readers do not accuse me of “throwing the bull” as it has not been my intention to make any misleading statements. I have related facts as I have found them, and could fill several more pages of this magazine with the details of various experiences concerning, and the depradations committed by, destructive Tom. For instance there is a close friend of mine who, a year ago, in company with another trapper, were prospecting a new fur country, new to them, and came upon a deer yard which later proved to be some three miles in length, extending the entire length of a cedar swamp. As they approached the yard they came up on the remains of two deer that had been killed by wild cats. Wondering if further depredations had been committed these men separated and followed along through the yard. Although they did not have the time to make a complete investigation they did find the remains of around a dozen deer which cats had chased out of the yard into deeper snow and ruthlessly killed. Needless to say, it would require more than a whole army of the fastest and smoothest talking men in the country to convince these two trappers that Maine cats do not kill deer.

Find this stuff interesting?  I’m working on a book covering the works of Walter Arnold, the legendary trapper from the Maine woods.  Stay tuned, and contact me at [email protected] to reserve a copy!