Bobcat's In Illinois - Revised
08-07-2015, 12:12 PM
#41
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
If someone private did it, there was certainly nothing published as far as a study or any approved release by the IDNR. That would be a matter of public record and would require approval from the commission. In other words, if someone did it privately, they did it by illegal means without any approval from the "powers that be". I love yote hunting and grew up Bobcat hunting so I follow all that kind of stuff very closely. And BTW, yep cats can and do relocate. They aren't typically "roamers" per say but when the food gets scarce they can and will move good distances and often times there will be quite a few cats moving at once.
Where would they have moved from?
08-07-2015, 01:41 PM
#42
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
No telling bud. It could be that where they HAD been had gotten overrun by Yotes being that is their main competitor in the food chain. They survive on primarily the same diet. If you guys are dropping the yote population down then that means less competition for the cats. Aint nature fun! I know in PA I used to see quite a few cats even though they had pretty low numbers statewide but when the yotes started coming back hard in PA I started seeing way less of the cats. Started killing a lot of yotes and started seeing more cats. Pretty sure PA's bag limit is still one cat per year. Seem's to be working out for them as they have a fairly stable cat population.
As far as the "powers that be" goes, like pretty much every other Government org. in this state, I'm sure it's corrupt but I highly doubt a Bobcat population increase would be high on their list. While an adult cat could take a yote on fairly easily and cut it to shreds, they tend to only fight them if cornered so bringing their population up to help with the yote population explosion here would be fairly pointless. And it is VERY rare for a Bobcat to take a fawn unless it is newborn. Taking on an angry Momma Doe would pretty much seal the fate of a Bobcat. Too much risk for the slight possibility of reward.
As far as the "powers that be" goes, like pretty much every other Government org. in this state, I'm sure it's corrupt but I highly doubt a Bobcat population increase would be high on their list. While an adult cat could take a yote on fairly easily and cut it to shreds, they tend to only fight them if cornered so bringing their population up to help with the yote population explosion here would be fairly pointless. And it is VERY rare for a Bobcat to take a fawn unless it is newborn. Taking on an angry Momma Doe would pretty much seal the fate of a Bobcat. Too much risk for the slight possibility of reward.
08-07-2015, 05:44 PM
#43
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 282
I'm not a biologist by any means, but I was under the impression that bobcats were pretty territorial. Once the population gets to a certain point, they start to wander, in search of unclaimed territory to occupy. If you think about it, they usually have 2 or 3 kittens every year, and how long has it been since it was legal to hunt them in illinois? It makes sense that they'd move up from the south and start occupying hill country along the rivers, because it resembles the hills in southern illinois they came from.
08-07-2015, 08:40 PM
#44
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
I'm not a biologist by any means, but I was under the impression that bobcats were pretty territorial. Once the population gets to a certain point, they start to wander, in search of unclaimed territory to occupy. If you think about it, they usually have 2 or 3 kittens every year, and how long has it been since it was legal to hunt them in illinois? It makes sense that they'd move up from the south and start occupying hill country along the rivers, because it resembles the hills in southern illinois they came from.
Funny story, My buddy released one from his yote trap a couple years ago and it ran up under his truck and got up on the axle and wouldn't come out.
08-09-2015, 04:23 PM
#45
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 282
It does make sense that they would gradually make a comeback in Pike Co but it doesn't make sense that they were all the sudden everywhere.
Funny story, My buddy released one from his yote trap a couple years ago and it ran up under his truck and got up on the axle and wouldn't come out.
Funny story, My buddy released one from his yote trap a couple years ago and it ran up under his truck and got up on the axle and wouldn't come out.
