Bobcats and Bycatch

"Bycatch" is the term we use to signify non-target species we catch in our traps. When trapping for bobcats you will invariably encounter other hungry carnivores with a taste for chicken. Relax, no roosters are harmed in the making of this thesis! We house them in separate cages with shade, food and water and they lure the cats (or other critters) in with their crowing. We also use game cameras to monitor some of our more popular trap sites to see who's sniffing around and to scout out potential new locations. I've attached a few pictures of the animals I've encountered during my quest to be a Bobcat Rockstar. Hope you enjoy!

One of the 6 badgers I caught this summer

They're very calm and docile until threatened

This one could have cared less about me being there, notice the rooster looking on!

A female bobcat caught on private land

She was collared and tagged and is currently being monitored for my thesis

A coyote in a cage trap! Rare in this area but it happens

This coyote was also very docile, no sign of aggression

Three European feral hog piglets decided to squeeze in together

A seemingly innocent red fox; these, however, are very aggressive when caught!

The release! Photo by Ray Matlack

Photo by Ray Matlack

There's no shortage of striped skunks in the Panhandle

She was very curious

Me and a female woodrat

Prairie rattlesnakes are a common occurrence in west Texas - wear your snake guards!

My First Blog!

Hello from west Texas!

My name is Lena and I am a graduate assistant at West Texas A&M University. I am currently working on my M.S. in biology and am loving it!! My thesis is on Habitat Selection and Home Range Size in a High Plains population of bobcats. To date I have personally caught 16 bobcats (that includes juveniles and adults) and am also utilizing data that was collected before I took over the project. I plan to graduate in August 2013 so any prospective employers out there - hint hint!

I have also been working on a side project and hope to have the publication wrapped up by the end of Christmas Break. For this, I spent 6 months trapping mesocarnivores and small mammals in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. I've added my capture list to several other graduate students' results (from their respective theses) as well as to data collected by my advisor, Dr. Ray Matlack, to compile a list of the mammals that can be found there.

I created this blog to chronicle my adventures so that people can see what I get to see every day: that nature is a gift and can be appreciated anytime, anywhere. You don't have to be a wildlife biologist or trek to the ends of the earth to see something spectacular, just look in your backyard! The neighborhood park! The potted plant sitting next to you!

I hope you can follow me as I continue on my journey and be at least somewhat entertained!!  :) 

Me with one of my male bobcats - August 2012