© Everet D. Regal 11/1/16
Point Reyes, CA, this bobcat was the second cat of the day. It was 5:50 in the evening, prime time to find animals out hunting, but it’s also a beat the clock scenario, as the available light fades quickly. I had just made my last run through this area and had reached the end of the road, with no luck. I stopped, got out of the car and was taking one last 360 degree look across the fields.
Seeing nothing, I started to walk back to the car and a shape caught my eye. A cat was sitting straight up like a statue, a long way out! I suspected that it had been crouched and just sat up, allowing me to notice the out of place, vertical shape. Snapping a couple quick handheld shots, I went back to grab my tripod. The cat was gone when I returned, but I assumed she had climbed further up the hill, dropping into the draw where I couldn’t see her. Quickly I began moving in the direction that I anticipated she would be and climbed the mountain as fast as I could. My intent was to get in front of the cat and hopefully be able to crest the hill, without spooking her.
It was about 300 yards out and maybe a 100 foot, quick ascent. I was really breathing hard from the climb, when I neared the top. Stopping for a minute to catch my breath, I repositioned my tripod, adjusting the front tripod leg lower to allow for the sloped terrain. This would allow me to drop and shoot quickly, should I see the cat.
Once my heart rate was under control, I slowly moved up the hill, scanning intently for what could be a split second opportunity. Excited and optimistic that I had made good decisions on my movement, I found myself standing on top of the crest, with no cat in sight. Anxiously scanning and searching the terrain, I finally decided she had either moved further than anticipated or she had dropped over the next crest.
There were five bull Elk in the distance, so I trained my lens on them and began snapping some shots. I probably shot them for 3-5 minutes, when I looked slightly right and suddenly noticed the cat, only about 30 yards away! My heart skipped a beat, as I slowly swung my camera around, all the while avoiding looking in her direction. When I got my first look thru the viewfinder, this was what I saw and the first photo I took! She was looking right at me and watching me the entire time!
I rattled off a dozen shots and was surprised she remained in place. Since she wasn’t moving, I decided to retract my tripod legs and get down on my knees to shoot more eye level. She watching intently, but did not move. I got down, took half a dozen more shots and she turned and ran back down the draw.
Spotting a bobcat, takes patience, focus and a lot of luck. They are perfectly camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings. When in a bush, they are invisible and when out in the open, they just look like every other scrub brush, log or rock in the field. Unless they move, the chances of seeing them are slim. I experienced that reality with my first cat earlier in the day, but this one was so close, it really reinforced how perfectly they become just part of the landscape. It was an heart-pumping, adrenaline filled experience that I will never forget!