IS IT TRUE THAT BOBCATS DON'T USE THERE NOSE????
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Look at a coyotes nose,a hounds nose, a bears nose. All are long and full of olfactory glands. All have a really good sense of smell.
Look at a cat's nose. He aint got one. Cant smell any better than I can. You still need to watch the wind so you can kill any coyotes that might come in.
Randy
Look at a cat's nose. He aint got one. Cant smell any better than I can. You still need to watch the wind so you can kill any coyotes that might come in.
Randy
HighPlainsDrifter
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Look at a coyotes nose,a hounds nose, a bears nose. All are long and full of olfactory glands. All have a really good sense of smell.
Look at a cat's nose. He aint got one. Cant smell any better than I can. You still need to watch the wind so you can kill any coyotes that might come in.
Randy
That is so far from the truth it is not even funny. There is absolutely no basis in fact that a cats sense of smell is no better than a humans. It may not be as good as a dogs nose but in fact, a cats nose is 14 times better than a humans nose. And that is a domestic cat. A wild cats is even better. If cats cant smell that well then why are male cats notorious about scent marking their territory? Why bother? How do you think wild cats locate each other for reproduction if they cant smell each other? How about prey? Do you really believe that cats are a sight only type predator? Lions, tigers, leopards and other large cats are hunted very successfully over baits in many places. How is that possible if cats have no sense of smell? Not only does a cat have a great sense of smell but they also possess a Jacobson's organ much like snakes have. Snakes can detect heat differences with theirs while the exact function of this organ for cats is largely unknown however there are some theories. By all means though, dont take my word for it. Follow the link or do your own research.
http://cats.about.com/cs/felineanatomy/a/catsnose_scent.htm
I will agree that the experiences I have had with Bobcats seems to indicate they really dont care about human scent but I have never believed for one second it was because they could not smell me. It seems for reasons known only to them, they are more often than not indifferent to it.
Look at a coyotes nose,a hounds nose, a bears nose. All are long and full of olfactory glands. All have a really good sense of smell.
Look at a cat's nose. He aint got one. Cant smell any better than I can. You still need to watch the wind so you can kill any coyotes that might come in.
Randy
That is so far from the truth it is not even funny. There is absolutely no basis in fact that a cats sense of smell is no better than a humans. It may not be as good as a dogs nose but in fact, a cats nose is 14 times better than a humans nose. And that is a domestic cat. A wild cats is even better. If cats cant smell that well then why are male cats notorious about scent marking their territory? Why bother? How do you think wild cats locate each other for reproduction if they cant smell each other? How about prey? Do you really believe that cats are a sight only type predator? Lions, tigers, leopards and other large cats are hunted very successfully over baits in many places. How is that possible if cats have no sense of smell? Not only does a cat have a great sense of smell but they also possess a Jacobson's organ much like snakes have. Snakes can detect heat differences with theirs while the exact function of this organ for cats is largely unknown however there are some theories. By all means though, dont take my word for it. Follow the link or do your own research.
http://cats.about.com/cs/felineanatomy/a/catsnose_scent.htm
I will agree that the experiences I have had with Bobcats seems to indicate they really dont care about human scent but I have never believed for one second it was because they could not smell me. It seems for reasons known only to them, they are more often than not indifferent to it.
BillyTheKidd
New member
Bobcats don't have the nose a coyote does, but if needed they can use it. Probably just to stupid to use it to there advantage.
Bobcats are not the stupidest of the critters, they come in second to a kit fox who also has a nose it can use, but never does. Yep, I said never. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bobcats are not the stupidest of the critters, they come in second to a kit fox who also has a nose it can use, but never does. Yep, I said never. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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That is so far from the truth it is not even funny.
WSG, What happened? Did someone run over your cat today?
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There is absolutely no basis in fact that a cats sense of smell is no better than a humans.... a cats nose is 14 times better than a humans nose. And that is a domestic cat. A wild cats is even better.
Since we are talking fact, where is the basis that there is a difference between domestic and 'wild' felines olfactory sences? A domestic cat is basically a doorway away from being a wild cat.
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How do you think wild cats locate each other for reproduction if they cant smell each other?.
