Illinois bobcat season concludes with 290 harvested; Macoupin had 15
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March 16, 2022
The 2021-2022 Illinois bobcat season concluded Feb. 15 with 290 bobcats harvested by hunters and trappers.
A total of 174 (56 percent) of bobcats were taken by hunting, while trapping accounted for 116 (37 percent) of the harvest. Twenty-three (7 percent) were salvaged by permit holders from circumstances such as road kill.
Hunters and trappers in Jefferson County reported 17 bobcats, which was the most for any county this year. Macoupin County was second with 15 bobcats harvested – one by archery, 10 by gun, and four were trapped. Only one bobcat was harvested in Madison County and that was by salvage.
There were more than 6,000 bobcat lottery applicants in 2021, and 1,000 permits were issued for the season. The bobcat harvest from the 2020-2021 season was 339, with 22 salvaged.
The IDNR appreciates the support of hunters, trappers and IDNR staff who collected jaws for the bobcat research project at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The IDNR continues to monitor the status of bobcats and will evaluate the program as new data become available from ongoing research. For more information about bobcat hunting and trapping, visit https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/trapping/Pages/Bobcat-Hunting-and-Trapping.aspx.
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