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Lynx avoidance [PDF] - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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HOW TO AVOIDINCIDENTNCIDENTALTAKEOF LYNXWhile Trapping or HuntingBobcats and other Furbearers


The purpose <strong>of</strong> this publication is to help achieve thegoal <strong>of</strong> reducing injury and mortality to theThreatened Canada lynx population in the contiguousUnited States, which may occur as a result <strong>of</strong> huntingor trapping bobcats and other furbearers. Thispamphlet was produced as a joint effort between theUnited States Fish & Wildlife Service and theInternational Association <strong>of</strong> Fish and WildlifeAgencies.The mission <strong>of</strong> the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service isworking with others to conserve, protect and enhancefish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for thecontinuing benefit <strong>of</strong> the American people.The International Association <strong>of</strong> Fish and WildlifeAgencies governmental members include the fish andwildlife agencies <strong>of</strong> the states, provinces, and federalgovernments <strong>of</strong> the U.S. and Canada. All 50 states aremembers. The Association has been a keyorganization in promoting sound resourcemanagement and strengthening federal, state, andprivate cooperation in protecting and managing fishand wildlife and their habitats in the public interest.


ACKNOCKNOWLEDGEMENTSPrimary authors Howard Golden, Alaska <strong>Department</strong><strong>of</strong> Fish and Game, and Tom Krause, NationalTrappers Association, wish to recognize thesignificant efforts <strong>of</strong> Gordon R. Batcheller, New YorkState Division <strong>of</strong> Fish, Wildlife & Marine <strong>Resources</strong>and Lori Nordstrom, USFWS Montana Field Office.Additionally, the input received from the followingreviewers was greatly appreciated:Jerry ApkerTed N. BaileyEd BangsEd BoggessLarry D. CooperLarry DickersonJohn ErbBrian GiddingsWalter JakubasDaryl LutzDonny MartorelloGeorge MatulaMark McColloughWayne MelquistCarter NiemeyerJohn OlsonPaul O’NeilEric OrffJohn OrganGina PattonBill J. PaulTim F. ReisKim RoyarAdam D. VashonJennifer VashonDonald J. WildaMike Wolfe


<strong>Lynx</strong>©Corel Corp.4


HOW TO AVOIDINCIDENTNCIDENTALTAKEOF LYNXWhile Trapping or HuntingBobcats and Other FurbearersCanada lynx were listed by the U.S. Fish & WildlifeService as Threatened in the contiguous United Statesunder the Endangered Species Act on March 24,2000. As such, harvesting lynx is no longer permittedin any state except Alaska. In the contiguous UnitedStates, lynx may occur in Colorado, Idaho, Maine,Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire,New York, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington,<strong>Wisconsin</strong>, and Wyoming.Harvest <strong>of</strong> bobcats and other furbearers, whether bytrapping or hunting, is not affected by this ruling.However, trappers and hunters must use everyreasonable effort to avoid taking lynx where they mayoccur in the contiguous 48 states.<strong>Lynx</strong> are very similar in appearance and habits tobobcats, and their range overlaps with them and otherfurbearer species. Therefore it is important fortrappers and hunters to know how to distinguish lynxfrom bobcats, to recognize their preferred habitattypes, and to avoid capturing or harvesting lynx.Trappers must also learn what to do if a lynx is caughtincidentally.5


