# Bobcat in Genesee County?



## Flash (Jan 17, 2006)

Driving south on Torrey road today, south of Bordines Nursery, mainly farmland with a few houses along the road. Saw a cat like critter cross the road (west to east), about 20-25 pounds, thick upward curved tail, brownish (almost a kind of patterned coat). It looked the size of a small dog but looked like a cat. Too large for a typical house cat. 

Only saw it for maybe 3-4 seconds. What specifically struck me was the tail, the size, and the cadence of its gait (like it was on a trot). Could this have been a bobcat? If not, what else might it have been. I've seen fox before and this was not a fox. I'm pretty sure it was not a dog type animal. I looked up photos of bobcats and it looked like those, however I thought the tail was slightly longer than what I'm seeing in the photos, and had a upward curve to it - and thick (meaning it dropped then curved back up but not above the base). (However at 40-50mph and 75-100yds away, these old eyes might have missed something).

Thanks.


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## outdoor junkie (Sep 16, 2003)

I have seen two of them in the Montrose/ New Lothrop area while in the woods. So they're there.


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## Fur and Feathers (Apr 11, 2007)

I live just around the corner about 2 miles from there. I guess I will have to keep an eye out for them. I know that the yotes are getting thick around here also. It would be nice to see some cats also.:SHOCKED:


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## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

I think you saw the infamous "Michigan Dock-tailed Cougar".........:evilsmile


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## Flash (Jan 17, 2006)

Shlwego said:


> I think you saw the infamous "Michigan Dock-tailed Cougar".........:evilsmile




When looking up Michigan Bobcat photos, the articles mainly placed them in the UP. A search of this site came up with a thread claiming a sighting in Troy, but many respondents kind of blew it off as unlikely. Thus, not sure if any are in this area or not, but whatever it was, it wasn't a dog, house cat, or a fox. Sure looked catlike to me.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

There are bobcats in southern Michigan right down to the southern border so it is no suprising to me for it to have been a bobcat


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## acarroll1 (Aug 27, 2007)

I saw one last oct while bowhuntin in Wayne co. I was in sumpter twp hunting near the crosswinds marsh. Have heard from a few people who ride horses around the area that they have also seen the cat.


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## Undertow (Apr 5, 2006)

There are domestic housecats that are as big and bigger than bobcats. My buddy has a cat that is huge and I dont mean fat. This thing is more like a dog than a cat. It has tuffs on its ears just like a bobcat. Its even got the colors of a bobcat. The tail though is not short like a bobcats and the hair on this thing is long. He's told me the breed before but I cannot remember it right now. All I know is that its a very expensive cat ($500) and it cannot go outside. So chances are you did see a bobcat because if someone spends that much on a cat there not gonna let it outside.
Undertow


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## SMITTY1233 (Dec 8, 2003)

While deer hunting this year we had coyotes that had mange on them... They had tuff of fur around their ears, and end of their tail was it. They sure looked like a bob cat as well but they were coyotes for sure. Its hard for me to believe that a coyote with no fur would be a live this time of year. Seems like they would have froze out by now.


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## PsEbUcKmAsTeR17 (Oct 5, 2005)

A guy that lives over in Mt. Morris told me that he caught one last year along the Cass River. Not sure how credible this guy is. His story is that him and his boy set some traps along the river and the next day the caught a female bobcat. One said they let it go, but didnt call the DNR to report it. The other said they called the DNR and they said to kill it because they didnt want them down here, but you cannot tell anyone. No one could get the story straight, I just said they were making up fish stories and they said they were not. Like I said before I dont know how credible this guy is so I just ignored him and never thought about it until now.

-Psebuckmaster17-


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## wild bill (Apr 20, 2001)

PsEbUcKmAsTeR17 said:


> A guy that lives over in Mt. Morris told me that he caught one last year along the Cass River. Not sure how credible this guy is. His story is that him and his boy set some traps along the river and the next day the caught a female bobcat. One said they let it go, but didnt call the DNR to report it. The other said they called the DNR and they said to kill it because they didnt want them down here, but you cannot tell anyone. No one could get the story straight, I just said they were making up fish stories and they said they were not. Like I said before I dont know how credible this guy is so I just ignored him and never thought about it until now.
> 
> -Psebuckmaster17-


while i believe that they caught one i don not believe the story you got. more and more cats are being caught each year down here in the lower part of the state so it would not suprise me if you saw one.


