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Post by tony on Jan 27, 2024 22:02:30 GMT -5
Back to List of Bills
Senate Bill 241
Taking bobcats.
Senate Bill (S)
Authored by:
Sen. Scott Baldwin,
Sen. Michael Crider,
Sen. Chris Garten.
Co-Authored by:
Sen. Mark Messmer,
Sen. Tyler Johnson,
Sen. Gary Byrne.
Digest
Requires the department of natural resources to establish and implement a season to take bobcats not later than July 1, 2025.
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Post by tony on Jan 27, 2024 22:07:13 GMT -5
We need to let the senate know that hunters support this bill!
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Post by greghopper on Jan 27, 2024 22:30:02 GMT -5
We need to let the senate know that hunters support this bill! Not all hunters support the bill… |
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Jan 27, 2024 23:04:02 GMT -5
HSUS can shove anything they are asking for.
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Post by beermaker on Jan 28, 2024 6:07:57 GMT -5
Any predator left unopposed in the wild will eventually overpopulate and throw the given food chain out of balance.
Coyotes - The only thing they have to worry about in the mid-west are guns and vehicles.
Wolves - It's been proven that they must be hunted to be controlled.
Largemouth Bass - Don't remove any from a pond and you will eventually have a pond full of unhealthy and hungry bass.
So, where does the bobcat sit in the IN food chain? I guess coyotes could kill kittens, but I don't think that would happen too often. Once the rabbits, turkeys, squirrels, etc are decimated in a given area, what's next? Checkens, sheep, pets?
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Post by hornzilla on Jan 28, 2024 7:20:49 GMT -5
We need to let the senate know that hunters support this bill! Not all hunters support the bill… They should. Numbers in my area are way to high. |
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Post by greghopper on Jan 28, 2024 7:40:00 GMT -5
Not all hunters support the bill… They should. Numbers in my area are way to high. There is a way to control them now if they are a nuisance on your property the DNR will issue a permit to kill. Bobcats need to be controlled and managed like anything else including feral cat.……. personally I see a trapping season coming in a few years in needed areas of the state. |
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Post by boonechaser on Jan 28, 2024 10:41:43 GMT -5
They should. Numbers in my area are way to high. There is a way to control them now if they are a nuisance on your property the DNR will issue a permit to kill. Bobcats need to be controlled and managed like anything else including feral cat.……. personally I see a trapping season coming in a few years in needed areas of the state. Bobcats are a interesting critter. In 23 years living in Switz.Co, I have seen 1 while hunting, and only have 2 trail cam pics, yet know hunters 10 miles away that see them weekly. Home ranges are said to be 5 Sq miles for females, and up to 25 Sq miles or larger for males. No doubt my pics were of males seeking females during breeding season. Like Greg I do not see a hunting seasons coming , but more likely a trapping season, and suspect it will be limited in first few years. Just my feeling from conversations with DNR employees. |
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Jan 28, 2024 11:12:22 GMT -5
Any hunter opposed to bobcat harvest should do some reading on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
If there is no biological reason that the bobcat population couldn’t sustain a controlled harvest, then on principle alone there should be a means of legal take, just like any other game. Shouldn’t matter whether any one hunter personally wants to take a bobcat or not, and we shouldn’t have to show any proof of the bobcats negative effect on other bird and small game species.
The is the NAMWC in action.