Identifying Characteristics andBackground InformationDescription<strong>Lynx</strong> (<strong>Lynx</strong> canadensis) and bobcats (<strong>Lynx</strong> rufus) aremedium-sized wild cats. Adult males are usuallylarger than females in both species. <strong>Lynx</strong> weightsaverage 24 pounds for males and 20 pounds forfemales. Bobcat weights average 26 pounds for malesand 15 pounds for females. Average lengths (fromnose to tip <strong>of</strong> tail) are very similar for lynx andbobcats: 34 inches for males <strong>of</strong> both species, 32inches for female lynx, and 31 inches for femalebobcats.Bobcat pelts may be light gray, yellowish brown, buff,brown, or reddish brown and streaked or spotted withblack or dark brown. Under portions <strong>of</strong> the body arewhite with black spots and with black bars on the forelegs. <strong>Lynx</strong> generally have more gray and less red intheir pelts than bobcats and the belly fur is grayishwhiteor buff-white with mottled, indistinct blackspots.<strong>Lynx</strong> have ear tufts and facial ruffs on their cheeksthat are larger and more conspicuous than those onbobcats. Ear tufts are usually longer than 1 inch onlynx but shorter than 1 inch on bobcats. Bobcat andlynx tails are approximately 4–6 inches long andmatch their pelt color except for the tip (about the lastinch). The tip <strong>of</strong> the tail on bobcats is usually blackonly on the upper side whereas on lynx the entire tipis black.6


©Tom KrauseBelly Markings<strong>Lynx</strong> (left),Bobcat (right)<strong>Lynx</strong> spots are mottled. Bobcats have more distinct spotscontrasted with whiter fur.7


©Tom Krause<strong>Lynx</strong> tails appear much the same viewed top (top left) or bottom(bottom left). The lynx tail tip is completely black all around,while bobcat tails show black bars with a white tip when viewedfrom above (top right) and show a lot <strong>of</strong> white underneath(bottom right).©Tom Krause8


The hind legs <strong>of</strong> both bobcats and lynx are longerthan their fore legs, which help them in springing tocatch prey. However, the hind legs are even moredisproportionately large on lynx, causing them tohave a “stooped” appearance. <strong>Lynx</strong> also have muchlarger feet than bobcats. This gives them a “snowshoe-like”advantage chasing prey in deep snow.©Tom Krause©Tom KrauseTop Left:Bobcats usually have eartufts shorter than 1 inch.Top Right:Heavily furred bobcatsmight appear lynx-like,with significant ear tuftsand cheek ruffs.Left:<strong>Lynx</strong> usually have eartufts longer than 1 inch.©RJ & Linda Miller Photography9


Sign<strong>Lynx</strong> tracks in snow are generally less distinct thanbobcat tracks and <strong>of</strong>ten display a powder-puffappearance as a result <strong>of</strong> abundant foot hair. In wet orcompacted snow, lynx tracks sometimes displaysmaller toe pads than are evident in bobcat tracks.Back feet <strong>of</strong>ten follow in the front foot tracks <strong>of</strong> bothspecies. When walking, the stride (distance betweenfootprints <strong>of</strong> the same foot) is 5–16 inches for bobcatsand 12–28 inches for lynx. Both bobcat and lynxtrack trails tend to “wander” compared with the morestraight-line patterns <strong>of</strong> wild canids (foxes, coyotes,H.Golden, ADF&GA set <strong>of</strong> lynx tracks in snow.B. Giddings, Montana FWPA set <strong>of</strong> bobcat tracks in snow.10


and wolves). <strong>Lynx</strong> and bobcats travel and hunt with adeliberate and methodical walking pattern, rarelybounding unless chasing prey.<strong>Lynx</strong> tracks areapproximately 3–3¾inches long and 3½–4½ inches wide indirt and up to 4½inches long and 5inches wide in snow.Bobcat tracks areapproximately 1¾–2½ inches long and1¾–2½ inches widein dirt and up to 2½inches long and 2¾inches wide in snow.Both bobcats andlynx have 4 toe padson the front and hindfeet. Claw markstypically do notshow as they do withcanids. Because lynxhave more hair ontheir feet, their toepads are usually lessdistinct than the toepads <strong>of</strong> bobcats.<strong>Lynx</strong>BobcatMontana FWPTracks are shown with shadedarea representing impression <strong>of</strong>hair in the snow.11


