Bobcat Winter Food Habits 121 



CONCLUSIONS 



The results of our study are similar to previous winter food habits 

 studies in the southeastern United States and indicate rabbits, birds, 

 cotton rats, and deer were the top four prey items by percent occurrence 

 in stomachs of bobcats collected statewide in North Carolina during 

 winter. Furthermore, adult males appeared to select the larger prey 

 items (>2.0 kg), and adult females and kittens the smaller prey items 

 (<0. 1 kg). All sex and age classes apparently preferred intermediate- 

 sized prey (0.1 - 2.0 kg). 



The identification of food habits has management imphcations. 

 The prey species most used by bobcats as food items were species 

 adapted to early successional stages (e.g., rabbits, cotton rat, and deer). 

 An interpretation based on prey selection suggests bobcats are not a 

 climax species, but rather a subclimax species, benefitting from land 

 management practices that maintain early successional habitats. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS— The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the 

 N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), the N. C. Agricul- 

 tural Research Service, and North Carolina State University provided 

 funding. The NCWRC collected carcasses from fur dealers and made 

 them available to us. Numerous trappers cooperated by providing car- 

 casses. D. Hazel, L. Petrovick, D. Stewart, J. Wooding, J. Henegar, S. 

 Habel, and K. Lewis assisted in the necropsy of the carcasses. A. Bras- 

 well of the N. C. State Museum of Natural History identified the herpe- 

 tological material. 



LITERATURE CITED 



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Barrick, Frank B. 1969. Deer predation in North Carolina and other southeast- 

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Beasom, Samuel L., and R. A. Moore. 1977. Bobcat food habit response to a 

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Crowe, Douglas M. 1975. Aspects of aging, growth and reproduction of bobcats 

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Davis, James R. 1955. Food habits of the bobcat in Alabama. Unpubl. M. S. 

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