Bobcat Season?

[dak109]

Have got them on camera or seen them with chicken or are they just assuming it's Bobcats?

Both.
They had to rework their coop to cover the run area.

 

[greg]

People think they only eat small vermin and birds. I have footage of a deer kill site, where big Tom ate a whole deer in one weekend. The deer had its neck broke and died instantly, no sign of struggle. They are hell on turkey too.

You say that but the Harvest numbers are high and steady…. Of course, they will get any and all sick animals but the impact isn't currently high on the healthy.IMO

 

[manifest destiny]

IDNR recently stated that every county in Indiana has a confirmed bobcat, so they are clearly established. But when looking at the map above, it seems like a big difference between north/east area and south/west area. Can the state create different hunting/trapping rules and bag limits for each county?

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I'm all for a bobcat season. Since we started seeing bobcats around home and where we hunt, the turkey population has went way down. Used to see fields with 40 turkeys in them every year, now its maybe 5-10 turkeys in fields.

 

[Hkindiana]

People think they only eat small vermin and birds. I have footage of a deer kill site, where big Tom ate a whole deer in one weekend. The deer had its neck broke and died instantly, no sign of struggle. They are hell on turkey too.

Are you sure it was a bobcat and not a couger? A bobcat weighs roughly 1/5 of what you do - could you eat a whole deer in one weekend?

 

[Michigan Slim]

Bobcat can kill deer. Not often on the menu though. When they do, they drop on them and bite behind the skull. Good way to get hurt. Smaller game are their bread and butter. Turkeys are on the menu but they live together in other states just fine. Make the habitat better so turkey poults can survive the yotes, cats, hawks, coons, opossums, dogs, feral cats, owls, etc. Where I deer hunt, the owner kills the turkeys mowing his damn fields.
I'm not believing that a twenty pound cat eats a hundred pounds or more deer in a weekend.
I have acreage in Michigan that has bobcats. The yotes and bears eat deer there, not the cats. The bears hunt the fawns big time.
They are a furbearer that we should have a season on I feel. But they are not the boogie man that people think the are. There are not that many in any one area to do the damage that people say they do. Other than a female with kittens, they're generally loners with BIG territory.

 

[yetti462]

Are you sure it was a bobcat and not a couger? A bobcat weighs roughly 1/5 of what you do - could you eat a whole deer in one weekend?

That was the reason we staked cameras on kill site. It was a fresh kill found on a Friday in October. Put one camera on still photos and one on video. The Tom would uncover every three hours and eat, cover up and repeat. On Monday the deer was gone. The guts and hide/skeleton were all that remained. Not until the cat was finished did any other scavenger arrive.

 

[two70]

Are you sure it was a bobcat and not a couger? A bobcat weighs roughly 1/5 of what you do - could you eat a whole deer in one weekend?

Speaking from experience, it was probably more than one bobcat feeding on the carcass. My father found a fresh deer carcass that they neighbor shot and lost and put one of my trail cams over it a few years back. Over the course of 4 days there were at least 6 different bobcats feeding on it and possibly as many as 9. There wasn't much left of the deer after after 3 days.

A few years before that, my father shot a doe and was unsure of the hit so he backed out until the next morning. He found it the next morning buried under a pile of leaves and debris. Fortunately the cat hadn't fed on it yet.

Bobcats need to be controlled and managed like anything else. Those in central and northern Indiana do not know how fortunate they are to not have the bobcat population that southern Indiana does... yet. If we ever do get a bobcat season, it'll probably be too little, too late for the southern third of the state.

 

[Willie]

Not sure why the link doesnt work for some? I just clicked it and it opened just fine.

 

[greg]

Looks like the Bobcat bill (SB241) will be heard this Thursday in the Senate.

iga.in.gov/2024/committees/senate/natural-resources

Interesting to read on the population of bobcats here and in other states.

a-z-animals.com/blog/bobcat-population-by-state-how-many-live-in-yours/

 

[greg]

Speaking from experience, it was probably more than one bobcat feeding on the carcass. My father found a fresh deer carcass that they neighbor shot and lost and put one of my trail cams over it a few years back. Over the course of 4 days there were at least 6 different bobcats feeding on it and possibly as many as 9. There wasn't much left of the deer after after 3 days.

