Bobcat Attacks Man, Takes Four Shots to Kill
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.24.13
Michael Votruba of Holden, Massachusetts learned that when you can’t take out an attacking bobcat with your pistol, it’s handy to have your girlfriend close by with a 22 rifle.
Votruba had just returned home and stepped out of his truck when he saw something creeping around in his backyard and decided to investigate. “The animal came out of the space between the carport and the house,” he told Channel 7 News that. “At that point I heard it growling. I didn’t see quite what the animal was so I took a couple steps away from the truck and away from the carport and I saw that it was a bobcat. I also saw that it had porky pine quills in its face. I didn’t know what to think.”
The bobcat started towards Votruba, which is when he drew his pistol out of his pocket. As the bobcat continued towards him, Votruba took a few steps back and then tripped, falling onto his back. The bobcat then leapt onto his legs, at which point Votruba managed to kick it off and stand again.
The bobcat was not finished however, and jumped back at Votruba, landing on his chest. Votruba decided to take a shot with his pistol and hit the bobcat, but it did not kill it or drive it away. The bobcat retreated slightly but continued growling at him.
That is when Votruba’s girlfriend, who was sitting in the living room, decided to help. “My girlfriend who was sitting in the living room is looking out the window and I think she just turned around because it all happened so fast. So she looked out the window and I must have looked like a ghost to her. I say go to the door, go to the door,” said Votruba.
She rushed out of the house with a .22 rifle, which she promptly gave to Votruba. He took two shots with the rifle and both hit the bobcat, but it remained standing and growling at him. He took one last shot at the bobcat and it finally went down.
Votruba escaped with only a ripped shirt and no scratches, but he decided to get rabies shots anyways. The dead bobcat was taken to the state lab for testing