Well WSD, that is where your vomeronasal(Jacobsons) organ plays a role. It is believed(remember, alot of what is thought to be known about the jacobsons organ is speculation) the jacobsons organ is used to pick up the phermones of females in estus, and males establishing territory. It is believed that the organ contains something similar to taste buds that are able to 'taste'(for lack of a better word) the molecules in the phermone. This info is then sent to the brain to create what ever responce the animal is programed for.
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If cats cant smell that well then why are male cats notorious about scent marking their territory?
I can smell where a tom has sprayed, no great feat there.
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How about prey? Do you really believe that cats are a sight only type predator?
For the most part yes. Hearing plays a role(think calling situation), but sight is used(stalk) to approach its prey. I have never seen a cat approach a call, only to circle downwind the last part of the approach in order to check the wind.
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Lions, tigers, leopards and other large cats are hunted very successfully over baits in many places. How is that possible if cats have no sense of smell?
I have never hunted Lions or Tigers or Leopards, but given the climate that they reside in, I would imagine I could smell the baits in a short order. Could it also be that they are initially attracted to a fresh kill by the activities of things such as vultures, ravens etc? Bird activity is an excellent attractor to cats, one used often to successfully call cats.
The lack of bomb smelling cats is proof enough that felines are not in the same league as canines when it comes to olfactory sensitivity. Is a felines sence of smell a little better than humans? Maybe, but why would an animal surviving in the wild not use a sence if it possesses it?
That is so far from the truth it is not even funny.
WSG, What happened? Did someone run over your cat today?
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There is absolutely no basis in fact that a cats sense of smell is no better than a humans.... a cats nose is 14 times better than a humans nose. And that is a domestic cat. A wild cats is even better.
Since we are talking fact, where is the basis that there is a difference between domestic and 'wild' felines olfactory sences? A domestic cat is basically a doorway away from being a wild cat.
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How do you think wild cats locate each other for reproduction if they cant smell each other?.
Well WSD, that is where your vomeronasal(Jacobsons) organ plays a role. It is believed(remember, alot of what is thought to be known about the jacobsons organ is speculation) the jacobsons organ is used to pick up the phermones of females in estus, and males establishing territory. It is believed that the organ contains something similar to taste buds that are able to 'taste'(for lack of a better word) the molecules in the phermone. This info is then sent to the brain to create what ever responce the animal is programed for.
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If cats cant smell that well then why are male cats notorious about scent marking their territory?
I can smell where a tom has sprayed, no great feat there.
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How about prey? Do you really believe that cats are a sight only type predator?
For the most part yes. Hearing plays a role(think calling situation), but sight is used(stalk) to approach its prey. I have never seen a cat approach a call, only to circle downwind the last part of the approach in order to check the wind.
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Lions, tigers, leopards and other large cats are hunted very successfully over baits in many places. How is that possible if cats have no sense of smell?
I have never hunted Lions or Tigers or Leopards, but given the climate that they reside in, I would imagine I could smell the baits in a short order. Could it also be that they are initially attracted to a fresh kill by the activities of things such as vultures, ravens etc? Bird activity is an excellent attractor to cats, one used often to successfully call cats.
The lack of bomb smelling cats is proof enough that felines are not in the same league as canines when it comes to olfactory sensitivity. Is a felines sence of smell a little better than humans? Maybe, but why would an animal surviving in the wild not use a sence if it possesses it?
I guess we can get in a pissn contest and cut and past one study after another to prove each other wrong. That sounds like fun!!! But what does it really matter anyway? It is a good idea to always watch your wind. What or how a bobcat smells is irrelevant to me because I have yet to see one circle down wind. If they are down wind to begin with they don't seam to respond any more cautiously than a cat would that was up wind. Any self-respecting coyote that gets your wind will make himself scarce in a hurry. It is obvious to a hunter that a bobcat does not use his nose in the same way a coyote does.
I guess I will just chalk this one up as a case in dotting the "I" and crossing the "T". No worries as it is a two way street.
Good hunting.
Q,
I guess I will just chalk this one up as a case in dotting the "I" and crossing the "T". No worries as it is a two way street.
