Research overview: bobcat and Canada lynx remote-camera studies

Bobcats and Canada lynx are widespread North American felids studied extensively with camera traps, though their relatively subtle coat patterns complicate reliable individual identification. This overview surveys how researchers use cameras to estimate occupancy, distribution, activity, and, where identification permits, density of these cats across forests, deserts, and mountains. It discusses the methodological responses to faint markings, including spatial mark-resight, recognition-free estimators, and integration with genetic and telemetry data, as well as studies of how the two species partition habitat and respond to snow, prey cycles, and human disturbance. The overview highlights camera trapping's role in monitoring harvested and managed felid populations, informing furbearer management and conservation, and revealing the ecology of common but cryptic cats whose adaptability makes them models for North American carnivore research.