Indiana bobcat trapping subject to second public hearing

The Indiana Natural Resources Commission has opened its second public comment period for the upcoming bobcat trapping season, which is expected to begin next year.

This season, hailed by some and condemned by others, would allow Hoosiers to trap in 40 southern counties. Each trapper would be allowed one bobcat per season, and the rule would limit the statewide seasonal quota to 250 total bobcats.

State lawmakers passed a law this year requiring the DNR to establish rules on bobcat trapping by July 2025.

The open comment period is the second of two, with the first ending with a public hearing in Butlerville in November.

At the November meeting, opponents argued that bobcats are essential to balanced ecosystems and that current population data is not sufficient to justify opening a season. Supporters at the meeting said this season is necessary to protect livestock from dying bobcats.

Bobcats, once nearly extinct in the state, have been recovering since they were first placed on Indiana’s endangered species list in 1969. The state removed them from the list in 2005 after a surge in cases of road kills and other mortalities in the early 2000s, according to a former furbearer biologist. for the DNR.

Indiana has about 4,000 Hoosiers with trapping licenses, and state officials estimate that half of them would apply for a trapping license.

How to participate

The public comment period is open until January 16 when a public meeting will be held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Hoosiers can attend the meeting in person or online.

The public meeting will be held at Scott Hall at the fairgrounds, 250 Fairgrounds Street in Franklin. The live webcast will be broadcast at in.gov/nrc/rules/rulemaking-docket.

Comments may be made online at in.gov/nrc/rules/rulemaking-docket and by clicking “Submit Comments Here” in the rulemaking docket for the proposed Bobcat amendments.

Handwritten comments may be sent to: Natural Resources Commission – Division of Hearings, Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Ave. – Room N103, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Karl Schneider is an environmental reporter for IndyStar. You can reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk or BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social

The IndyStar Environmental Reporting Project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.