Elusive bobcats making a rebound in New Hampshire
In this undated photo provided by the University of New Hampshire a young bobcat is seen in Lyndeborough, N.H. A four-year study by the University of New Hampshire and scientists from the state's Fish and Game Department shows that between 800 and 1,200 of the secretive cats now call the entire state home. That compares to between 100 and 150 bobcats in the mid-1980s that lived mainly amid the rocky outcroppings of rugged southwestern New Hampshire. (AP Photo/courtesy of University of New Hampshire, Mark Stevens)
Bobcats are making a rebound and stretching their legs in New Hampshire, according to a new study that says the elusive felines can now be found throughout the state.
The four-year survey by the University of New Hampshire and the state’s Fish and Game Department suggests that between 800 and 1,200 bobcats live in the state, including the southeastern corner.
That compares with an estimated mid-1980s population of 100 to 150 bobcats that scientists believe lived mainly amid the rocky outcroppings of rugged southwestern New Hampshire.
Lead researcher John Litvaitis, a professor of natural resources and the environment at the university in Durham, said several things likely contributed to the rebound: The state closed the hunting season for the cats in 1989, and there’s been an explosion in the number of wild turkeys in the state, a favorite meal of the bobcat.
And, Litvaitis said, it appears the cats are getting more comfortable with people: They’ve been observed stalking bird feeders to prey on squirrels.
“I thought I knew this animal really well,” Litvaitis said in a statement. “The idea that this animal does not do well with humans is being contradicted.”
Meade Cadot, naturalist emeritus at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, said if the numbers are as high as the study estimates, he’s encouraged by the apparent comeback. But he cautions the 1980s estimates may have been too low – because nobody was out looking for them – and the current estimates too high – because everybody’s out looking for them. He suggests that the cats were probably always scattered throughout the state and may be getting healthier as they’ve adapted their diets from mostly rabbits to chipmunks, squirrels and turkeys.
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“People were somewhat surprised by the bobcat numbers turning around,” Cadot said. “I think that’s because bobcats are a little more imaginative than we all thought. The food problem is not as big as originally thought.”
Bobcats are found throughout the United States, and some estimates put the total population at between 725,000 and 1 million. They can weigh up to 35 pounds and have a stubby tail that gives them their name.
The UNH study trapped 19 bobcats in the southwestern corner of the state near Keene and a southeastern stretch from Barrington to Gilford. Researchers tagged the cats to track their movements via satellite and took small tissue samples to study their DNA.
The study also used residents as spotters who sent photos and descriptions of sightings to the project’s website, and recruited 100 volunteers to set up motion-activated wildlife cameras. The cameras were a huge success, leading to more than 1,000 observations.
Litvaitis said there were 200 calls within the first two weeks of the announcement, compared with 90 sightings statewide from 1990 to 2004.
- In this undated photo provided by the University of New Hampshire a young bobcat is seen in Lyndeborough, N.H. A four-year study by the University of New Hampshire and scientists from the state's Fish and Game Department shows that between 800 and 1,200 of the secretive cats now call the entire state home. That compares to between 100 and 150 bobcats in the mid-1980s that lived mainly amid the rocky outcroppings of rugged southwestern New Hampshire. (AP Photo/courtesy of University of New Hampshire, Mark Stevens)
Bobcats are making a rebound and stretching their legs in New Hampshire, according to a new study that says the elusive felines can now be found throughout the state.
The four-year survey by the University of New Hampshire and the state’s Fish and Game Department suggests that between 800 and 1,200 bobcats live in the state, including the southeastern corner.
That compares with an estimated mid-1980s population of 100 to 150 bobcats that scientists believe lived mainly amid the rocky outcroppings of rugged southwestern New Hampshire.
Lead researcher John Litvaitis, a professor of natural resources and the environment at the university in Durham, said several things likely contributed to the rebound: The state closed the hunting season for the cats in 1989, and there’s been an explosion in the number of wild turkeys in the state, a favorite meal of the bobcat.
And, Litvaitis said, it appears the cats are getting more comfortable with people: They’ve been observed stalking bird feeders to prey on squirrels.
“I thought I knew this animal really well,” Litvaitis said in a statement. “The idea that this animal does not do well with humans is being contradicted.”
Meade Cadot, naturalist emeritus at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, said if the numbers are as high as the study estimates, he’s encouraged by the apparent comeback. But he cautions the 1980s estimates may have been too low – because nobody was out looking for them – and the current estimates too high – because everybody’s out looking for them. He suggests that the cats were probably always scattered throughout the state and may be getting healthier as they’ve adapted their diets from mostly rabbits to chipmunks, squirrels and turkeys.
“People were somewhat surprised by the bobcat numbers turning around,” Cadot said. “I think that’s because bobcats are a little more imaginative than we all thought. The food problem is not as big as originally thought.”
Bobcats are found throughout the United States, and some estimates put the total population at between 725,000 and 1 million. They can weigh up to 35 pounds and have a stubby tail that gives them their name.
The UNH study trapped 19 bobcats in the southwestern corner of the state near Keene and a southeastern stretch from Barrington to Gilford. Researchers tagged the cats to track their movements via satellite and took small tissue samples to study their DNA.
The study also used residents as spotters who sent photos and descriptions of sightings to the project’s website, and recruited 100 volunteers to set up motion-activated wildlife cameras. The cameras were a huge success, leading to more than 1,000 observations.
Litvaitis said there were 200 calls within the first two weeks of the announcement, compared with 90 sightings statewide from 1990 to 2004.
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