Hobbies And Interests
Numbers
The number of bobcats which roam the state varies with the season. Bobcat populations are higher during the fall and can grow to around 4,000, according to the "Star Tribune." This number drops during the winter hunting season; in the winter of 2006 to 2007, for example, some 1,000 bobcats were harvested. After the hunt, the average bobcat population in Minnesota is usually around 2,000, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Over the course of the 2000s, the average population of bobcats in the state gradually increased, according to the "Star Tribune."
Physical Appearance
Bobcats are recognized by their extremely short tails, which resemble a bob of hair and give the animal its name. They are typically 26 to 36 inches in length, plus 4 to 7 inches for the tail. Adult males generally weigh about 30 lbs and females are typically 20 to 25 lbs. The largest bobcat on record in Minnesota weighed around 38 lbs., according to W.E. Berg's "Ecology of Bobcats in Northern Minnesota." Bobcats have gray or brown fur with white underbellies.
Habitat
Bobcats within Minnesota are much more numerous in the state's northern side, especially in the central north and northeast, with these animals having all but disappeared from the south of Minnesota. They live in woodlands and cedar swamps, since these areas tend to offer plenty of prey to hunt, such as the deer which are found in swamps during wintertime.
Predators
Bobcats in Minnesota are hunted during the winter for their pelts, which are valued for the making of furred garments. Fishers and coyotes not only compete with bobcats for food but will sometimes kill them, although the bobcat will turn the tables if given the opportunity, according to the Department of Natural Resources.