Good hunting.
Q,
HighPlainsDrifter
New member
I stand by everything I posted Cross J. I never claimed the feline nose is in the same league as a canines. I simply stated that R. Shaws post was absolutely not true. It is an undisputable fact that a felines nose is much more efficient than a humans nose. I also conceeded that the feline uses their nose much different than a canine. To answer your question, why would they posses a sense that they dont use? I have no clue but I can say this. Humans are a heck of a lot smarter than a cat, yet humans quite often dont use all of their senses that they have available to them either. I am sure we can come up with plenty of other examples where animals dont use all of their God given senses to the best of their ability.
You are correct about the one speculation you mentioned about the cats use of the Jacobson's Organ but there are several other beliefs. Some believe that its used to perceive the smell of food. Others feel that its used as a sort of sixth sense and that felines can predict or feel oncoming events such as earthquakes and the like. Who knows. I was not looking for a pissn contest as Q so eloquently put it. I was just trying to show, after R. Shaws post, that factually, a cat can smell better than most believe and certainly better than a human. I for one feel that the information we pass on to others should be factual based and when someone passes incorrect information it should be corrected.
Oh and just in case you thought I missed it. Even if a cat had a better nose than a dog, there would still be no such thing as a bomb sniffing cat. A cat could not do such a job because a cat does whatever the @#*% they want to whenever the %$#@ they feel like it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You are correct about the one speculation you mentioned about the cats use of the Jacobson's Organ but there are several other beliefs. Some believe that its used to perceive the smell of food. Others feel that its used as a sort of sixth sense and that felines can predict or feel oncoming events such as earthquakes and the like. Who knows. I was not looking for a pissn contest as Q so eloquently put it. I was just trying to show, after R. Shaws post, that factually, a cat can smell better than most believe and certainly better than a human. I for one feel that the information we pass on to others should be factual based and when someone passes incorrect information it should be corrected.
Oh and just in case you thought I missed it. Even if a cat had a better nose than a dog, there would still be no such thing as a bomb sniffing cat. A cat could not do such a job because a cat does whatever the @#*% they want to whenever the %$#@ they feel like it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Patterson
New member
I have had a bobcat come running in and stick his nose in the speaker. Also had one the next day that came to within 3 feet of it. I would put them about as smart as a Swift Fox when it comes to human scent and wind from what I have seen.
Science might say their nose is good but I dont think they care about human scent or winding their prey like a coyote.
Science might say their nose is good but I dont think they care about human scent or winding their prey like a coyote.
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Dang WSD. Glad you took it upon yourself to be the Factual Police here on PM. You bucking for a moderators job? By the way I followed your link. When it got to the part that stated a cats nose is it's most important organ, I quit reading.
My post is based on experience, not some half-baked report from the internet. I ask you this. When was the last time you had a cat circle to get downwind? You ever seen a cat stop and throw it's nose up into the wind? Or pulled a cat more than 10 yards from it's intended path to investigate a trap location using lure only?
You say why would God give an animal a sense it does not use. I say, God did not give it to them in the first place.
Name me one animal that is excellent in all three senses. Granted, some are good in all three, but not the best.
You say my post was not factual. This is a predator calling site isn't it? So tell me. What did I say that would prevent someone from calling and killing a cat?
Randy
My post is based on experience, not some half-baked report from the internet. I ask you this. When was the last time you had a cat circle to get downwind? You ever seen a cat stop and throw it's nose up into the wind? Or pulled a cat more than 10 yards from it's intended path to investigate a trap location using lure only?
You say why would God give an animal a sense it does not use. I say, God did not give it to them in the first place.
Name me one animal that is excellent in all three senses. Granted, some are good in all three, but not the best.
You say my post was not factual. This is a predator calling site isn't it? So tell me. What did I say that would prevent someone from calling and killing a cat?
Randy
guess
New member
I have had big toms circle down wind just like a coyote, however most act as if they could care less once they get there. I have had a few get down wind, hunker down and slink off.
Try this test take a hand full of cat food or a slice of bread put it in a Zip Lock bag then double it and put it out somewhere and see how long it takes for a house cat to tear in and get a free meal. if you don't want to sit and watch put out a game cam.