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Post by esshup on Jan 28, 2024 19:46:27 GMT -5
There is a way to control them now if they are a nuisance on your property the DNR will issue a permit to kill. Bobcats need to be controlled and managed like anything else including feral cat.……. personally I see a trapping season coming in a few years in needed areas of the state. Bobcats are a interesting critter. In 23 years living in Switz.Co, I have seen 1 while hunting, and only have 2 trail cam pics, yet know hunters 10 miles away that see them weekly. Home ranges are said to be 5 Sq miles for females, and up to 25 Sq miles or larger for males. No doubt my pics were of males seeking females during breeding season. Like Greg I do not see a hunting seasons coming , but more likely a trapping season, and suspect it will be limited in first few years. Just my feeling from conversations with DNR employees. If the bobcats are anything like Feral Cats, there are WAY more than you think. I saw 1 feral cat occasionally at my place. Then I hopped on the 4 wheeler in the spring and the chrome rim was rusted by a cat whizzing on it. Enough I said, and set a live trap. That year I caught 31 (29 toms, 2 females). The next year I caught 13 (11 Toms, 2 females) and this year I have caught 1 female. I am seeing more rabbits and turkeys, and the mouse problem hasn't changed one bit. |
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Jan 29, 2024 7:34:11 GMT -5
My bother's farm is loaded with bobcats. I see them about 30% of my sits. Sometimes two or more per a sit. This year it seems a little less, but I think the neighbors dog moved them out of the big valley.
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Post by tony on Jan 30, 2024 14:21:07 GMT -5
I remember hunting Kentucky about 20+ years ago when they had their 1st bobcat season. They were so worried about over harvesting that they made it difficult to harvest one. Then if you shot one you had to contact Fish and Wildlife to come to you and GPS the exact location of harvest and take blood samples . As soon as harvest numbers were so high the season would end even though it was a short season already. Now the population has gone up so much that you can take 3 per person with a gun and a total of 5 / season total if you trap and the season has been extended to 3 months.
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Post by parkerbow on Jan 30, 2024 15:34:51 GMT -5
In my neck of the woods in Perry County, we have an abundance of bobcats. I see several every year when I am out deer hunting and get a lot of pictures on my cameras on several different properties. They can do it like they did the river otter. Allow a trapper to trap 2 bobcats a season up until a quota is reached and then close the season. Or just have a shorter trapping season for them.
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Post by greghopper on Jan 30, 2024 16:51:23 GMT -5
Any hunter opposed to bobcat harvest should do some reading on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. If there is no biological reason that the bobcat population couldn’t sustain a controlled harvest, then on principle alone there should be a means of legal take, just like any other game. Shouldn’t matter whether any one hunter personally wants to take a bobcat or not, and we shouldn’t have to show any proof of the bobcats negative effect on other bird and small game species. The is the NAMWC in action. What does North American Model of Wildlife Conservation state? Wildlife Should Only be Killed for a Legitimate Purpose: Individuals may legally kill certain wild animals under strict guidelines for food and fur, self-defense, and property protection. Laws prohibit the casual killing of wildlife merely for antlers, horns or feathers or the wanton waste of game meat.Apr 4, 2022 |
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Post by span870 on Jan 31, 2024 7:43:24 GMT -5
Bobcats are a interesting critter. In 23 years living in Switz.Co, I have seen 1 while hunting, and only have 2 trail cam pics, yet know hunters 10 miles away that see them weekly. Home ranges are said to be 5 Sq miles for females, and up to 25 Sq miles or larger for males. No doubt my pics were of males seeking females during breeding season. Like Greg I do not see a hunting seasons coming , but more likely a trapping season, and suspect it will be limited in first few years. Just my feeling from conversations with DNR employees. If the bobcats are anything like Feral Cats, there are WAY more than you think. I saw 1 feral cat occasionally at my place. Then I hopped on the 4 wheeler in the spring and the chrome rim was rusted by a cat whizzing on it. Enough I said, and set a live trap. That year I caught 31 (29 toms, 2 females). The next year I caught 13 (11 Toms, 2 females) and this year I have caught 1 female. I am seeing more rabbits and turkeys, and the mouse problem hasn't changed one bit. They are not. Feral cats kill to kill, bobcats to eat. I encourage anyone that thinks bobcats are decimating any population of animals especially deer or turkeys to actually read studies done by states with high concentration of bobcats and especially high concentration of bobcats and coyotes. See how their diet changes when coyotes are present. State of Georgia is a good one. States with huge bobcat numbers and prolific seasons so they aren't doing studies to stop hunting. Not what my brothers cousin neighbors sister said. Not what I knows is happening. People want to kill them, knock yourself out but its not going to do a tiny bit of difference on bringing back whatever animal that you think the bobcat is killing. I'll take science over guessing. |
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Post by INhuntin on Jan 31, 2024 18:49:23 GMT -5
They want us to stop the bill?? LOL
Down here in SW Indiana we have a lot of bobcats, almost as many as coyotes.
