In a word yes. But unlike the coyote, the bobcat is not a major killer of whitetail deer. A 6-year research project conducted in Texas found that bobcat scat contains much more deer during the month of June—the major fawning period-- than any other time of the year. This and other studies have concluded that while bobcats across their range do indeed prey on fawn deer in the spring, they are not a major predator, and only rarely kill adult deer.But a big male cat is an opportunistic eater of even big deer! A few years ago, John from North Carolina sent me this story. John was hunting the last day of deer season. A mature doe with 2 button bucks [...]

Most every scientific study conducted over the past 30 years has documented predation, largely by coyotes, as the leading cause of whitetail fawn mortality. This time of year, on websites and social media, you see unsettling images of coyotes prancing by trail cameras with spotted fawns dangling out their jaws. Outdoor television has aired countless shows focused on killing coyotes to save deer. I once filmed an episode of Big Deer TV on predators, the theme of which was to thin coyotes on your land to save a few fawns and help your deer herd. We’ve been conditioned to hate on the coyote. But wait a sec… “Predation may have less of an impact than we think,” writes Justin Dion in [...]