12 replies to this topic

[97bailee]

With the season open I hope to kill one this year. I saw a few while deer hunting and will be going back to those spots. I would like to have a full body mount and my question is what is a respectable size bobcat to mount this way?

[Switch]

I think many over estimate the size of cats. The largest I've ever shot was 27.5 pounds and it was a brute. On average adult cats will run between 18-22 pounds, with larger cats weighing in the mid, to upper twenties. There's always exceptions, but when people say they've shot a 30-35 pound cat, I need to see it on a scale before I believe them. I've just seen too many in the 18-22 pound range.

Here's a photo of the 27.5 pound brute I called and shot towards the end of the 2011-2012 season.


Here's a full body mount I had done of a cat I shot in 2004. One of the prettiest I've ever seen. Weighed in at exactly 24 pounds.


Here's a pretty 18 pounder that I had made into a hat.


Here's one that looked like a horse in the scope. Weighed right at 24 pounds.

[dabob]

I never did weigh any of the bobcats that I got when I use to trap and shoot bobcats. But the bigger bobcats were just as big as the big coyotes when we put them on the fur stretchers.

On the bobcat sizes I have seen over the years the average size of the bobcats seem to be bigger in the more open country. The bobcats in the country with more trees and brush seem to be smaller on the average size.

[Inoculation]

I don't usually shoot bobcats, but I have shot a few large ones. I shot one 2 years ago that was so big I had to pull out the scale. He was 29lbs. The paws on him were enormous! I have a friend that has a 42lb bobcat mounted with a large quail in it's mouth. That thing is (was) a BEAST! I'm with Tim on the 18-22 average.

[97bailee]

Thanks. Those are some nice cats

[MonkeyChunks]

You guys get all the good stuff up North. Down in San diego i have only seen 1 bobcat and he was mangy and nasty looking, i was going to put him out of his misery but i was on base and they dont allow the take of bobcats on base.

[jessedlc]

Switch i think I'm gonna call u , cat slayer

[BCF]

Beautiful bobcats, Switch- and nice looking rifle!

[Frank]

Well, I normally do not shoot bob cats. However, the biggest cat I called in & killed was along the Klammath river approx 43 yrs ago. He was weighed on a doctor's type of scale (correct name(?), at the taxidermist. He weighed exactly 30 lbs. I will try and post a pic of it.

With that said, I agree with the others, in that many bob cats are likely to be in the low 20+ lb range. However, if the cat is a good colored one, with nice hide, I would think that to be the most important for a mount.

Anyway, here is my old, 30lb bob cat pic. Notice the camo I wore back then? lol

Attached Files

•  My bobcat.jpg   23.49K   5 downloads

[tawnoper]

I've seen a lot of cats through the years and IMO I doubt many people have ever seen a 30lb or above bobcat.

I don't weigh every one and the ones we used to get years ago were hardly ever weighed. But I've weighed enough of them and coyotes to have a pretty good idea what they are without weighing them.

A pretty common size for mature adult cats is right about 20 and up to 25lb. At least of the ones I've seen. Cats seem to look larger/heavier than they are. When you skin one out they are usually pretty skinny.

Here's a few nice sized ones that didn't make the 30lb mark...upper 20's.

The one in the left was a big tom, the right was a common size.



Heres a nice tom. About upper 20's



A couple normal sized cat...lower 20's



My buddy with a nice one...upper 20's



Upper 20's



And...finally. A 30+. This thing was a toad. My buddy holding it is about 6' tall.

[alexgee926]

woah that is a huge cat!

[Broncowilly]

Wow! Those are some great photos. Thanks for sharing!

[Yateswell]

Any dead bobcat is a good size bobcat