Life History and Diet<strong>Lynx</strong> normally breed during March–April whilebobcats breed during December–March in thesouthern portion <strong>of</strong> their range and during March–April in the northern portion. Litter sizes vary forlynx from 4 to 5 when prey is abundant to 2 to 3 whenprey is scarce. Bobcat litter sizes range from 1 to 6and average 2.7 kittens. The young <strong>of</strong> both speciesare independent by age 1 year, and by 2 years <strong>of</strong> agethey have grown to full size and usually breed.The snowshoe hare is by far the most important preyitem for lynx. The availability <strong>of</strong> hares largelycontrols lynx abundance across most <strong>of</strong> their range.Other prey species important to lynx are red squirrels,mice, other rodents, and birds. Bobcat diet consistsmainly <strong>of</strong> cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, and snowshoehares, but they also consume mice, otherrodents, birds, and deer.Distribution and Habitat Preferences<strong>Lynx</strong> occur across most <strong>of</strong> Alaska and Canada. Since1990 in the contiguous 48 states, lynx or their trackshave been documented in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon,Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, NewHampshire, Utah, Washington, <strong>Wisconsin</strong>, andWyoming. Established populations <strong>of</strong> lynx are presentin northern Maine, northeastern Minnesota, westernMontana, western Wyoming, and north-centralWashington. A small population was recentlyreintroduced in Colorado.12


Habitat types preferred by lynx are variable, rangingfrom old-growth coniferous forests to coniferous ormixed forests that are regenerating after fire orlogging. Forests that are growing back after fire orlogging <strong>of</strong>ten provide excellent food and cover forhares, and therefore attract lynx. It is extremely rarefor lynx to be found in deserts, prairies, or farmlandhabitats.Bobcats are widely distributed across the UnitedStates. They are rare along portions <strong>of</strong> the mid-Atlantic coast with dense human populations. Bobcatdensities are usually greater in southern states. Theirnorthern distribution may be limited by snow depth.Bobcats seem to prefer areas with high preyabundance and dense understory vegetation. Forestedges and rocky ledges and outcrops are alsoimportant terrain features. Bobcats thrive in a variety<strong>of</strong> habitats including dense old-growth forests,hardwood and hardwood-mixed forests, brushyhabitats, deserts, prairies, swamps, and farmlandhabitats.Both lynx and bobcats seem to use the convenience <strong>of</strong>logging roads in forests to aid travel.Trapping Methods to Help AvoidCatching <strong>Lynx</strong>To avoid lynx while trapping bobcats, trap sets shouldbe made where bobcats are known to exist. Making13


trap sets near existing bobcat tracks is <strong>of</strong>tensuccessful because bobcats <strong>of</strong>ten reuse the sametravel patterns within their territories. Bobcats alsotend to use areas where cottontail rabbits areabundant. Trap set locations that tend to avoid lynxinclude open meadows, pastures, and crop lands.<strong>Lynx</strong> rarely use agricultural lands and generally preferto hunt and travel in forested or brushy areas.B. Giddings, Montana FWPLeaning poles for marten and fisher should be less than 6 inchesin diameter.Whenever a lynx track is identified, trap and snaresets should not be made in the vicinity.Trap sets that are effective for bobcats also appeal tolynx. Lures and baits that appeal to one speciesappeal to the other as well. Visible baits <strong>of</strong> rabbits,hares, or parts <strong>of</strong> rabbits or hares should not be used14


if lynx may frequent the area. Flags or othersuspended sight-attractants (such as bird wings,feathers, pieces <strong>of</strong> fur, etc.) also should not be usednear the traps if lynx may be present.Incidental captures <strong>of</strong> lynx can be reduced by using aproper-sized foothold trap. Number 2 coilspring ornumber 1.75 coilspring traps help discriminateagainst lynx captures due to a relatively small trapjawspread. However, these sized traps maintainexcellent efficiency for bobcats (as well as foxes andcoyotes). Another appropriate foothold trap toconsider where lynx may be present is the paddednumber 3 coilspring trap.All types <strong>of</strong> foothold traps should be staked solidly toprevent a trapped lynx (or bobcat) from harming itselfby entangling around trees or brush. Trap attachmentchains should be no longer than 18 inches betweenthe trap and trap stake, be attached at the center <strong>of</strong> thetrap frame, and should include at least two swivels.<strong>Lynx</strong> <strong>of</strong>ten avoid traps set for foxes and coyotes whenthe traps are placed in open fields. The use <strong>of</strong> taintedrather than fresh meat baits also tends not to attractlynx while still providing significant attraction tocoyotes and foxes.Marten and fisher <strong>of</strong>ten use the same habitat as lynx.To avoid lynx in marten or fisher sets, baits and trapsshould be placed on leaning poles at least 3 to 4 feetabove the ground or snow level. Leaning poles should15


