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Outdoors
By JOHN PEPIN
Michigan Department of Natural Resource
A trapped and injured bobcat was euthanized by a wildlife biologist Dec. 8 after it spent several days hiding in an underground concrete water diversion structure on the grounds of the Iron County Historical Society Museum in Caspian.
“This was a very unusual situation,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Ryan McGillviray. “We’ve never dealt with anything like this before and who knows if we ever will again.”
The incident began Dec. 1 when a bobcat, trapped legally in an old mining pond area, was able to pull a foothold trap out of the ground where it had been secured.
With its foot still in the trap, the bobcat made its way to a parking lot on the museum grounds, where it was discovered hiding underneath a car.
Staff from the museum contacted county central dispatchers who sent DNR Conservation Officer Anna Viau to the scene, along with police officers from other agencies who were there when Viau arrived.
Before law enforcement officers got there, the bobcat had moved from under the vehicle into an old culvert nearby.
Viau said the local trapper, whose name was not released by the DNR, had legally trapped the bobcat and a tag was properly attached to the trap.
The trapper volunteered his time to assist because he believed the trap on the bobcat was one of his that went missing Nov. 30. The trapper tried to get the cat out of the structure, but the animal moved farther back into the darkness of the concrete structure.
“We had no idea how far it went back,” McGillviray said. “We could only see the shine of the cat’s eyes deep within the culvert.”
DNR staffers had discussed trying to euthanize the bobcat by shooting it, but they ultimately determined that firing a gunshot into the culvert could prove to be unsafe and the idea was dismissed.
Staffers from the museum were helpful in working with the DNR to try to devise a way to reach the bobcat, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
“There were no real options available,” McGillviray said.
The bobcat remained out of reach, deep within the water diversion structure for a week. DNR personnel anticipated the animal would eventually die somewhere in the depths of the culvert.
However, on Dec. 8, the cat had moved, tempted by some hamburger meat, closer to the opening of the culvert. The cat was caught and held near the opening of the culvert by a second trap set by the trapper to help get the bobcat out.
“Museum staff had been quietly checking on the bobcat throughout the week, while trying to stay away from the culvert opening to give the cat some quiet,” McGillviray said. “I think the silence is what helped it decide to come back out.”
McGillviray humanely euthanized the bobcat after DNR wildlife and law enforcement personnel decided that was in the best interest of the bobcat because of its poor condition.
The cat was returned to the trapper who possessed a valid tag and will be using the animal’s fur. Viau said the trapper had a tag properly attached to the trap. The failure of a stake that held the trap in place led to this incident.
The DNR reminds trappers to check the placement of any stakes or drags to ensure they will securely hold trapped animals.
Bobcats are found in diverse habitats in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They are most active at twilight, spending daytime sleeping in hollow logs or rock crevices. In this case, the bobcat may have been spending its daytime hours within the water diversion structure prior to being caught.
More information about trapping is available at michigan.gov/trapping.