I have watched Bob cats walk through the woods and mark several braches with glands on their face. Why would they bother if it didn't serve a purpose? I can't smell it can you? Marking with urine is different, I think anyhting can smell that.
I've had Tom cats come from miles to get to my females when in heat. I know how far 1 came because I shot him after he attacked 1 of my kids and come to find out he belonged to a neighbor 2 miles away.
I know a trapper that uses 1 inch squares of beaver tail to catch bobcats. I doubt they just happen to walk by and see it. The scent is what brings them there.
AGAIN, IT IS A MYTH THAT CATS CAN'T SMELL! they just choose not to respond the odor of humans most of the time.
Try this test take a hand full of cat food or a slice of bread put it in a Zip Lock bag then double it and put it out somewhere and see how long it takes for a house cat to tear in and get a free meal. if you don't want to sit and watch put out a game cam.
I have watched Bob cats walk through the woods and mark several braches with glands on their face. Why would they bother if it didn't serve a purpose? I can't smell it can you? Marking with urine is different, I think anyhting can smell that.
I've had Tom cats come from miles to get to my females when in heat. I know how far 1 came because I shot him after he attacked 1 of my kids and come to find out he belonged to a neighbor 2 miles away.
I know a trapper that uses 1 inch squares of beaver tail to catch bobcats. I doubt they just happen to walk by and see it. The scent is what brings them there.
AGAIN, IT IS A MYTH THAT CATS CAN'T SMELL! they just choose not to respond the odor of humans most of the time.
Guess, So you are saying that the tom smelled your cat in heat from 2 miles away? Good grief. If you knew anything about cats, you would know that a tom is aware of all the locations of females in his area. He rambles around. He investigates their whereabouts. He makes it his business to check on them up close and personal in order to determine when they are in heat. He sure as heck don't smell them from two miles away.
A cat is attracted to the sight of the zip lock bag that you tossed out on your yard. Once there he smells the cat food and then tears into it. Bury it six inches under the ground and see how long it takes.
I know a trapper who uses fighting roosters and cage traps to catch cats. He relies on the sound of the roosters crowing to get the cats close. Then the cats vision takes over and in he walks. No lure. This trapper takes advantage of the two best senses a cat has. Hearing and sight.
Randy
A cat is attracted to the sight of the zip lock bag that you tossed out on your yard. Once there he smells the cat food and then tears into it. Bury it six inches under the ground and see how long it takes.
I know a trapper who uses fighting roosters and cage traps to catch cats. He relies on the sound of the roosters crowing to get the cats close. Then the cats vision takes over and in he walks. No lure. This trapper takes advantage of the two best senses a cat has. Hearing and sight.
Randy
I am gland we put this baby to bed!! Now I am going to go out and buy some sandwich bags, bred, cat food and a trail camera to see if my bomb-sniffing cat can detect earthquakes!! Oh and a leash!! I would hate for some disillusioned hunter halfway across the county to kill it in the name of protecting humanity!! Oh by the way the Jacobson's organ is directly hardwired to their anis. Scientists have now discovered that is why they spend half of there day licking there... Well let's just say that the tongue and the anus need to be connected in order for cats to detect heat from there pray. Ya know like snakes do!
Good hunting.
Q,
Good hunting.
Q,
CAT DADDY COLD
New member
Cats can smell, no doubt about it, but I have not found their nose to be a factor in a calling situation.
I have never seen one change its direction when coming to distress sounds to check the wind or use the wind to its advantage. I have had some that seen slight movement and hunkered down and got gone. I don't recall every having one ever leave because it was downwind of my scent. Doesn’t mean that some won’t use the wind, just that I have never seen it.
Bobcats sometimes act like they are invisible. I have also seen them use every bit of cover available when approaching. It is interesting to watch one make itself into a pancake as it tries to use 3-4 inch grass for cover.
Kelly
I have never seen one change its direction when coming to distress sounds to check the wind or use the wind to its advantage. I have had some that seen slight movement and hunkered down and got gone. I don't recall every having one ever leave because it was downwind of my scent. Doesn’t mean that some won’t use the wind, just that I have never seen it.