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## chuckinduck (May 28, 2003)

My uncle told me this weekend that he's seen them on a large tract of land in oxford, back in the 80's. I know the property he's talking about, and its largely thick cedars and lowlands, if there was cat, thats where it'd be. I don't doubt for a second they are around here, they'll go where the food is, which is why we've got coyotes in southern michigan. Twenty years ago this story would've been about coyotes, now them varmints are rampant.


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## venator (Feb 26, 2008)

wild bill said:


> while i believe that they caught one i don not believe the story you got. more and more cats are being caught each year down here in the lower part of the state so it would not suprise me if you saw one.


Like Bear bobcats are moving south. Perhaps the reduction in trapping has helped the bobcat population.


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## SNAREMAN (Dec 10, 2006)

venator said:


> Like Bear bobcats are moving south. Perhaps the reduction in trapping has helped the bobcat population.


Yep,must have been the trapper's keeping the population of cat's down.Just look at what they have done to the coyote's,otter,beaver ect..,


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## outdoor junkie (Sep 16, 2003)

Eventually everything moves south. They're is more food readily available down here, and it's easy to get at. The more people the more to scavange. With all the crops in the southern portion of michigan, it hosts more of the animals the bobcat prey on. As someone already stated, same goes with the black bear, the next 10-20 years bear sightings will be alot more common down here.


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## pipefitter (Feb 20, 2008)

My wife said she seen on in Goodrich 2 years ago crossing the road infront of our house. I seen tracks around that seemed to me to be to big for a domistic cat but never thought it could be a bobcat.


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## Shutterbugtodd (Feb 6, 2012)

I am a professional photographer with experience in photographing bobcats out in the western states. they are very hard to mistake. with that said, I was in Grand Blanc Twp in the summer of 2009 just west of Fenton road in a new subdivision and saw one in the grass sunning himself. they might come out at night, but they love to sun themselves in short fields, I have seen it many times. there frontal faces are hard to mistake for a house cat not to mention there size. I was surprised to see one in this area.


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## hillbillie (Jan 16, 2011)

18 years ago I lived between Otisville and Otter Lake. We had one goat killed and another with claw marks on it's back and rib cage.WE made plaster casts of the tracks (looked like a cat to me round with no claws) and called the Dnr.They said it was "probably" a coyote or dog and paid us for the goat.The dead goat had it's throat ripped open and internal organs ate. I asked a neighbor that owned sheep if he was having any problems.His reply was "Nope I practice the three S's" He winked and explained the meaning of the three S's Shoot, shovel and shut-up.Never had or heard of problems around their since.


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## FishKilla419 (Feb 22, 2008)

I have heard of them in the Buell lake area for years.


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## pikestalker (Dec 30, 2010)

Wow! I have lived just south of Lindenan Baldwin since 68. Live in Fenton now, parents and grandparents still live in same spot, with property. Will need to keep my eyes open.


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## eino (Jun 19, 2003)

I doubt someone would let a cat this expensive run loose. A buddy of mine was looking at them untill he seen a 10 grand price tag on one. 
http://most-expensive.net/cat-breed


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## mydogisscout (Jun 24, 2005)

I saw a bobcat dead on I75 at grand blanc road some years ago. Called and reported it to the DNR, and it was gone an hour later. More recently found bobcat tracks on the flint river north of montrose and I also regularly find bear tracks and droppings along the cass river towards frankenmuth.


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)




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## walle gator (Apr 17, 2011)

I seen a lynx while bow hunting in otisville area off m15 atleast that is what I was told it was. It was about 30lbs kinda yellowish in color short tail pointy ears I thought it was a bobcat because I had never seen one before. But my grandfather in law said he has seen lynx out there in millington where he lives and his description fit mine to a t... 

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## walle gator (Apr 17, 2011)

mydogisscout said:


> I saw a bobcat dead on I75 at grand blanc road some years ago. Called and reported it to the DNR, and it was gone an hour later. More recently found bobcat tracks on the flint river north of montrose and I also regularly find bear tracks and droppings along the cass river towards frankenmuth.


That's cool I wonder if people have seen any bear in genesee county?

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## vincke07 (Feb 17, 2012)

A guy my dad used to ride to work with said he saw one about 7-8 years ago near the flint river bridge on M-57 just east of Montrose. Ive also heard of bear sightings in Saginaw County-St. Charles, Chesaning, and Albee.


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## tbarden11 (Mar 2, 2011)

My neighbor, an experienced hunter, told me he has seen a big bobcat in his back yard before. We live in Fenton, down from the nature preserve. Saw it one time. I have hunted and killed them, but further north. On my property up north, we have them, but they are very elusive. I see tracks all the time, but never see them in broad daylight. I got this guy 12 years ago

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## jinxedone (Jan 23, 2013)

I got word from a very good source that a large adult bobcat was seen very near my treestand between Montrose, and Chesaning. He did capture it on video. I'm not sure how I feel about that. just when you think your at the top of the food chain lol this is a game changer for me, and will be keeping an eye out for it...whats the law on them?, do I shoot it?


