Bobcat!!!!

[streamlover]

Since all of our rivers are at present basically flooded, I decided to do the "family Sunday afternoon drive" to discover more area near home. We found ourselves on Barothy Rd. just east of the Barothy lodge entrance traveling slowly enjoying the sights and sounds of the woods coming back to life. My wife shouted "Whats that?" There in the road fifty ft. in front of the car, was one very wet BOBCAT which imediately bounded back into the woods. WOW!! They are sooooo fast! He never even stopped to pose for a picture. In the past year since we moved to the Ruby Creek area we've seen two bobcats and each time they leave us with a sense of awe. Way COOL! I'm still holding out for the sight of a black bear. I have friends who run on the North Country Trail who have seen them and another friend who works for the Conservation Dept/ of the Little Band of Ottawa Indians who studies bear counts, who tell me there are quite a few bear around, but they're better at hide and seek than I. Anybody out there running into bears or bobcats lately?

[Redleg]

I haven't seen one in lake county yet myself, but have talked to others in the N/E corner that have spotted them. Suppose to have been a family between 4 and 6 mile east of Skookum area. The whole area west of Cadillac has a nice population. But like anything else in the woods, you can be staring right at it and still have a hard time seeing it. I almost hit one one night right on the north edge of Mesick. A German Shepard chased him across the road.

Would you believe there is a bobcat (s) behind my folks place east of Williamston? He was seen by two different guest, bowhunters (unknown to each other), two different years.

[ee3]

I spotted a Bobcat 2 years ago, less then 1/2 mile out of Baldwin.My daughter saw one this past deer season East of town while hunting.I had the company of a Bear (Sow) and three cubs three years ago on opening day of fire arm.They are there!! We see track quite often.

[flannelfish]

Does this mean I have to wear bells and carry pepper spray when I fish the PM? So the animals jingle and smell like peppers? Thought I saw a bear a year or so ago but the turkeys were in the way. Dave

[streamlover]

The black bear is basically a woodland bear so I don"t think the bells are necessary but you might try the pepper spray to ward off the jumbo hatch of black flies and mosquitos present with the high water we now have. Seriously, about a month ago I asked Ray Schmidt from Schmidt outfitters in Wellston if he was ever surprised by bear on his guide trips. He told me he heard a bear in the Bear creek swamp on the uper stretches of Bear Creek. Other than the brown bears encountered in Alaska streams and rivers which are coastal bears which rely on the salmon runs for protein, I don't believe we have to worry about those here. Still, sometimes at night while walking trails either to get back to the house or vehicle from a "hatch" I admit to an occasional eerie feeling of being a potential lunch!

[BullTrout]

I saw a three legged bear off of McMaster's road heading to the north branch of the AuSable. He was sitting in a power line clearing in the middle of the day. I pulled over to check him out and it turned out he wanted to check me out. He ran into the woods and then ran back out into the clearing about 40 feet from my car. He stood up on his back feet and gave me a sniff walked a couple of feet closer to me stood up again and then ran off. As he was running off you could see his right front leg was missing. Not sure how that happened. Is trapping aloud in the state?

[Iggy]

Three weeks ago this friday I had a black bear in the 300 lbs range cross the road in front of me on 20 mile rd about 2 miles west of 131 and just east of the road that would take you to Pine River High School, just outside Tustin. 1030 pm and had to get all over the brakes to avoid hitting it. There was another guy in a pickup behind me and we both were surprised at what we saw.