A local turkey hunter survived a bizarre encounter with a bobcat during opening day of Missouri's turkey season Monday.

The hunter, from Clever, was using a turkey call to lure birds in. His turkey call was so good it fooled a large male bobcat, which pounced on the hunter, leaving a wound to the back of his head.

Conservation agent Jeff Harris filed this report, which the News-Leader obtained through a Sunshine Request:

"Hunter was calling turkeys on his property," Harris wrote. "He felt a crash on his shoulder and head as if he was being attacked. He fought it off and turned and a bobcat was standing a few feet away. He was caught off guard and shot the bobcat. He sent pictures of a puncture wound to the back of his head. I made contact and issued a

disposition for the bobcat that is a big tom. I advised him to contact the health department if he wants to get the bobcat tested for rabies."

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The hunter declined to be interviewed because he has received backlash on social media for killing the bobcat and posting photos of it on his Facebook page. The post has been removed.

MDC spokesman Francis Skalicky said the hunter did everything right by immediately calling the conservation department and reporting that he had killed the bobcat.

"This is an odd thing that sometimes happens," Skalicky said. "The bobcat thought the hunter was a turkey. Whatever sound he was making was good enough that it fooled the bobcat."

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