INDIANA — The inaugural bobcat trapping season in Indiana, which began on November 8, concluded abruptly on December 6 after the statewide limit of 250 bobcats was reached.
The season was initially scheduled to run through January 31, but the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shut it down roughly seven weeks early.
The trapping season was approved because the bobcat, which was removed from the state’s endangered species list in 2005, has shown strong population growth.
According to DNR wildlife biologist Geriann Albers, the agency’s goal is to manage, not deplete, the population.
The DNR restricted the season to only 40 counties in southern Indiana, where bobcat populations are strongest, including Lawrence County. Albers stated that providing a regulated harvest is an outdoor opportunity the DNR likes to offer, noting, “We want bobcats to continue to thrive in Indiana.”
Under the season’s regulations, each appropriately licensed trapper could only take one bobcat. Currently, Indiana has about 4,000 licensed trappers, with around 1,100 purchasing bobcat licenses.
Albers confirmed that the DNR receives annual reports of conflicts involving bobcats, most commonly affecting backyard poultry such as chickens and ducks. Occasionally, a bobcat may also get into a fight with a domestic dog.
The DNR noted that successful bobcat harvesters must check in a bobcat within 24 hours via the online reporting system and obtain a special tag within 15 days after the month of harvest.
