A game camera belonging to a deer hunter captured a picture of a bobcat on the prowl Wednesday morning on a hunting property in the Graysville area in west Jefferson County.

While bobcats are plentiful in Alabama, this one raised some eyebrows when it was shared on social media because of its size and appearance during the daytime.

“That is a very big cat, there’s no doubt about it,” said Robert Minchew, who hunts deer on the property and shared the photo after it was captured by his game camera on Jan. 17 at 9:42 a.m.

“They are nocturnal hunters,” he said. “To see them during the day like that is pretty unusual.”

The bobcat was on the prowl in 20-degree weather at the time.

“I’ve never seen it in person but that’s the second time I’ve caught it on the game camera,” Minchew said. “That was the first time during the day.”

The land has plenty of whitetail deer, turkey and feral hogs, he said. The bobcat most likely focuses on smaller prey.

“Bobcats are usually after smaller game – rabbits, squirrels,” Michew said. They may also hunt rodents and birds. “That bobcat, the size of it, it could easily take down a small fawn.”

It’s not in a heavily populated area, Minchew said.

“It’s a pretty good ways out in the woods,” he said. “There are some houses in the area. It’s a hunting property. I deer hunt out there.”

Game camera technology has advanced to the point where the motion-sensor-trigger camera can automatically send hunters pictures of game where they hunt.

“With this particular game camera, it sends it directly to your phone,” Minchew said.

“Bobcats are fairly common,” Minchew said. “The reason this one stuck out to me was because of the size. The length of the legs, you can tell it is a larger animal.”

Bobcats in Alabama can be hunted during daytime hours by licensed hunters, but must be tagged by a representative of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources within 14 days of harvest.

“I’m not a predator hunter,” Minchew said.

It’s far less likely the bobcat, with its keen senses, would make a daytime appearance with a nearby hunter in the woods. “Their sense of smell is very good,” Minchew said. “If the area is disturbed, there’s a good chance they won’t come out during the day.”

Minchew said he’s discussed it with more experienced deer hunters who agreed that it seemed to be a larger than average bobcat.

“It’s a fun talking point,” Minchew said. “It would probably be a state record. That’s a big cat.”

An adult male bobcat can reach a weight of up to 40 pounds and a female can weigh up to 33 pounds, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission.

It’s currently bobcat breeding season, which ranges from January through March, with a typical litter of three to four kittens born in April or May.