Southern Illinois will be a hot spot for the state’s first bobcat season in decades, and the state will start taking applications for 500 hunting and trapping permits next month.
“I would anticipate that the bulk of the harvest is going to come from southern Illinois,” Illinois Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Bob Bluett said.
Bluett estimates the statewide population on bobcats to be between 3,000 and 5,000 animals, and a map provided by the state shows Illinois' southernmost counties are home to the best bobcat habitats.
State lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner last year legalized a bobcat season, and the department’s new rules govern how it will work.
Starting Sept. 1, people who want a permit to hunt or trap a bobcat need to apply for a lottery for the 500 permits by Sept. 30. If not all 500 are claimed, they’ll be sold after the lottery.
The bobcat season starts in early November and runs through late January. A permit allows a person to take one bobcat, via hunting, trapping or collecting a roadkill cat.
A conservation spokesman said there’s been heavy interest in the permit process. Apply online at www.dnr.illinois.gov starting Sept. 1; applicants must pay $5 up front.
