A Milwaukee-area man recorded four bobcats on a trail camera near his Wisconsin cabin

Milwaukee-area resident David Taticek spotted a wild surprise on his trail camera early Tuesday afternoon: a family of four bobcats on the property of his Adams County cabin in central Wisconsin.

While Taticek has seen bobcats on his trail cams before, he said it's unusual to see them during the day, especially in a group.

"I did have a video a couple of years ago ... that had four in there, too," he said. "But I think it's rare because I only see a group like that once every couple of years."

Taticek said he's also seen individual bobcats on his property in person.

"I just think, 'I gotta make sure my cats are inside,'" he said lightheartedly. "It's just something neat to see."

How common are bobcats in Wisconsin?

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, bobcats' "evasive nature leads many to believe that this species is rare, when in fact bobcats are quite common in Wisconsin."

There are breeding populations of bobcats in both the northern and southern portions of the state. Most male bobcats make their home within a 25-mile range, while females roam about a 15-mile range, the DNR says.

As of 2019, the DNR estimated 3,500 bobcats live north of Highway 64, while southern Wisconsin has a sizable number that is being closely studied.

DNR furbearer research scientist Nathan Roberts, said in 2019 that enough is known of the species' distribution in the state for him to say that bobcats are found in all 72 Wisconsin counties.

The average bobcat weighs about 20 to 30 pounds. Despite their small size, bobcats are capable of taking down prey as large as adult white-tailed deer.

Can you hunt bobcats in Wisconsin?

Yes, you can hunt and trap bobcats in Wisconsin, so long as you have the proper permit and do so during bobcat season.

Applications must be submitted to the DNR by the annual deadline, which, this year, was Aug. 1. The application fee for a bobcat permit is $6.

To learn more about obtaining a bobcat permit, visit the DNR website: Permits for bobcat and fisher | Wisconsin DNR.

This year, bobcat hunting and trapping season takes place from Oct. 14 to Dec. 25 for Period 1 and from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31, 2024, for Period 2.