The Natural Resources Commission gave final approval Tuesday to the rules for Indiana's first bobcat trapping season. The rules permit up to 250 bobcats to be trapped and killed in 40 southern Indiana counties from Nov. 8 through Jan. 31. Indiana DNR photo
Indiana will permit up to 250 bobcats to be trapped and killed from Nov. 8 through Jan. 31 as part of an effort to control the population of the formerly endangered animal species.
The Natural Resources Commission gave final approval Tuesday to the rules for Indiana's first bobcat trapping season after being directed to do so by the Republican-controlled General Assembly in Senate Enrolled Act 241 (2024).
Under the plan, bobcat trapping is authorized in 40 southern Indiana counties. Licensed trappers can take one bobcat each until the statewide quota of 250 bobcats is reached.
The Indiana resident trapping fee to take a bobcat is $15. Non-residents must pay $120 for an Indiana bobcat trapping license.
The rules also allow legally acquired bobcats and their parts to be sold, enable a bobcat found dead to be kept by a person with a permit, and add bobcats to the list of species for which a game breeder's license is required.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, Indiana's bobcat count has expanded over the last two decades and bobcats have well-established populations in the 40 counties where trapping will be allowed.
Analysis shows this high-quality habitat can support a regulated bobcat harvest while also maintaining a healthy, sustainable bobcat population, the DNR said.
On the other hand, Samantha Chapman, Indiana state director at Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, contends there's no adequate population data on Indiana's bobcats and no scientific evidence to justify killing hundreds of them.
"The commission had the authority to establish a bobcat trapping quota of zero but failed to listen to the vast majority of Hoosiers who oppose recreationally trapping bobcats with neck snares, leghold traps and cage traps — inhumane devices that also endanger pets," Chapman said.
"This instead favors a tiny special interest group who wish to profit off Indiana's wildlife by selling bobcat furs to overseas markets."
According to the DNR, bobcats primarily are found in southern and west-central Indiana, but the ability of bobcats to roam up to 100 miles from where they are born means bobcats have consistently been spotted in Northwest Indiana and throughout the state.
DNR data show bobcats typically are about 2½-4 feet long with a short "bobbed" tail, have reddish-brown or tan fur above a white belly, weigh 15 to 30 pounds, and hunt rabbits, chicken and other small animals for food during early-morning and late-evening hours.
Bobcats generally are solitary creatures and tend to keep away from humans, according to the DNR.
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