Bobcat stalks, attacks Wisconsin turkey hunter, and it’s all caught on camera

WISCONSIN, USA — A Wisconsin turkey hunter is going viral after being stalked and then attacked by a bobcat — and he caught it all on camera.

Carson Bender is an avid hunter. On Friday, he was in the woods near his hometown of Wisconsin Rapids when he said he heard something behind him. 

“Sounded like it was patting a leaf behind me, so I turned my phone on down by my side to see what was behind me and lucky enough, I hit record and saw a bobcat sitting there looking at me,” Bender said.

The 19-year-old already had his eyes on a turkey and periodically kept looking at his phone to also watch the bobcat.

“I guess I didn’t realize how laser focused it was just on me, and it just so happened before I got to shoot the turkey, the bobcat decided to grab onto my arm,” he said.

The more than minute-long video is now going viral. It has nearly 3 million views and even shocked University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist David Drake.

“It’s not a normal, common encounter and then to catch it on camera on top of it,” said Drake, who says people shouldn’t be overly concerned about encounters like this.

He says the bobcat population is growing across Wisconsin. The state natural resources department last counted about 3,500 bobcats in 2019.

Asked whether bobcats are dangerous, Drake said, “They’re not like a mountain lion. They probably wouldn’t kill you, but they could tear you up.”

He called them curious but shy, and easy to scare off.

The encounter might have rattled Bender but didn’t stop him from hunting.

“Shook it off and was right back to hunting turkeys,” said Bender, who ended up bagging a turkey a couple of days later. “It was cool, a little freaky, but it was cool.”

He said he had a few scratches on his shoulder. His girlfriend persuaded him to go to the doctor, and he was treated with antibiotics.