Every once-in-awhile we see Wile E. Coyote and one or more of his buddies saunter across our backyard, usually in the early morning on their ways back to the pasture and creek behind our housing additions between the Windy Lane road and Farm Road 1641 undeveloped land. As far as I know, they are usually “out” at night and, other than maybe bothering wandering pets or unsecured trash cans, do not do much damage.
A few years ago, I encountered a pretty large BOBCAT at the low-lying area of our back yard close to sundown as he appeared to be just “checking out” the area. I was rather startled, and so was he—and we both just stood there staring and waiting. I did not want an encounter with claws and teeth, so I held still and waited to see what he would do; he was rather magnificent looking, as if he had just walked out of a Field and Stream or Sports Afield magazine article and was ready to have, or just had, supper!
He finally walked away into the underbrush and hay, but kept an eye (or both) upon me until he was gone from sight. I then walked to the mowed edge of our yard next to the brush, but could not see any path he had made or followed.
When I told my friends about this encounter, most of them said, “Sure, Themer, it was probably a large stray tomcat or someone’s lost pet!”
A year or two after that, I came across a dead bobcat on Lovers Lane next to the Walter Yandell home acreage and took photos (published in The Messenger) to prove my veracity and mentioned the information above about my earlier encounter. Several men then contacted me to let me know that they, too, had seen them in the outlying areas of Forney, and one even stated that he had been involved in a little skirmish with one as he was clearing out heavy brush out by University Drive and Valley View—he still had the scratches and light scars to prove it! Another mentioned seeing one fairly often in the “bottoms” area by Clements Drive.
So, guess what? At the end of October, as I was sitting out on our back patio/ porch and resting after cutting some limbs, I noticed something orange and brown and black and grey moving around by the “draw” at the side and back of our yard, and then the “something” slowly padded silently around my shed and stopped at the pear tree and stretched full length up the trunk to scrape its claws against the bark a few times. Then, it stretched, padded a little farther over towards my brush pile, walked back-and-forth twice, stood motionless for at least two minutes, and then slowly padded along the “mowed” edge and disappeared into the remnants of hay—only to reappear behind Chuck Tedder’s house for a little while—before turning to head towards the creek and disappear again!
The BOBCAT (or his son) had returned. So, be careful when out in the brushy areas of our town or when you go out for a walk off the “beaten path” at dusk and it is hard for you to see!
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