The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Disturbing footage has emerged showing a Wisconsin teen being attacked by a bobcat during a turkey hunt. The incident took place near Nekoosa, about 100 miles north of Madison, when Carson Bender, 19, was setting up at the base of a tree and suddenly spotted the aggressive animal.
As the bobcat inched closer, Bender decided to film the encounter. “I point my phone at the screen, and the bobcat just stares at me,” he recalled. “I was like, hmmm.” Shortly after that, the situation escalated quickly; the bobcat lunged at him, grabbing his arm before the video cut off.
Bender managed to shake off the animal, which then fled. He jokingly remarked on Instagram, “Turns out I’m good at calling cats and turkeys!”
He noted that he had seen the bobcat, weighing around 25 pounds, moments before filming but wasn’t sure how to react. He was preparing to shoot at a turkey when the bobcat appeared.
Even with the scare, the turkey he was hunting remained unfazed. After shaking off the minor scratches, Bender attempted to take a shot at the bird but missed. “Three minutes later, I missed the bird at 35 yards and then headed to the doctor’s office with just a few cuts on my shoulder,” he shared online.
Despite the frightening encounter, Bender maintained his composure throughout. “It may sound stupid,” he said, “but I wanted to kill a turkey that was strutting around.” He added that in a matter of moments, there was a lot going on, yet he didn’t feel truly threatened and operated on instinct.
Determined to bag a turkey, Bender returned to the same spot the following morning, recovering from his earlier encounter.
Wildlife experts indicate that bobcats often respond to turkey calls, although such direct contact is quite rare. Typically, these animals sense something’s off and tend to retreat before ever engaging with humans. Since 1990, there have only been 26 reported bobcat-related human fatalities in the U.S., including 21 adults and 5 children, along with 275 recorded scratches up to 2025.
