(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana's first regulated bobcat trapping season has come to an early end. The Department of Natural Resources says the statewide quota of 250 bobcats has already been reached, prompting the immediate closure of the season, which was originally set to run through January 31.
The season limit was based on population data collected across the state, with wildlife officials closely tracking harvest numbers through new reporting systems.
DNR furbearer and gamebird program leader Geriann Albers says licensed trappers had "a successful first season," and the agency will now review what it learned to guide future bobcat management in Indiana. Confirmed bobcat sightings tend to cluster in southern and west-central Indiana. However, sightings have occurred elsewhere, including some northern counties. Because bobcats disperse, isolated individuals may travel long distances, so their presence in peripheral counties can occasionally be expected.More details on the season and regulations are available from Indiana's DNR here.