Every hunt carries its own expectations — and sometimes its greatest rewards come as a surprise. In this edition of The Hole Story, Dr. Mike Arnold sets out in pursuit of coyotes, only to find himself face to face with a long-held dream. Through a blend of scientific perspective, camaraderie in the field and a decisive shot with Hornady V-MAX ammunition, the story reflects the unpredictable nature of predator hunting and the conservation success stories behind it.

We received responses from 47 U.S. states…Responses indicate that bobcats occur in each of the contiguous states except for Delaware. Populations were stable or increasing in 40 states, with 6 states unable to report population trends and only 1 state (Florida) reporting decreases in bobcat populations…an estimated 2,352,276 to 3,571,681 individuals…” exist in the United States. (Roberts and Crimmins, 2010)

            I hope you’ll forgive me starting this post with a geek-out. I can’t help it. Not only did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express, but I’m also a scientist and professor. I love collecting and studying data and then telling poor, trapped, listeners and readers what I found. The above quote has a ton of information in it, but the main thing to note here is that bobcat populations in the United States are very healthy. In fact, not only are Lynx rufus holding their own, but are expanding across the landscape, and increasing in numbers.

As a conservation biologist, I know that the main reason for the health of bobcat populations is that hunters buy licenses, ammunition, and gear before we go out into the woods, plains and mountains. In fact, the opportunity for our non-hunting family and friends to enjoy state parks and nature trails, and the sightings of game animals, flowers and songbirds also rests squarely on the many purchases of hunting-related paraphernalia. This conservation results from a powerful piece of 1937, federal legislation titled, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, a.k.a., the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. Specifically, “The Wildlife Restoration Program provides funds to state fish and wildlife agencies to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitats” (Ward, Sheikh and DeSantis, 2022). There would be no wildlands, and bobcats, or any other game, if it weren’t for hunters from the 1930’s to today stepping up to the counter and investing in our beloved sport. It’s as simple as that. And, so ends the lesson, but not the story of my predator hunt in South Carolina, the home of lots and lots of coyotes…and an estimated 100,000 bobcats.

            Honestly, the hunt ending with the taking of a dream animal, started off as a pursuit for the coyote. In fact, this was not the first time my buddy, Ron Differ and I tried our hand at hunting those smart, elusive canines. We did have some coyotes come into the screams of the dying rabbit calls and coyote-speak from Ron’s electronic noise maker but were never able to close the deal. Ron was not the problem. It was me. On a previous hunt some months before, I missed a shot at one male that bounded in, surprising me into a hurried, off-hand shot that went high. I know Ron was more disappointed than I, especially since it meant he would have to spend even more time slogging across muddy fields in order to place the caller, and his hapless hunting companion, in favorable spots.

The current hunt again focused on trying to call in some of the myriad coyotes that Ron and his wife, Nina, had spotted. We talked off-handedly about the possibility of seeing the ‘other’ predator (and the more treasured trophy) – a bobcat – but quickly dismissed this given their relative scarcity. Before the hunt, we discussed the rifle and loads Ron had worked up. Not only was Ron acting as my long-suffering guide, but I would also carry a loaner rifle of his, complete with custom-handloaded ammunition. The rifle would be Ron’s Ruger M77 in .22-250, equipped with a Vortex 6X-15X riflescope and stoked with ammunition topped with 50 grain Hornady V-Max bullets that zipped along at 3700 fps. This combination of caliber, bullets, and scope added up to a perfect coyote rig, as proven by Ron using it to take many South Carolina ‘dogs’.

            Fast forward to the afternoon of our last hunting day. After eating lunch in Ron’s truck, we made our way into the area for our final set. The perfect weather conditions at the first of the day – calm and cold – had disappeared; a mini-gale now roared, turning the woods into a noisy cauldron. Looking at our final hunting site did not provide me with a lot of confidence. Though we had a well-constructed box stand to sit in, it looked out onto a lowland glade with limited visibility. Any shot opportunities would most likely be fleeting. Ron entered the box after setting the speaker up 10 yards in front of our position. As he settled into his chair, Ron remarked that, from his experience, this site looked like a ‘bobcat area’. The experienced predator hunter that he is, Ron’s observation was correct. In the Southeast United States, bobcats prowled in habitats that included bottomland forests and wetlands, like those surrounding the box stand.

As we sat, scanning the surroundings, Ron used his handheld call to add to the sounds coming from the electronic box. After one such utterance from Ron, I watched out of the corner of my eye as he lowered the call from his lips. As I looked in the other direction, Ron whispered, “Mike there’s a bobcat across the stream to the right!” I looked in the direction he indicated, but the stand’s corner post hid the cat from my gaze. Ron reached over and pulled me to the left and there it was. The bobcat sat on a fallen log across the stream. A sunbeam fell across the animal, making its white chest, and spotted front legs shine.

I had to raise the rifle high enough to slant it through the front window. Doing so, I banged the muzzle into the top of the stand; the sound rang like a bell inside the box. I cringed as the echo bounced through the South Carolina, lowland glade. But, when I glanced back, the eyes of the beautiful bobcat remained pointed in the direction of the dying rabbit screams coming from the electronic caller. As I finally cleared the post and slid the rifle through the shooting window, I found myself looking at the bobcat through the haze of the camouflage netting. I almost groaned out loud. Would I ever get the shot off before the cat left?! I could just make out the hazy form of the bobcat, but as soon as the crosshairs settled on the center of the white chest, I touched the Timney trigger. Coming down from the slight recoil, I saw the bobcat tumbling backwards from the log and felt Ron pounding me on the shoulder while yelling, “you got it!” I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath. The relief washed over me like a tidal wave as the weight of discouragement and disappointment lifted from my shoulders and chest.

I couldn’t believe it. I had a bobcat, a trophy I never expected. Ron and I exited the stand, fording the stream in front of us, and climbing the far bank to reach our trophy. It turned out to be a beautiful female – weighing right at 18 pounds. She had not moved from where the Hornady V-Max tumbled her from the log. Long, thick ruffs framed her face, and her huge paws looked enormous on her small form. After our photographic session, we headed back up the trail. When we made it back to Ron’s pickup, we carefully placed her on thick towels in an empty space in his toolbox.

            I was introspective on the trip back to Ron’s home. As a hunter, scientist and conservationist, I knew why the diminutive predator now resting in the back of my friend’s truck, along with a hundred thousand more like her, were now living in South Carolina’s bottomlands. It was hunters’ dollars, spent by passionate sportsmen and -women. Each of these hunters choose to spend their money and time for the type of outcome Ron and I experienced on this cold winter’s day in the woods.

Author profile

Mike Arnold is professor and Head of the Department of Genetics at the University of Georgia and author of the 2022 book, BRINGING BACK THE LIONS: International Hunters, Local Tribespeople, and the Miraculous Rescue of a Doomed Ecosystem in Mozambique. Mike’s newest book, BRINGING BACK THE WILD – Stories from Revitalized Ecosystems Around the World and How Sport Hunting Supports Them, appeared in July 2025. You can find a description of Mike’s travels, talks, articles, and books at mikearnoldoutdoors.com.