My neighbor's chicken killer

[naturegirl]

We live in the far southeast valley, but "in town" so to speak and this is what my next door neighbor caught. She came out to feed her chickens and this bob cat was in her coup. All but a couple of her chickens were dead. it got scared and climbed out, but it came back the next night for all but one of the remaining chickens. This is when they got the cat trap out. Their coup is right next to our property. We have close to a mile buffer of houses between us and the mountain. I was just a bit surprised and actually was hesitant to believe it until I saw the picture. I guess I know where the neighborhood stray cats went because I haven't seen them in awhile.

 

I know nothing about bob cats. About how old is this cat? It's in a standard sized cat trap.

[25-06]

Looks like a young cat to me.

[bowhuntaz1]

Its a kitten about 4-6 months or so.....

[psebowhunter]

Not very old at all, but much more educated now !!!!

[mattys281]

Its amazing how well wild animals can adapt to city living conditions. Theres a fox that lives by my shop in tempe. Have seen him four or five times during the ten years I've worked there and that's at priest and southern.

[CouesHunterAZ]

I have seen numerous bobcats in all areas of Tucson, one lived in the wash behind my house, which is 8 miles away from the closest mountain range. Still waiting for the day that I see one of these guys out in the wild

[naturegirl]

They sure are beautiful animals. My neighbors have had their farm for over 20 years and this is the first bob cat they have seen.

 

Is that old enough to not have the mama hanging around?

[Scooter]

I think it's kind of a myth that everyone thinks distance from mountains is a surprise. Bobcats live in the flats too. The last one I got was out in the dry desert scrub pretty much nowhere near higher elevations. They get them all the time in South and Central Texas. Ain't no mountains there either.

Yeah that one is plenty old enough. Smart enough to find a good food source too!!!

[Hyperwrx]

Careful trapping in an M unit. It's illegal, even if on your own private property and far from houses. FYI- With as cage trap (confinement trap) you can be as close to a house as you'd like as long as you are in a regular hunting unit. It's footholds that you have to be 1/2 mile away and on private property and in a legal hunting unit.

 

That being said, the cat in the Haveaheart trap is young. Less than a year for sure. The San Tans hold a fair number of bobcats but unfortunately to the West and South of them is Gila River Indian Reservation, a good portion of the middle and North is a park (we cant hunt or trap parks), and the homes scattered throughout the East/North side make it tough to get 1/4 mile away from a residence. There are really only a few legal places you can hunt in the area.