Andy S.":pm1w9rso said:
The feeder paid off for the bobcat. It happens more than anyone wants to believe.
Totally agree, Andy, especially about the "wants" to believe.
As an aside . . . . . .
Feeder areas are notorious ambush sites for deer & turkey,
especially the younger ones.
Dogs, coyotes, bobcats, housecats, and hawks can quickly figure out they have no better ambush sites in their entire ranges.
Something to think about:
The highest deer mortality is among deer younger than 6 months of age.
How many little deer skeletons have you ever run across in the woods?
The highest turkey mortality is among turkey poults less than 6 months of age.
How much evidence do we ever physically find of
young turkey predation?
Despite the young dying in higher numbers (especially around feeder locations),
we may "see" very little to make us want to believe it.
The ambush/predation problem is one of the reasons I removed my deer/turkey feeders many years ago.