Oh my … was my heart thumping after seeing this Canada Lynx early this morning!!! This was no where near the bird feeders. I was hiking deep within the Boreal forest when I came over a rise, and realized a lynx was inspecting something on the ground only 50 yards in front of me. Thankfully I was wearing camouflage and came to a full stop before the lynx looked up. In addition the sun was partially behind me, and the strong breeze was at the big cat’s back (i.e. it could not smell me). The cat finally looked up and started walking right towards me! Upon seeing me, it dropped down to the ground an gave me a loooong stare for over a minute.
Lynx are an endangered species in northern Minnesota. The Superior National Forest estimates there are only 136 of these beautiful creatures in northeastern Minnesota. Thankfully the population seems to be increasing (read more on the the Superior National Forest’s Lynx web page.
Actually, due my trailcam sightings I have known for over one year there were lynx in the the area, but I had never seen one with my own eyes. That fact changed this morning!!!
Superior National Forest Canada Lynx
The lynx and I had a “stare down” once the big cat realized I was in front of it on the trail. Note its HUGE paws which are optimized for running across northern Minnesota’s deep snow as it preys upon snowshoe hare.
Discover more from 365 Days of Birds
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
incredible experience!
What a gorgeous creature! I know I’m anthropomorphizing, but didn’t that cat have an air of confidence to it?
Amy and I had a bobcat stroll behind the cabin a couple of weeks ago, but it was a bit smaller than this one.
Beautiful animal. Thanks for sharing these amazing photos.
What a beautiful animal- you are so lucky to see one! What would you estimate its weight to be?
That is an estimate I would not be able to make, but adult males tend to weigh between 26 and 30 pounds, not Fluffy!
How Exciting! What a Great experience! Such a beauty… Thanks for sharing.
For those that don’t know, there is a wildcat sanctuary in Sandstone, MN. I receive their enewsletters. The Wildcat Sanctuary is a non-profit rescue sanctuary. They provide natural habitats and do not breed, buy, sell or exhibit.
They have a great website wildcatsanctuary.org
And a Happy Mother’s Day to all!
Awesome encounter. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
OHMYGOODNESS! What an experience!
So special! What great pictures❣️
Amazing encounter!!!!
Agree with Sue. Just amazing!!!
Extremely cool! You are so fortunate to see and photo capture this beautiful and mysterious cat!