Are bobcats anything to worry about? We’d heard of sightings in our rural subdivision in eastern TN for a couple years. Then last night one strolled in to our back yard and hung out for 15-20 minutes. Gorgeous animal. I’ll have my camera ready next time, if there’s a next time.
I’ve never heard of anyone being stalked and killed by a bobcat. Are they all sweetness and light? No, retreat if you encounter one out walking or hiking, leave them alone. They can do serious damage. But, predation upon humans is not a behavior that bobcats exhibit.
Only dangerous if you are a rabbit or rat. Pretty much a very large housecat. Beautiful animal.
In general they are reclusive. I've seen three in my life in the wild. The best time to spot one is near dusk or at night. I saw my last one at night running in front of me on a rural road near my house. They generally won't bother you or pets etc.
Two things you do want to watch for in east Tennessee is Coons which can rip you up good. They look cute but they can rip you or a pet dog up real good. The second problem is the non native Yotes or Coyotes which have invaded us over the last three decades. Yotes were never native to our area. They came east when for a year or two the Mississippi got real low and they crossed it.
I live in the Anderson, Knox, and Union County, triangle area. I've had a couple of confirmed Yote kills on my land and a neighbors land as well. They will feast on smaller dogs, cats, fawns, etc. If you have a bunch of them start yepling real close to you it is very unnerving LOL. I've seen Yotes every including on Illinois Ave in Oak Ridge coming off Oak Ridge Hiway. I chased one in my van one night. He jumped the wall and headed down Bethel Valley.
Mountain lions I think a very few have always been here and are likely in Royal Blue, Southfork, Catoosa, or Cherokee National Forest. I think many more are western that came here the same way the Yotes did they crossed the Mississippi at a historical low level. Then there is the unoffical morons who get one young, bring it home from out west, then after becoming scared of it release it to the wild somewhere.
The safest and most maligned critter we have? The Possum LOL. They'll hiss and sulk up but believe it or not rarely carry Rabies due to a lower body temperature making them hosting it not likely. Coons are a different story.
Even black bears have been moving more this year between the Smokeys and Cumberland mountains One was spotted on Norris Freeway several times about a month ago and another one up in Jacksboro. Last year a black bear was killed on I-75 and Callahan Rd and that's inside Knoxville city limits. Yotes are there also.