Ohio mammals

Bobcat in Ohio

Lynx rufus

Native to Ohio S1 Critically Imperiled in Ohio

Not listed as nonindigenous in Ohio by USGS NAS; native to its Ohio range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)Close-up of a bobcat's face showing black-tufted ears and cheek ruffsBobcat resting on a weathered wooden fence in warm evening lightFull-body profile of a rusty desert bobcat on red dirtGrayish northern bobcat sitting in profile on autumn grassBobcat perched on a pipe above a snowy mountain valley
Photo: Brandon Johnson · CC BY 4.0Bobcat (Lynx rufus)Photo: benjchristensen · CC BY 4.0The tufted ears, flared cheek ruffs, and yellow eyes of an alert bobcat.Photo: Robbie Hannawacker · CC0A bobcat rests on a fence rail, spotted flank catching the low sun.Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda · CC BY 4.0The pale, rusty coat of a desert bobcat, its short tail black-tipped above.Photo: Kimball Garrett · CC0A grayer, heavily spotted bobcat of the northern woods on a frosty morning.Photo: Dillon Alexander · CC0A bobcat pauses above a snow-dusted valley in the mountain West.

Bobcat in Ohio, by the numbers

Common in Ohio 25th most recorded of 75 mammals logged in Ohio

214 occurrence records
206 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

214 total records count every Ohio occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 211; the monthly chart covers the 210 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Bobcat in Ohio

Most sightings fall in January to February.

210 Ohio occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Ohio records (table)
MonthRecords
January32
February26
March10
April15
May15
June12
July15
August18
September12
October19
November20
December16

Monthly bobcat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Ohio, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Ohio, with recorded sightings peaking in January–February, with a smaller rise in November.

Occurrence map

Where Bobcat has been recorded in Ohio

211 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

209 Ohio records mapped

Where it's recorded in Ohio

CountyRecords
Athens County 43
Hocking County 12
Washington County 11
Perry County 10
Butler County 10
Holmes County 9
Jackson County 7
Morgan County 7
Summit County 6
Coshocton County 6
Guernsey County 5
Stark County 5
34 other counties 83

The complete county distribution, spread across 46 Ohio counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Bobcats were trapped and hunted out of most of Ohio by the early 1900s, and the population that exists today has slowly rebuilt itself from the rugged, heavily forested hill country in the state’s southeast, not from the wetland refuges most often listed as reference points. The 157 records gathered since 2000 reflect that uneven recovery more than any statewide spread.

Records peak in January and February, which lines up with bobcat mating season, when animals travel farther and leave more tracks in snow for people to notice. NatureServe ranks the species S1, critically imperiled, in Ohio, among the most precarious statuses on this list, so a report anywhere in the state is still a comparatively rare event.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Bobcat in other states

View all states →

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Full species profile Bobcat Lynx rufus Size 30–60 cm11.8–23.6 in Weight 4–18 kg8.8–39.7 lb Lifespan 10 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Ohio in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries