• May, D.W.
  University of Maine Graduate School
  

Habitat utilization and food habits of bobcats (Lynx rufus) were studied by radio-telemetry, snow- tracking and scat analysis from October 1979 to January 1981. Bobcat ranges were divided into 6 habitat types based upon the dominant vegetation. Two Intensively monitored adult females has a mean annual home range of 23 KM2; winter ranges were 30% larger than summer ranges. These females used small (<50 ha) areas intensively within their summer ranges. The intensively used area were characterized by variable aged vegetation due to past disturbance. Based upon snow tracking, bobcats showed a selection for softwood cover. During summer, 515 telemetry relocations on the 2 females suggested no obvious relationship between habitat use and overstory cover type. Only large tracts of open land were clearly avoided. Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) were represented in nearly 80% of the 168 scats examined. White Tailed deer (Odocoileus viriginianus) remains occurred in 17% of the winter scats, but were not found in summer scats.