Bobcats sometimes act like they are invisible. I have also seen them use every bit of cover available when approaching. It is interesting to watch one make itself into a pancake as it tries to use 3-4 inch grass for cover.
Kelly
Hidalgo
Well-known member
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Dang WSD. Glad you took it upon yourself to be the Factual Police here on PM. You bucking for a moderators job? By the way I followed your link. When it got to the part that stated a cats nose is it's most important organ, I quit reading.
Well...I definitely AIN'T the "Factual Police", and I definitely AIN'T bucking for a job as a moderator. But that I AM doing is telling you that you are as wrong as wrong can be if you think that a cat doesn't have a great sense of smell. And that information comes from a board-certified veterinarian with 25 years of experience. Think THEY are wrong?
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My post is based on experience, not some half-baked report from the internet.
My above remark is also based upon experience.....10 years of higher education and 25 years of practicing feline medicine. How much experience have you got? And the information that backs this statement up didn't come from the internet.
Just because a hunter has observed animals in the wild numerous times does NOT make them an authority on animal anatomy.
Dang WSD. Glad you took it upon yourself to be the Factual Police here on PM. You bucking for a moderators job? By the way I followed your link. When it got to the part that stated a cats nose is it's most important organ, I quit reading.
Well...I definitely AIN'T the "Factual Police", and I definitely AIN'T bucking for a job as a moderator. But that I AM doing is telling you that you are as wrong as wrong can be if you think that a cat doesn't have a great sense of smell. And that information comes from a board-certified veterinarian with 25 years of experience. Think THEY are wrong?
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My post is based on experience, not some half-baked report from the internet.
My above remark is also based upon experience.....10 years of higher education and 25 years of practicing feline medicine. How much experience have you got? And the information that backs this statement up didn't come from the internet.
Just because a hunter has observed animals in the wild numerous times does NOT make them an authority on animal anatomy.
NM_HighPlains
New member
I have personally watched our tomcat walk past the pickup bed which recently held a dead deer or coyote, snap to attention, and then jump up in the bed to investigate the small pool of dried blood in the bed. Maybe that was habit, but I've watched his attitude change from "tail up in the air, nonchalant strolling" to "head up, tail down, investigative mode" as he presumably caught the scent.
I've also seen him put his nose to the ground and follow something on the ground, just like bloodhound, until he found the piece of jackrabbit that the dogs dragged over there. And the day the strange tom showed up in the yard...whoa.... I spotted our cat crossing the compound with his nose down and tail twitching angrily and I knew something was up. I went straight from the kitchen table to the gun safe and THEN I went to see what he was after. Turned out to be a strange tom down at the woodpile, 145 yards away.
So, some primarily scent-related things definitely set him off. Whether a wild bobcat is set off by scent is something else entirely. I suspect they're like pronghorn- scent is a factor, but not THE factor. Just like for coyotes, sight is a factor, but not THE factor. You can get away with a lot of visual things with a coyote that a cat absolutely wouldn't tolerate and a lot of scent-related things with a cat that a coyote wouldn't tolerate.
I've also seen him put his nose to the ground and follow something on the ground, just like bloodhound, until he found the piece of jackrabbit that the dogs dragged over there. And the day the strange tom showed up in the yard...whoa.... I spotted our cat crossing the compound with his nose down and tail twitching angrily and I knew something was up. I went straight from the kitchen table to the gun safe and THEN I went to see what he was after. Turned out to be a strange tom down at the woodpile, 145 yards away.
So, some primarily scent-related things definitely set him off. Whether a wild bobcat is set off by scent is something else entirely. I suspect they're like pronghorn- scent is a factor, but not THE factor. Just like for coyotes, sight is a factor, but not THE factor. You can get away with a lot of visual things with a coyote that a cat absolutely wouldn't tolerate and a lot of scent-related things with a cat that a coyote wouldn't tolerate.
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My above remark is also based upon experience.....10 years of higher education and 25 years of practicing feline medicine. How much experience have you got?
