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illinois bobcats
Topic Started: Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:18 pm (370 Views)
TLC
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WILLIAMSON COUNTY -- A proposed bill to allow bobcat hunting will soon head to the floor of the Illinois House.

Bobcat hunting has been outlawed in the state since 1972, and the cat was put on the first Illinois endangered species list in 1977. Since then, the cat's population has rebounded.

"In 1999, they were taken off the endangered species list and since then, the population has continued to grow," said Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, R-Morrisonville.

Rosenthal has proposed House Bill 4226. The measure would allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to manage the bobcat population by issuing permits to hunt or trap the animals from Nov. 1 to Feb. 15.

"IDNR projects that the population is growing at four to nine percent a year," explained Rosenthal. "The time has come, because bobcats are predators, for allowing DNR to manage the wildlife population."

It's estimated that more than 3,000 bobcats call southern Illinois home, and west-central Illinois also has significant numbers. Rosenthal says the plan isn't to destroy that population.

"The bobcats pretty nocturnal and pretty elusive so it's not necessarily going to be easy to say, 'I'm just going to go out and hunt a bobcat,'" said Rosenthal.

An SIU study has shown that a bobcat's main diet consists of squirrels, rabbits, and small rodents. The proposal to allow bobcat hunting is expected to pass the Illinois House and could become a new season by as early as next fall.
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Dave N
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Never seen one.
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Captain Bill

Have hunted Cairo for a long time and never even seen a track much less a cat . Have not been out in the woods at night much tho . Never heard one at night , are they vocal ? I would think you would find one more in forest land than the farm land where I hunt .

The only time I have ever seen one was at the Blue Ridge Mountains . That one did not stick around long and it was midday .
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quailman
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They're all over down here. See several during deer season. Just let em walk most times. Blew one in half a couple of years ago with my 7-08.
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TLC
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had one walk by this year while hunting. tempting. but not legal. yet.
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snod
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Captain Bill
Wed Mar 19, 2014 3:17 pm
Have hunted Cairo for a long time and never even seen a track much less a cat . Have not been out in the woods at night much tho . Never heard one at night , are they vocal ? I would think you would find one more in forest land than the farm land where I hunt .

The only time I have ever seen one was at the Blue Ridge Mountains . That one did not stick around long and it was midday .
Cappy can't believe you never see bobcat down south. As I see them down there and around here quite often anymore. I used to go down around wolf lake and around Ware to bowhunt each year and would see them occasionally. I've had them come up to my gound blinds and even under my stands down there and around here alot. Beautiful animal. We are starting to see mountain loin/cougar around here on my property and even right behind my house quite regularly anymore also. I almost got a shot at one in January, but it was not to be and really hope one comes within range before this coming January when they get protected. e522679
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