Watchit Wabbit!

[Waumbek]

After all the discussion about lynx in NH, I've been looking for tracks. No luck so far but I did find bobcat tracks today. The size (about 1.5-1.75 inch across), distinctive heel pad (two lobes on top, three lobes on bottom), and clarity of print all say bobcat. The biggest tip off: these tracks were in hot pursuit of snowshoe hare tracks. I don't know whether this is a front or back paw print, but probably back. February is a good time to see bobcat in the day. It's mating season, and the males are more active in the daytime than usual.

 

[Mattl]

Wow! Those look a heck of a lot like a young Lynx..I am going hiking this week and I will be looking as well. -Mattl

 

[Chip]

Waumbec is correct, great photo. Size and shape are exactly bobcat, quite different from lynx, whose pads are rounder.

 

[AdkWiley]

After all the discussion about lynx in NH, I've been looking for tracks. No luck so far but I did find bobcat tracks today. The size (about 1.5-1.75 inch across), distinctive heel pad (two lobes on top, three lobes on bottom), and clarity of print all say bobcat. The biggest tip off: these tracks were in hot pursuit of snowshoe hare tracks. I don't know whether this is a front or back paw print, but probably back. February is a good time to see bobcat in the day. It's mating season, and the males are more active in the daytime than usual.

Great find ! Nice shots of them too, you can see them very clearly, as for teh font or back paw thing its very hard to tell wether or not its hind or read legs. Bob cats as well as lynx, deer, fox etc, are perfect steppers. Which simply means they place their rear feet in the exact same print of their fore print to cut down on fatigue in the snow. After seeing those shots it makes me want to go and look aroudn to see what i can find! great job!

 

[Waumbek]

Great find ! Nice shots of them too, you can see them very clearly, as for teh font or back paw thing its very hard to tell wether or not its hind or read legs. Bob cats as well as lynx, deer, fox etc, are perfect steppers. Which simply means they place their rear feet in the exact same print of their fore print to cut down on fatigue in the snow. After seeing those shots it makes me want to go and look aroudn to see what i can find! great job!

Thanks. And thank you for the new term I just learned--"perfect steppers." Males sense. I just read somewhere that one way to tell bobcat prints from domestic feline prints (which are similar but usually smaller) is that bobcat prints will be impressed more deeply and clearly in the snow, especially the toe prints, because of their heavier body weight.