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How to Find Bobcat Signs & Tracks

The bobcat or Felis rufus can be an elusive animal. Not comfortable around humans, they tend to shy away from human habitation and prefer densely wooded areas such as swamps and forests. They are found in many parts of the United States and Canada. Though they may be active during the day, they tend to do most of their hunting at night. Like most animals, the bobcat leaves tracks and signs of where it has been. Locating and following these tracks and signs allows people to better track the areas where these woodland animals have been active and to better understand these shy creatures.

Things You'll Need

Ruler
Notebook (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Search for bobcat tracks in an area where you believe bobcats have been active either from sightings by you or others or from possible tracks you may have come across. Look for a set of tracks where the front set is wider and rounder than the back set. The front paw prints will be about 2 by 2.1 inches and the back about 2.1 by 1.9 inches. There will likely not be any claw marks visible as cats have retractable claws and do not walk with their claws extended. The interdigital pad, which lies just behind the toes, has two lobes. The inside center toe, which is also the leading toe, will be slightly larger than the outside center toe.
- 2
  Determine the behavior of the bobcat when the tracks were left by examining the trail the cat leaves. The alignment and spacing of the prints will tell you how the animal was moving. The bobcat's walking stride is about 20 inches and you will see evenly spaced alternating tracks if the cat was walking when the tracks were left. A set of prints that shows the two front paws side by side and the two back paws side by side indicates a vertical leap, which usually means the cat was jumping at a bird. If the cat is bounding after prey or away from danger, you will see prints where the front and back paws are closer together with the front paws beside each other and the back paws slightly staggered. Most bobcats tend to range in an area of about 4 to 5 miles. However, it is possible for them to hunt in an area as large as 50 miles.
- 3
  Identify bobcat scat by noting its size, composition and location. Bobcat scat ranges in size from about 2 to 6 inches in length and is usually less than an inch in height. It is often but not always segmented, and looks very similar to the feces of domesticated cats, except that it is slightly larger. Bobcats tend to leave scat in the middle of a road or trail or at an intersection or a turn in the trail. It is believed they do this as a method of marking territory and communicating with other animals.
- 4
  Look for other possible signs made by bobcats. Bobcats will sharpen their claws on trees, and claw marks can often be see in tree bark. Bobcats will scrape dirt or snow over both their urine and feces. Claw marks may be seen from this covering, as well as from when they make scratches in the snow when rubbing their glands over an area to mark territory.

Animals & Science