370 bobcats hunted, trapped in Illinois in 2023-24

The 2023-24 Illinois bobcat season concluded Feb. 15 with 370 bobcats taken by hunters and trappers.

A total of 214 (55%) of bobcats were taken by hunting, while trapping accounted for 156 (40%) of the harvest. Nineteen (5%) were salvaged by permit holders from circumstances such as roadkill.

Hunters and trappers in Jo Daviess County, the state’s northwest corner, reported 19 bobcats, the most for any county this year. There were 7,000 bobcat lottery applicants in 2023 and 1,000 permits issued for the season.

No statistics were provided for the number of bobcats hunted or trapped in La Salle County or neighboring counties.

The bobcat harvest from the 2022-23 season was 367, with 16 salvaged.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources continues to monitor the status of bobcats and will evaluate the program as new data becomes available from ongoing research.

Visit dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/furbearers.html for information about bobcat hunting and trapping in Illinois.