Gee Hidalgo, all this time I thought your wife was the vet. So which is it? If she is answering your questions, I got one for her. Can a 3 day old coyote pup survive on solid food? LOL
I gotta admit, I don't have anywhere near the creditials you just spouted off. But since when does a person need 10 years of 'higher education' to answer a question related to hunting? Does that trump actual field experience?
The original question was whether a cat uses it nose? It was asked by a hunter and answered by hunters. Save one, the information given was solid and the consensus was they do not use the wind. I say it is because they cant smell me to begin with and your wife says they can smell me but waltz right on in to their death anyhows. Seems like unnatural behavior to me when that cat is in a constant struggle to survive everyday.
Randy
My above remark is also based upon experience.....10 years of higher education and 25 years of practicing feline medicine. How much experience have you got?
Gee Hidalgo, all this time I thought your wife was the vet. So which is it? If she is answering your questions, I got one for her. Can a 3 day old coyote pup survive on solid food? LOL
I gotta admit, I don't have anywhere near the creditials you just spouted off. But since when does a person need 10 years of 'higher education' to answer a question related to hunting? Does that trump actual field experience?
The original question was whether a cat uses it nose? It was asked by a hunter and answered by hunters. Save one, the information given was solid and the consensus was they do not use the wind. I say it is because they cant smell me to begin with and your wife says they can smell me but waltz right on in to their death anyhows. Seems like unnatural behavior to me when that cat is in a constant struggle to survive everyday.
Randy
Hidalgo
Well-known member
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Gee Hidalgo, all this time I thought your wife was the vet. So which is it? If she is answering your questions, I got one for her. Can a 3 day old coyote pup survive on solid food? LOL
She's the vet. And she doesn't usually see 3 day old coyotes.....but she sees cats on a daily basis.
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I gotta admit, I don't have anywhere near the creditials you just spouted off. But since when does a person need 10 years of 'higher education' to answer a question related to hunting? Does that trump actual field experience?
I wasn't asnwering a "question related to hunting".....merely affiriming that cats do indeed have a great sense of smell. As far as me "spouting off credentials", it seemed to me that the trend so far in this conversation required some type of affirmation of the information or it would get thrown right back at me.
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The original question was whether a cat uses it nose? It was asked by a hunter and answered by hunters. Save one, the information given was solid and the consensus was they do not use the wind. I say it is because they cant smell me to begin with and your wife says they can smell me but waltz right on in to their death anyhows. Seems like unnatural behavior to me when that cat is in a constant struggle to survive everyday.
Just because a cat can smell an odor doesn't mean that they relate the odor to danger. And I never said that cats were smart, either. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
You know, your attitude isn't going to get you a lot of help on here. Especially from someone who is genuinely trying to help you. You'd get a lot more input and a better discussion if you didn't come across so strongly. Was your intent to have an informative discussion....or a useless argument? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
Gee Hidalgo, all this time I thought your wife was the vet. So which is it? If she is answering your questions, I got one for her. Can a 3 day old coyote pup survive on solid food? LOL
She's the vet. And she doesn't usually see 3 day old coyotes.....but she sees cats on a daily basis.
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I gotta admit, I don't have anywhere near the creditials you just spouted off. But since when does a person need 10 years of 'higher education' to answer a question related to hunting? Does that trump actual field experience?
I wasn't asnwering a "question related to hunting".....merely affiriming that cats do indeed have a great sense of smell. As far as me "spouting off credentials", it seemed to me that the trend so far in this conversation required some type of affirmation of the information or it would get thrown right back at me.
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The original question was whether a cat uses it nose? It was asked by a hunter and answered by hunters. Save one, the information given was solid and the consensus was they do not use the wind. I say it is because they cant smell me to begin with and your wife says they can smell me but waltz right on in to their death anyhows. Seems like unnatural behavior to me when that cat is in a constant struggle to survive everyday.
Just because a cat can smell an odor doesn't mean that they relate the odor to danger. And I never said that cats were smart, either. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
You know, your attitude isn't going to get you a lot of help on here. Especially from someone who is genuinely trying to help you. You'd get a lot more input and a better discussion if you didn't come across so strongly. Was your intent to have an informative discussion....or a useless argument? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
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