The Indiana Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is seeking public feedback on a plan to allow limited, regulated bobcat trapping in 40 southern Indiana counties. The proposal stems from Senate Enrolled Act 241, which requires the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish bobcat harvesting rules by July 2025.

The proposed rules would limit each trapper to one bobcat and cap the total season harvest at 250. It also allows for the sale of legally acquired bobcats and their parts, permits the keeping of dead bobcats with a permit, and requires a game breeder’s license to keep them.

Research from the DNR and Purdue University shows the bobcat population has grown over the past two decades and can sustain regulated trapping. Public comments are open until November 14, 2024, with a hearing on the same day at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center in Butlerville, live-streamed online. More information is available on the DNR’s website.