UplandFeathers

If done right clucking and purring in the spring can draw in a gobbling tom. This past season in MA a turkey hunter was luring toms with a push-button box call and was bowled over, but not by the sight of a tom strutting into view. The hunter was literally bowled over. Shaking off the hit, the hunter suspected a coyote had mistaken him for a turkey, but what he saw staring back was a 35-pound bobcat. Evidentially the bobcat was puzzled, too. The bobcat had snuck up on the hunter’s without getting a clear look and when the cat pounced and connected with the hunter it leapt off of him just as quick. It pushed away from the hunter with such force that it pushed the hunters backwards. The hunter received the worst of the encounter with scratches to his ear and arm. Unprovoked bobcat encounters are rare since bobcats usually don’t attack humans unless they have rabies. The hunter reported the cat was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, so state wildlife officials assume the bobcat made an honest mistake.