e no larger than 6 inches in diameter as this size isadequate for marten or fisher, yet discourages lynxfrom climbing to investigate the elevated trap set.The typical walking behavior <strong>of</strong> a lynx frequentlyenables it to notice and avoid snares that are 5/64 inchthick or thicker. Snare loops for coyotes and foxesshould measure at least 8 inches from side to side.Attention to these two details by trappers will usuallyenable a lynx to avoid or remove the snare before itcloses.Bobcat Hunting Methods to HelpAvoid Taking <strong>Lynx</strong>Tracks should be closely examined and measuredbefore any trailing dogs are released. (See “Sign”section). Any treed bobcat should carefully beidentified and confirmed as not being a lynx before itis harvested. A treed lynx should be abandonedimmediately with harnessed dogs in tow.If predator calls are used in areas lynx may frequent,it is essential to identify and confirm any respondinganimals to assure a lynx is not shot. Since it may bedifficult or impossible to positively identify a movingor partially hidden animal as a lynx or bobcat, it isbest not to shoot at all whenever positive identity isunknown.16


Reducing Mortality and Injuriesto Incidentally Captured <strong>Lynx</strong>All trappers need to carry a catchpole to allow saferelease <strong>of</strong> any unintended animal captures. Careshould be taken to approach any trapped animalsslowly to avoid their excessive movement. A trappedlynx will allow the catchpole loop to be placed overits head, but it can be expected to react when the loopis tightened. Tighten the catchpole loop onlysufficiently to hold the lynx securely withoutpreventing its ability to breathe. It is important tokeep the head <strong>of</strong> the lynx pinned to the ground so thatB. Giddings, Montana FWPUse a catchpole to release any lynx taken incidental to harvests<strong>of</strong> other furbearers. Tighten the catchpole loop sufficiently toimmobilize the lynx without cutting <strong>of</strong>f its air supply. Then quicklyremove the trap and release the catchpole loop.17


the front end <strong>of</strong> the body is restrained. Once the headis down, quickly place a foot, with light pressure only,on the hindquarters to restrain the rear legs. A heavycanvas is also useful to protect the trapper from thecat’s claws. Once the lynx is immobilized, the canvascan be placed over the prone animal to quiet it as thetrap is removed quickly. Then the catchpole loopshould be relaxed and removed to allow the lynxfreedom to escape.If a catchpole is not available, an alternative methodto release lynx is to cut a strong forked stick to allowthe pinning <strong>of</strong> the lynx’s neck and shoulder to theground while the trap is removed.Never attempt to render a trapped lynx unconsciouswith a blow to the nose or head or by any othermeans. Life threatening injury to the lynx may result.Care should be taken at all times when releasing alynx because they are capable <strong>of</strong> injuring the trapperwith their teeth or claws. Always be aware a trappedlynx may try to kick at you with claws extended onany foot. Wearing thick gloves to release trappedanimals is always wise.If you need help releasing a lynx from a trap, pleasecontact your local game warden or state fish andwildlife <strong>of</strong>fice (Monday-Friday, business hours) listedon the facing page for assistance.18


ColoradoIdahoMaineMichiganMinnesotaMontanaNew HampshireNew YorkOregonUtahVermontWashington<strong>Wisconsin</strong>Wyoming303-291-7336208-334-2920207-941-4466517-373-1263218-327-4130406-444-2612603-271-3361518-402-8885503-947-6000801-538-4700802-885-8831360-902-2200608-266-8204307-332-2688


Front Cover:<strong>Lynx</strong>©RJ & Linda Miller PhotographySeptember 2003

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