Bobcats are small wild cats with reddish-brown or yellowish-brown coats, streaked with black or dark brown. They have prominent, pointed ears with a tuft of black hair at the tip. Females average 20 pounds and males weigh from 16 to 30 pounds. They breed in late winter or early spring and have a gestation period of about two months. A female may have one to six kittens each year. Bobcats move about their home ranges most actively in the hours near dawn and dusk, hunting small mammals such as mice, rabbits, and hares. Studies have shown that bobcats also may kill both young and adult antelope and deer; they stalk bedded adults and may be carried long distances while biting their prey in the neck.

These elusive cats are most active at night, so even those who study them seldom have an opportunity to see one. If you are so fortunate, look for the black bars on the inside of the forelegs. Black bars mean bobcat, and not the similar-looking lynx! If you see tracks, measure and photograph them carefully, then consult a track field guide. Bobcat tracks seldom exceed 2 1/4 inches in length; lynx tracks usually are longer than 3 1/2 inches.