A Reddit video of a hunter being stalked and pounced on by a wild bobcat has racked up 17,000 upvotes — along with a crash course in feline body language from armchair wildlife experts everywhere.
He went into the woods looking for turkeys. He came out famous on the internet.
A hunter posted a 78-second clip to Facebook and the subreddit r/SweatyPalms last week showing a wild bobcat slowly, methodically, and with complete confidence, stalking him through the underbrush — before launching a full pounce directly at the camera. The video collected over 17,000 upvotes and nearly 1,000 comments, most of them from people watching in horror as the hunter sits perfectly still while the cat telegraphs every intention of attacking.
The clip spread quickly to r/all, where it became a kind of viral pop quiz: Do you know what a cat looks like just before it pounces? Spoiler: the hunter did not.
The Butt Wiggle Heard ‘Round the Internet
Anyone who has owned a cat recognizes the telltale signs immediately. The bobcat crouches. It locks eyes. And then, in the moment that had Reddit collectively screaming at their screens, it performs the slow, deliberate pre-pounce shimmy that every house cat does before destroying a sock.
The top comment, with 4,807 upvotes: “Man, this person is for sure not used to cats. When they sit still like that and do the butt wiggle, they are about to jump lol.”
The follow-up comments were swift, merciless, and deeply educational. Users pointed out that the hunter’s response — sitting motionless with their back turned — was essentially a checklist of everything not to do when a predatory feline is sizing you up. One reply earning nearly 700 upvotes put it bluntly: “PSA to everyone: predator cats don’t respond to ‘stay still and pretend you don’t see them.’ You need to get big and scare the heck out of them.”
What You’re Actually Supposed to Do
Wildlife experts and experienced outdoorspeople in the thread were quick to fill in the knowledge gap. The consensus: make yourself large, make noise, maintain eye contact, and — critically — do not turn your back.
One commenter with a firsthand story shared: “I got stalked by a bobcat once. Probably thought I was a small deer because I was down a slope and it couldn’t see below my chest. The moment I turned around and took a step up, it jumped about ten feet in the other direction.”
A post with 829 upvotes summed up the universal rule: “Never turn your back on felines bigger than a domesticated one. Their brain is hardwired to jump you.”
Bobcat Fast Facts
- Bobcats are roughly twice the size of a domestic cat, typically weighing 15–35 lbs
- They rarely attack humans, but will if they feel cornered or sense vulnerable prey behavior
- The “butt wiggle” is a real hunting technique — it helps them calibrate distance before leaping
- Making yourself appear large and speaking loudly is the recommended deterrent
- Eye contact signals confidence; turning away signals submission
- Bobcats are found across most of North America, from southern Canada down through Mexico
- Despite their wild nature, they are increasingly spotted in suburban and semi-rural areas
‘Just a Kitty Slap,’ Say the Optimists
Not everyone in the thread was alarmed. A sizable contingent — mostly cat owners — pointed out that the whole encounter had a distinctly domestic energy to it. One comment with 433 upvotes: “LOL, one of the universal laws of cats: ‘Suspicious thing must be SLAPPED.’ This isn’t predatory or anything. If they moved more it would have fled — instead it was this weird thing that was never there before.”
Another commenter put it even more succinctly: “Boop! You’re it!” There was broad agreement that once the hunter stood up and the bobcat realized just how large a human is, the encounter would have ended with the cat sprinting in the opposite direction. “Just a kitty slap,” one user wrote, to considerable agreement.
And the laser pointer crowd showed up too. One commenter’s survival tip, earning 31 upvotes: “Pro tip: bring a laser pointer when turkey hunting!” Another suggested an emergency cardboard box: “That’s why you always need an emergency cardboard box with you. Cat need to sit.”
The Bigger Picture: Hunters and Wildlife
The video touched a nerve in part because it exposed a genuine blind spot. Turkey hunters often sit motionless for extended periods, camouflaged head to toe — which, as Reddit was happy to explain, makes them look exactly like something a predator might want to investigate.
One commenter added a sobering note: “I was elk hunting, walking down an old skid road when the weather took a turn. I turned around to head back to camp — and inside my own footprints in the snow were cougar paw prints. That animal had been stalking me, and I had absolutely zero idea.” The reply thread beneath that was essentially just people typing the sound of pants being soiled. One bowhunter in western Montana replied that after finding big cat tracks in the sand near his hunting spot, he now carries a .357 and keeps it unholstered in certain areas.
Who Is the Hunter Now?
The encounter also raised a philosophical point that Reddit, never one to miss an opportunity, was happy to explore. “Who is the hunter now?!” one commenter asked, with 271 upvotes. Someone replied with a story about a permitted bobcat hunter who once told them: bobcats are far more aware of you than you are of them, almost always before you ever know they’re there.
As for the original hunter — Reddit’s best theory on what happened after the video cut off, earning 318 upvotes: “OP was captured and dragged back to a cave. And then the bobcat posted this.”
The hunter has not contradicted this account.
Related: What to Do If You Encounter a Wild Cat
If you come face-to-face with a bobcat, mountain lion, or other wild feline while outdoors, wildlife agencies recommend the following: do not run, as this triggers prey instinct; stand tall and make yourself look as large as possible; make loud, assertive noises; maintain eye contact; and back away slowly without turning your back. If the animal attacks, fight back — unlike with bears, playing dead is not advised with wild cats.
Video source: r/SweatyPalms on Reddit. Comments lightly edited for clarity and length.
