With population on rebound, bobcats may again be hunted in NH
Fish and Game considers return of bobcat season
New Hampshire's growing bobcat population may again be hunted in the state.
The state Fish and Game Commission voted Wednesday to have the department draw up a proposal of what a bobcat hunt would look like, despite protesters who attended the meeting to oppose the idea.
"We would prefer they continue the moratorium and not even consider this," said Suzanne Fournier, of Milford, who picketed with a handful of other opponents outside Fish and Game Headquarters Wednesday. "There are not too many bobcats and they are not causing trouble. The public has barely had a chance to see them."
"We want to pounce on this and stop it before it gets going," she added.
Kent Gustafson, who heads the wildlife division at the department gave an overview of results of a seven-year study on bobcats, conducted by UNH and the department.
It has shown that the elusive cats are returning to the state after almost becoming extinct in the state in the 1980s.
Fewer than 150 were believed to have survived, mostly in the southwestern part of the state, in 1989.
A University of New Hampshire survey now shows that between 800 and 1,200 bobcats live in the Granite State.
Gustafson also noted that the study has found 5,100 square miles of suitable habitat for the bobcat, mostly south of the White Mountains. In the far north, too much snow makes it hard for them to find enough food to survive winters, he noted.
He indicated that the number of bobcats is growing annually and there is likely "a harvestable surplus ... and some opportunity for a bobcat season down the road."
He gave numbers to indicate there is an increase of about 77 bobcats a year.
Members of the commission indicated they would like more information about habitat capacity and would like to look at more of the data from the study.
Commissioner David Patch moved to request the department come up with a proposal on what a bobcat season would look like so that they might consider a vote in the future months.
Vermont currently has a bobcat season.
Lead researcher John Litvaitis, a professor of natural resources and the environment at UNH, says several things have likely contributed to the rebound of the bobcat in New Hampshire, among which is the return of the wild turkey, which is a favorite prey. The other is the fact the state closed the hunting season for the cats in 1989.
The department staff will work on a development of a proposal which will need to go to a public hearing before the commission would vote on whether or not to return a bobcat hunting season to the state.