I almost didn’t recognize what was special about the photographs in this observation.

These pictures were taken by a Scouting Camera that I had set up in a new location. Over the course of a week, the camera recorded quality pictures of many different types of wildlife. But, on this night a heavy fog had rolled in and the quality of the pictures suffered as a result.

What we have in these images is a Bobcat, that much is clear. In fact, this was the only Bobcat the camera recorded over the entire week. But, the details are obscured by the fog. I was disappointed and very nearly deleted these images.

Then I took another look. Flipping between the two pictures, I noticed that the Bobcat moved slightly. This movement helped reveal another aspect of the photograph—it showed that the Bobcat was carrying some kind of prey animal in its mouth.

It’s not clear what type of animal the Bobcat is carrying, but it is relatively large and has dark fur.

A third picture of an Eastern Cottontail is included so that you can get some idea of the size of the prey animal the bobcat is carrying.

A Bobcat, possibly carrying a prey animal in its mouth.  The heavy fog makes it difficult to be sure.
A Bobcat, possibly carrying a prey animal in its mouth. The heavy fog makes it difficult to be sure.
In this picture the Bobcat has moved slightly and  has revealed that he is indeed carrying a prey animal of some kind.  The question is, what is the prey animals?
In this picture the Bobcat has moved slightly and has revealed that he is indeed carrying an animal of some kind. The question is, what is the prey animal?
This last picture is for comparison purposes.  It was taken from the same vantage point as the others in this series.  In this case, though, the fog is gone and a Eastern Cottontail has taken the place of the Bobcat.  From this picture, you should get a general idea of the size of the prey animal the Bobcat is carrying.
This last picture is for comparison purposes. It was taken from the same vantage point as the others in this series. In this case, though, the fog is gone and a Eastern Cottontail has taken the place of the Bobcat. From this picture, you should get a general idea of the size of the prey animal the Bobcat is carrying.

2 Replies to “Bobcat – Mouthful”

    1. I cannot tell you how much I would like to know what the Bobcat has! If the Bobcat had passed through just a couple of hours earlier or later the pictures would have been clear.

      There was a lot of activity at this site over the course of the week. In addition to the Cottontail and Bobcat, there were Coyotes, Raccoons, Striped Skunks, and Opossums.

      The animal the Bobcat is carrying appears to have dark fur and seems to be larger than the rabbit. Surely the Bobcat wouldn’t tangle with a skunk, would he?

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