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Gots. Them cougars , why not bobs


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

jinxedone said:


> I got word from a very good source that a large adult bobcat was seen very near my treestand between Montrose, and Chesaning. He did capture it on video. I'm not sure how I feel about that. just when you think your at the top of the food chain lol this is a game changer for me, and will be keeping an eye out for it...whats the law on them?, do I shoot it?


lets see the vid!


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## griffondog (Dec 27, 2005)

jinxedone said:


> I got word from a very good source that a large adult bobcat was seen very near my treestand between Montrose, and Chesaning. He did capture it on video. I'm not sure how I feel about that. just when you think your at the top of the food chain lol this is a game changer for me, and will be keeping an eye out for it...whats the law on them?, do I shoot it?


Bobcats are trapped and released in that area during coyote and fox season all the time . There is no open season on them so man up and take a picture only.:evilsmile There population is increasing in the southern lower so it wont be too many more years till we can have a limited season.

Griff


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

griffondog said:


> Bobcats are trapped and released in that area during coyote and fox season all the time . There is no open season on them so man up and take a picture only.:evilsmile There population is increasing in the southern lower so it wont be too many more years till we can have a limited season.
> 
> Griff


????? We cant kill them at all? (leagally) I was under the impression that you could get one and if you did that u had to go in and get the special tag.


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

you were right:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_38954_38957-97425--,00.html


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## TommySkins (May 5, 2014)

When was the last time a credible sighting of a bobcat or bobcats was/were made in Northeastern Genesee County and or Southwestern Tuscola County?

Northeast of Clio/Pine Run is Wildcat Corners, Lewis and Lake Roads intersection (in Northeastern Genesee County?). I was wondering if there have been sightings of Bobcats in this area?

Thanks in advance for your input.

TommySkins
[email protected]


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## topgun47 (Jan 17, 2014)

Bobcats have been plentiful in Oakland County for as long as I can remember. Two places where I hunt, Proud Lake and Pontiac Lake Rec areas are full of then.


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## FishKilla419 (Feb 22, 2008)

TommySkins said:


> When was the last time a credible sighting of a bobcat or bobcats was/were made in Northeastern Genesee County and or Southwestern Tuscola County?
> 
> Northeast of Clio/Pine Run is Wildcat Corners, Lewis and Lake Roads intersection (in Northeastern Genesee County?). I was wondering if there have been sightings of Bobcats in this area?
> 
> ...


I grew up 3 miles from there. The only one we ever heard of was near buell lake.


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## trapper ryan (Jan 24, 2013)

TommySkins said:


> When was the last time a credible sighting of a bobcat or bobcats was/were made in Northeastern Genesee County and or Southwestern Tuscola County?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



My dad's best friends grandpa and grandma owned the old harder wear store at the corner he said his grandpa just named the store wild cat corner. Said he had never heard of bobcats in the area. 

But on the claims of seeing one recently my buddy swears to have seen one deer hunting in clio. Never got a picture of it. He is not one to lie though


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## knu2xs (Mar 29, 2014)

walle gator said:


> That's cool I wonder if people have seen any bear in genesee county?


I know that this question was asked some time ago, but, I think it was in the 80's, a Black Bear was hit on I-75 just north of Corunna Rd. If I remember correctly the vehicle that hit it was heading southbound.

My guess, at the time, was that either it was an escaped, or released, "Pet," or that it may have followed the Flint River south since the river is only about a mile north of where it was hit.

I live very close to where the OP reported his sighting, as well as the Grand Blanc Twp. sighting, and spend a lot of time outside, at night. To date I have yet to see, or hear, any Bobcat activity in the area. Lot's of other animal noise & activity out there at night, and I have heard some critters that I couldn't identify so who knows?? 

Knowing the area well I can easily see a cat staying out of sight if it choses too.

One night, last fall, I heard a rabbit meeting it's demise at a tree line about 200 yd's across the field and I just chocked it up to Coyote's since I hear them all of the time. I actually thought it was a young, inexperienced Yote because whatever was killing it took it's sweet time. Thinking about it now, it could have been a cat, possibly feral housecat, playing with that rabbit since the squealing would stop for a minute or so, then start up again for 10-15 seconds. This went on for about 5 minutes.


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