Q: How many litters do bobcats have per year? A: Cats usually only have one litter. Humans should not interact with bobcatcats and leave wildlife in the wild. “We are confident that the population is safe. We`re not trying to reduce bobcats numbers,” Mike Reynolds, wildlife research administrator for ODNR`s Wildlife Division, told the dispatch in March. Q: How big is a Bobcat footprint? A: Between 1.5 and 3 inches wide and long. But the state`s proposal, which came less than four years after Ohio removed bobcats from the endangered species list, has met with vehement opposition from conservationists and activists. Some opponents have pointed out that Ohio`s bobcats have only recently shown signs of recovery, while their total remains unknown throughout the state. Others feared that even a limited hunting season could quickly spiral out of control. The debate over allowing bobcathunting is not limited to Ohio.
In May, a proposal to open bobcathunting and bobcatsch trapping in Indiana was rejected by the Indiana Natural Resources Commission after more than 1,300 citizens reportedly objected during the public comment period. What does that mean? How will bobcats in your area affect you? Few bobcats are carnivores looking for prey to pounce on like a big cat, but always prefer smaller objects such as a variety of insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and mammals. Rabbits and, in rare cases, white-tailed deer are important components of the bobcat`s diet. Bobbcats usually watch for prey and bump into each other when an animal approaches. Prey hunting rarely exceeds 60 feet. Bobbcats are carnivorous and eat a variety of insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals. Rabbits and, in northern latitudes, white-tailed deer are important components of the bobcat`s diet. Coincidentally, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission voted to drop a proposal to hunt and trap bobcats in that state.
The Division of Wildlife hoped to obtain a more accurate count of bobcats in Ohio by using licensed trappers. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources` Wildlife Division, they verified 499 bobcats sightings in 2020. Washington County residents reported the highest number in the state with 26, but other counties in the county also reported high numbers. And people noticed the reappearance of the bobcat. While there is no good estimate of the bobcat`s population in Ohio, residents began reporting it frequently beginning in 2012. In 2017, there were approximately 500 sightings in Buckeye State. There are no wolves anywhere, not even nearby, and bears, well, I consider them big raccoons. For a bear, killing a bobcats would take a lot of effort,” he said. During the heated debate in Ohio over whether to allow trapping, proponents argued that a cap of 60 bobcats would not endanger the number of animals. The Department of State for Natural Resources agreed. Some residents recently complained about the bobcatsnake in the Oxford Talks Facebook group. According to one of them, a bobcatsnake tried to attack her two Jack Russell Terriers at her home near Reily.
But despite the general upward trend in bobcats (in 2010, the total U.S. population was between 2.3 and 3.6 million), some experts have warned that populations could remain vulnerable. The Bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a species of wildcat native to Ohio. Domestic cats belong to the same family, the felids, as the bobcat. Prior to colonization, bobcats were common throughout Ohio, but were exterminated from the state in 1850. They began repopulating Ohio in the mid-1900s. Since then, this cat has been spotted more frequently each year and is returning “home” to Ohio. Q: What controls the bobcats population? A: The density of a bobcat population varies depending on the number of resources (prey and habitat) available in a given area and the level of mortality that occurs. Possible causes of death of bobcats include disease, predators, starvation, injury and human-caused mortality such as road mortality, poisoning, poaching and legal harvesting (where permitted). Q: When do bobcats get their kittens? A: Brooding can take place at any time of the year, but it mainly takes place in February and March. The gestation period lasts about 63 days and the majority of kittens are born in April or May.
Once almost extinct from Ohio, bobcats have made a comeback in recent years. Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources` Division of Wildlife An elusive 20- to 30-pound creature known for its distinctive bobbed tail, the bobcat historically stretched across a vast swath of North America, from northern Mexico to southern Canada. But hunting and trapping, as well as the conversion of forests to agricultural land and the subsequent decline of their prey, have had serious consequences for these predators. By the early 1900s, bobcats were virtually wiped out of the Midwest and parts of the eastern United States. Q: Are bobcats likely to attack humans? A: No, they are not. Q: Do bobcats eat other cats? A: You can, but it`s unusual. They prefer easier prey. Last spring, Ohio was at the epicenter of a battle for a long-lost predator that was quietly heading to the Midwest: the bobcat. A controversial proposal to hunt bobcats came to a head in May when sports organizations clashed with conservationists over whether the population had recovered enough to support a fishing season limited to 60 animals, which the Ohio Department of Natural Resources first proposed in February. Currently, 40 states allow the killing of bobcats.
Q: Can bobcats be hunted or caught in Ohio? A: Bobccats cannot be hunted or captured in Ohio. Bobbcats were removed from Illinois` threatened species list in 1999 and Indiana`s endangered species list in 2005. By 2007, the once endangered Iowa bobcat had recovered enough to withstand limited hunting seasons. In Ohio, bobcats were downgraded from Endangered to In 2012 and removed from the endangered species list in 2014. Q: Do bobccats migrate? A: Bobbcats do not migrate, but as young adults, they can move away from the area where they were born to build their own range. It is found in the forests of eastern and southern Ohio. The Wildlife Division received 521 confirmed sightings of bobcats in 2020. Sightings are usually confirmed by runway camera footage or bobcats killed in the street. While bobcats are now common in parts of southeastern and southern Ohio, large amounts of unoccupied and suitable forest habitats remain, particularly in northeastern Ohio. Bobcat sightings are expected to continue to increase in the coming years as the population spreads.
Bobcat sightings can be reported through our online wildlife reporting system. The bobcats have short, dense and soft fur. The color of their coat varies to include light gray, yellowish-brown, buff, brown and reddish-brown on the upper parts of the body.
