A grainy phone video out of central Wisconsin shows a bobcat pouncing on a turkey hunter and briefly grabbing his arm, a jarring moment that has Ohioans wondering whether the wild cats have truly returned to the Buckeye State. The clip, recorded while the hunter sat at the edge of a woodlot during spring turkey season, has been shared widely online. He walked away with only minor scratches, but the close call has cranked up curiosity about bobcat reports across the region.
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the hunter, 19-year-old Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids, said he was turkey hunting on Saturday near Nekoosa when a bobcat crept up behind him and lunged. The video shows the animal stand motionless, then leap and grasp at Bender's left arm before he shook it off. Bender estimated the cat at about 25 pounds and said a doctor later treated him for scratches. The story and the clip have racked up millions of views online, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Bobcats Are Returning To Ohio
Bobcats were once native to Ohio but were largely wiped out by the mid-1800s. Habitat recovery and expanding populations in neighboring states helped them begin to re-establish in the mid-1900s. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says confirmed sightings have climbed into the hundreds in recent years, with more than 500 confirmed reports in some annual tallies as trail cameras and public reports have increased. That steady uptick helps explain why a dramatic bobcat video in nearby Wisconsin quickly drew attention from Ohio hunters and wildlife watchers, per the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Bobcats are ambush predators that mostly eat rabbits, rodents and birds, and adults commonly range from about 9 to 33 pounds depending on region and sex. They are crepuscular and secretive by nature, which is why close encounters are rare and tend to blow up online when someone does catch one on camera. Overall, park and wildlife guides note that bobcats do not typically view people as prey and that serious attacks are exceptionally uncommon, according to the National Park Service.
How To Handle An Encounter
Wildlife officials advise not to run or turn your back if you encounter a bobcat. Instead, make yourself large, clap or shout and back away slowly, and report sightings so biologists can track distribution and trends, per the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. If someone is bitten or scratched, seek medical attention promptly. In the Wisconsin case, the hunter visited a doctor and was prescribed antibiotics, according to reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Those steps help protect both people and the cats as they reclaim habitat around farms, woods and open fields.
For Ohio readers, the clip is a reminder that bobcats are expanding their range and can show up where they are least expected. The Columbus Dispatch covered the video and the question of whether bobcats live in Ohio, noting officials' sighting data and local reports. If you spot a bobcat, document the time and place and report it to wildlife authorities so biologists can better map the species' recovery.
