November 2023 • Nebraskaland 41
a few Nebraska counties. The counties
without bobcat reports are mostly
covered with corn and soybeans and
void of wooded creek bottoms and tall
grasses.
During the population surge,
the bobcat harvest particularly
skyrocketed in the southeastern part
of the state where few cats had been
reported in years prior. The successful
harvest has continued there and
moved into the south-central and
southwestern regions.
In the agency's most recent
reporting period, Harlan, Red Willow
(the location of my brother's sighting
years ago) and Furnas counties on
the state's southern border had the
highest harvest density, ranging from
5.7 to 7 per 100 square miles.
The bobcats' appearance varies
by region and time of year and the
individual. The fur is generally
considered to be more attractive, soft
and consequently valuable the farther
north and west they reside.
"A lot of the cats in the southeastern
part of the state are orange and gray,
and you don't even see spots until you
look close, although a few do have the
classic dark spots," Wilson said.
The season for hunting and trapping
bobcats runs from Dec. 1 through the
end of February, when their pelts are
prime. A fur harvesting permit and
habitat stamp are required to kill
them. Anyone who harvests a bobcat
must contact Game and Parks to
have it registered and tagged for the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora.
"This is done in part to ensure
legally harvested bobcat pelts are
not confused with similar pelts of
protected endangered species, like
Iberian lynx," Wilson said. "This also
allows the Commission to accurately
determine how many bobcats are
harvested each year to ensure the
species is properly managed."
Sound management will ensure
sightings of the species occur for
generations to come. And excitement
will always be justified when
encountering the elusive, handsome
bobcat, whether it be the Pine Ridge,
the bluffs of the Missouri River, or an
abandoned farmstead in Red Willow
County.
N
A bobcat walks along a cliff in the Pine Ridge, which for many years was one of the few places the species could be
found in Nebraska. Now, it's widely distributed throughout the state. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
