Michigan is studying its Bobcat population to determine if they have recovered sufficiently in the central part of the state so as to determine if an annual hunt can be instituted.........Always find it fascinating that our system of state wildlife financing is singularly centered on how many hunting licenses are sold.............As discussed often on these pages, until we find a way to staff State Game Commisisons with a variety of citizens representing all walks of life and not just hunters, ranchers, farmers and miners, all of our wild creatures are going to continue to be managed like "game crops", thus the term "HARVEST" is so often utilized by hunters and wildlife managers.............The word sanitizes and distorts how all of us should be viewing hunting and management of our wildlife populations

Dept. Ntl Resources is Tracking State's Bobcat Population

 Bao Vang

 Hunters in northern Wisconsin are currently harvesting a variety of animals right now, including the bobcat. But, the hunt could be open to the central and southern parts of thestate in the future, depending on the results of a current DNR study.

The agency is teaming up with a wildlife bioligist at University ofWisconsin - Stevens Point to capture images of the animal. And,they're using scat-detecting dogs to collect the animal's waste to study its DNA."The whole idea behind tracking the bobcats is that the DNR and otheruser groups are interested in knowing is there a big enough population in Central Wisconsin to have a harvest," said Dr. Eric Anderson. "But,before you can even think about a harvest, you have to know how manyanimals are out there."

The DNR says the interest in harvesting bobcats north of Highway 64has dramatically increased over the past decade. In 2009, more than13,000 hunters and trappers applied for a permit, only 475 people
received one.