The squirrels have taking a large hit & I would bet the rabbit & turkeys have been hit hard too. I don't know because I don't hunt those.
Let the hunting begin is what I say.
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Post by span870 on Jan 31, 2024 21:37:26 GMT -5
They want us to stop the bill?? LOL Down here in SW Indiana we have a lot of bobcats, almost as many as coyotes. The squirrels have taking a large hit & I would bet the rabbit & turkeys have been hit hard too. I don't know because I don't hunt those. Let the hunting begin is what I say. No where near as many bobcats as you do coyotes. Not even close. Plenty of rabbits and turkeys in southern indiana. I hunt lawrence and orange. Definitely not a loss of squirrel either. It's not the cats. It's the habitat and as far as turkeys, look to nest robbing predators and habitat |
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Post by tynimiller on Feb 1, 2024 9:02:46 GMT -5
They want us to stop the bill?? LOL Down here in SW Indiana we have a lot of bobcats, almost as many as coyotes. The squirrels have taking a large hit & I would bet the rabbit & turkeys have been hit hard too. I don't know because I don't hunt those. Let the hunting begin is what I say. No where near as many bobcats as you do coyotes. Not even close. Plenty of rabbits and turkeys in southern indiana. I hunt lawrence and orange. Definitely not a loss of squirrel either. It's not the cats. It's the habitat and as far as turkeys, look to nest robbing predators and habitat Span this and your other above post are spot on. Science backs the concepts you are espousing and truthfully while I'm all for allowing the IDNR to create somekind of trapping season for bobcats, I also don't think folks understand truthfully what governs the vast majority of animal populations is rarely if ever predator related to the degreet they apply to them. Habitat loss - and NO for those reading this, I'm not talking just development into homes, industries or recreational ground...loss of habitat is also thanks to the maturation of woods into good habitat deserts when it comes to what they provide all kinds of animals. Populations shift dramatically...as timber turns into massive park like woods your bunny population will go down as the food and cover leaves the forest floor...with them fewer predators of them will desire to live in the area....likewise amount of deer which can be supported changes and the time of year where they may still use it shifts....BUT some types of insects and bats and squirrels (tree dependent) will see their population in the area increase. Hunters today are simply growing way too one track minded I fear in that they think only a bullet or broadhead impact animal populations....and some add in a bulldozer. Otherwise they fail to see one of the most pivotal parts of it all... |
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on Feb 1, 2024 10:12:37 GMT -5
They want us to stop the bill?? LOL Down here in SW Indiana we have a lot of bobcats, almost as many as coyotes. The squirrels have taking a large hit & I would bet the rabbit & turkeys have been hit hard too. I don't know because I don't hunt those. Let the hunting begin is what I say. No where near as many bobcats as you do coyotes. Not even close. Plenty of rabbits and turkeys in southern indiana. I hunt lawrence and orange. Definitely not a loss of squirrel either. It's not the cats. It's the habitat and as far as turkeys, look to nest robbing predators and habitat I don’t know how the bobcats/coyotes stack up population wise in my area, but I do know that with about a dozen cameras out I get bobcat pics 10 to 1 over coyotes. |
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Post by Ahawkeye on Feb 1, 2024 20:52:32 GMT -5
This hunter supports a bobcat season! In my area there is a huntable population no need to not hunt/ trap them. I realize all of Indiana is not the same but there's enty to go around here.
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