A local bobcat recently learned that even though a barking dog can't bite, it's still best to let sleeping dogs lie.
The wildcat was observed by residents of Big McDonald Lake in the branches of a tree on privately owned land. Onlookers photographed the cat, which appeared distressed and scared, as a boxer named Sampson yelped at the base of the trunk.
Bobcats are rare in Ottertail County and western Minnesota in general. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are most common in the north central and northeastern parts of the state. Bobcats rely on their keen eyesight and soft steps to hunt their unsuspecting prey. They have sharp claws and teeth, but they are not fast animals. Bobcats are usually born, about three to a litter, in the early spring.
The young bobcat recently seen in Ottertail County wandered onto the property of Dave and Kathleen Taylor of Big McDonald Lake. Jan Harned, who was visiting the Taylor's, said Dave Taylor heard Sampson howl near the woods and decided to go and investigate the commotion. Taylor went around back to locate his pet and found Sampson, literally, barking up the right tree.
Harned, who is the mother of Dave Taylor, said that porcupines, deer, beavers and even bears have been seen near the property before. This, however, was their first bobcat sighting.
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"Sampson will chase squirrels, but this is the first bobcat we've seen out here," she said. "We didn't even see it on the ground, we looked up and it was in the tree."
According to bear-tracker.com, bobcats usually weigh about 30 pounds. They are known to hunt small prey such as mice and squirrels, although they will attack animals as large as deer.
The predatory habits of bobcats were evidently of no concern to Sampson who didn't hesitate to show his displeasure with the wild feline on his turf.
"Sampson is lord and master of the property," Harned said. "He'll tolerate other dogs most of the time and he loves our company, but he's the king."