A few years before that, my father shot a doe and was unsure of the hit so he backed out until the next morning. He found it the next morning buried under a pile of leaves and debris. Fortunately the cat hadn't fed on it yet.

Bobcats need to be controlled and managed like anything else. Those in central and northern Indiana do not know how fortunate they are to not have the bobcat population that southern Indiana does... yet. If we ever do get a bobcat season, it'll probably be too little, too late for the southern third of the state.

I agree with controlling them I am for trapping them only not hunting them (same as otters)…..Trappers have been releasing them for a long time they have earned the right to control them if needed.

 

[two70]

I agree with controlling them I am for trapping them only not hunting them (same as otters)…..Trappers have been releasing them for a long time they have earned the right to control them if needed.

I doubt trapping alone will be nearly enough. Even allowing both hunting and trapping may not be enough in the southern third of the state.

 

[yetti462]

We call them in on a regular basis. Sucks to pass them up. All of the DNR biologists are in favor of a season. When I was registering my otter the biologist stated that they issue nuisance permits for them, when they are treated as a nuisance, they should be treated as a resource and not wasted. Overdue for a season on them, at least down south.

 

[greg]

I doubt trapping alone will be nearly enough. Even allowing both hunting and trapping may not be enough in the southern third of the state.

They estimate 1000 in the state…you thinking that’s an under estimate?

South of I-70 is probably 2/3 the population IMO

 

[greg]

We call them in on a regular basis. Sucks to pass them up. All of the DNR biologists are in favor of a season. When I was registering my otter the biologist stated that they issue nuisance permits for them, when they are treated as a nuisance, they should be treated as a resource and not wasted. Overdue for a season on them, at least down south.

It be interesting to know how many nuisance permits are actually issued for them…that would actually back a season for them for sure. That’s how we got an otter season….

 

[Cavman]

Had 4 bobcats this deer season together. Most I've ever seen is 1. And saw 4 all together. They started their meowing or whatever ya call it. Was pretty cool

 

[two70]

They estimate 1000 in the state…you thinking that’s an under estimate?

South of I-70 is probably 2/3 the population IMO

I have no way to be sure but I'd guess a population estimate of 1000 is probably a pretty accurate estimate... for a 4-6 county area in the SW part of the state. I've no experience in the SE corner of the state but the habitat is as good or better over there so I'd imagine they will have a similar population soon if not already. With the increase in bobcat sightings ans photos I've had in Putnam County the last 5-6 years, I wouldn't be surprised if west central Indiana doesn't have close to a 1000 by now as well.

Given the typical size of female bobcat home ranges, the area of southern Indiana, and the amount of good habitat, there could easily be 2-3 times that estimate in southern Indiana alone with very little overlap in home ranges between cats. Since we're seeing fairly rapid expansion out of southern Indiana into central, and even some out of central into northern Indiana, I think it is fairly reasonable to assume pretty high saturation in at least southern Indiana as well.

 

[Mij]

I agree with controlling them I am for trapping them only not hunting them (same as otters)…..Trappers have been releasing them for a long time they have earned the right to control them if needed.

Thought that myself (about releasing) them. Been trapping for a lot of years, don’t know a trapper that doesn’t have a catch pole. Slip over the head, stretch him out, step on the springs, let him go.

And just like otters and turkeys when the population gets to a point that the appropriate biologist for each game district thinks it time to allow trapping or hunting they will make it known. Then hopefully the PTB will make them leagal to take.

Myself, I have great confidence in our game biologist. Just look at our deer, otter, turkey populations, I remember when we didn’t have any of those. And hence no season to take. YMMV. JMO.

 

[Butch627]

Sorry these are just dumb questions from a guy who has never seen a bobcat or a bobcat track in his 6 decades. Say there are 1000 in the state with some counties having a couple and some having many. Overall how many would be culled from the areas where they are overpopulating? Besides Turkey populations what other species are they having a significant impact on?

 

[Mij]

To the OP, link opened fine for me. And I see it says requires DNR to establish seasons. To me this is great news. And reinforces my postulated thoughts on our game/fur managers.