An adaptable, successful carnivore, the bobcat is frequently shrouded in mystery. Bobcats are elusive and skilled at blending into their surroundings. They are rarely seen for an animal so wide-ranging, yet those who have observed them have noted the spirit, assurance and nonchalance of this animal. Bobcats are confident, focused on the present, and go about their day with little fear. These observations carry over into legend and tradition. In Native American lore, the bobcat is often associated with patience, vigilance, clear wisdom in dark places, and the ability to see through masks or facades.
The Algonquin name for the wildcat is Abooksigun. In one legend, an ambitious bobcat's abilities are tested when he tries to hunt down the supernaturally powerful illusionist Mahtigwess, a figure also known as the Great Rabbit. Persistent to a fault, he pursues his quarry for days, vowing by his long tail to make the mighty chief of all rabbits his dinner. The wildcat is ferocious and strong, and his favorite food is rabbit. However, the Great Rabbit not only has magic, but also travels in long leaps, leaving very few tracks to follow, and has the ability to sense what others are thinking from a long distance away.
Sensing the fierce wildcat's determination, Mahtigwess uses magic to pull a complicated ruse and conjures up an entire mirage - complete with illusory food, fires, and shelter - whenever the wildcat draws close. However, his pursuer becomes increasingly suspicious of the ruse. With each illusion, Mahtigwess always appears to be human with some vaguely rabbitlike trait. (In a similar version of the story, the Great Rabbit is disguised as various animals.) When asked if he has seen any rabbits nearby, the powerful trickster tells the wildcat there are thousands of rabbits running around nearby he can catch.
The third time, Mahtigwess disguises as a human chief with two white feathers and knocks the bobcat unconscious with a tomahawk, before bounding away with mile-long leaps as a rabbit. Despite his hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, the wildcat continues his pursuit after he recovers consciousness. He gains ground and presses his powerful quarry's illusory magic to its limits.
In a last-ditch effort, Mahtigwess creates a mirage of a ship captain and crew firing muskets. This time, the terrifying visual and sounds of gunfire seem all too real. The last illusion is what finally frightens the wildcat into fleeing. This Algonquin story explains the bobcat's short tail, as his quarry proves too powerful for him to fulfill his vow of making a meal out of the magical rabbit. Though he has no difficulty catching the normal, smaller rabbits when he is hungry.
