In the breeding season, similar but usually more inaccessible places are chosen for a den. The nest is made of dried leaves and soft moss. The home range is marked by scent places containing droppings or urine. Bobcats are curious and investigate many objects along their way, which accounts for their customary zigzag trail. In locating prey, a bobcat depends more upon its keen eyesight and hearing than its sense of smell.
Bobcats can kill animals as large as deer by biting the throat at the jugular vein.
Bobcats are both nocturnal and diurnal, but most hunting occurs around sunrise and sunset. They are active all year. However, they often remain in a resting place during a storm and avoid deep, soft snow because of difficulty walking in it. Bobcats are capable of swimming and readily cross streams. They are good climbers and take to trees as a refuge from dogs, or for resting or observation.