# Bobcat changes



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I guess this will help with the fiasco from last year. Unlimited tags, 6 tags per person. Sounds pretty good to me. Only problem I see is more people picking up trapping which I guess isn't to bad. I will just have to get to my spots earlier. What's everyone's thought?http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/ar...on-growing-more-chances-to-hunt/#.U9EUt41dWwn


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I hope it gets more people out trapping. Odds are they wont catch bobcat, but hopefully they will catch a bunch of skunks, *****, and feral cats in the process.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Bax* said:


> I hope it gets more people out trapping. Odds are they wont catch bobcat, but hopefully they will catch a bunch of skunks, *****, and feral cats in the process.


That will probably be me!!!!! Caught 6 skunks 4 ***** and 2 ferral cats last year!;-)


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Thats great news though! Thin those little egg snatchers out for us. I bet you still had fun catching them though (although cleaning traps after catching a skunk SUCKS)


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Bax* said:


> Thats great news though! Thin those little egg snatchers out for us. I bet you still had fun catching them though (although cleaning traps after catching a skunk SUCKS)


The ***** are a blast to catch, the other 2 not so much especially skunks! Wife wouldn't let me in the house until I stripped down and pretty much burnt my clothes!!


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

I can see that proposal being an issue next year. I can see more being killed this year than expected and a drastic reduction in tags for several years. It was bad last year the way the tags went but I don't think we need unlimited tags.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

My thought would of been a harvest objective type system. I think that way they could still control the numbers harvested and still give everyone a chance to hunt/trap.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

I was talking to Al Morris in Feb on the way home from New Mexico. He had a good idea, let everyone have 1-2 tags and any left over sell online until they are gone.


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## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

I think it's a good idea... I'm not going to go out and trap one.. but if I had a tag or two and came across one, I'd shoot it.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

I just remembered that about 6-7 years back they let people get 10 permits. There were so many bobcats caught that they dropped it to 6 tags then to 3. I can definitely see it happening again. As upset as I am that I did not get a tag last year, I think their idea is bad.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Bobcat populations may be increasing in some parts of the state but I'm not seeing it here on the Cache/Ogden units. The bobcat population is as low as I can remember here in the Bear River Range...and I've been chasing and trapping the critters since the early 70's. Too bad they can't divide the state into regions and take a few more cats out of the areas that are doing well and keep some restrictions on those areas where they seem to be struggling.


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

mikevanwilder said:


> I guess this will help with the fiasco from last year. Unlimited tags, 6 tags per person. Sounds pretty good to me. Only problem I see is more people picking up trapping which I guess isn't to bad. I will just have to get to my spots earlier. What's everyone's thought?http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/ar...on-growing-more-chances-to-hunt/#.U9EUt41dWwn


Here comes the "just cause your trap was there first doesn't make it your "spot" argument. I'm trapping A LOT for the first time this year, but only after considerable research and acquiring gear over the last two years. I'm excited to give it a try and glad to see more opportunity on the bobcats for everyone. Sad part, not all newbies will take the time to learn how to trap and that means more educated critters. Oh well, still looking forward to it!


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Never seen a bobcat in the wild,seen pretty much everything else(except no Utah wolf videos);-)


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

My in-laws came home one evening and started unloading groceries into the fridge. My father-in-law heard a hiss, thinking it was an upset house cat, he then looked up and saw that a bobcat was on his fridge. After about having a heart attack he shot it with his sidearm. They got rid of the pet door within that same week. True story. He lives in Ridgway Colorado.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> My in-laws came home one evening and started unloading groceries into the fridge. My father-in-law heard a hiss, thinking it was an upset house cat, he then looked up and saw that a bobcat was on his fridge. After about having a heart attack he shot it with his sidearm. They got rid of the pet door within that same week. True story. He lives in Ridgway Colorado.


That is one heck of a story! :shock:


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I am heading down there this next week. I will see if I can get a picture of it. He showed it to me before.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

klbzdad said:


> Here comes the "just cause your trap was there first doesn't make it your "spot" argument. I'm trapping A LOT for the first time this year, but only after considerable research and acquiring gear over the last two years. I'm excited to give it a try and glad to see more opportunity on the bobcats for everyone. Sad part, not all newbies will take the time to learn how to trap and that means more educated critters. Oh well, still looking forward to it!


Don't get me wrong I by no means think that if I get there first its my area only. Just as a trapper if I see someones set in an area I will move on to another. I have only been trapping now going into my 3rd year.


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

Can someone get a tag with out the furbearers course I don't want to trap but to hunt them with dogs


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

chukarflusher said:


> Can someone get a tag with out the furbearers course I don't want to trap but to hunt them with dogs


 If you were born before dec 1984 you don't need to take the course, but you still need to buy a furbearer permit.


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

I was born 11 days after that


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

So Jan 11th 1985? Then yep you would have to take the class. Which really isn't a bad thing, a lot of good info can be gained from the class.


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

Yep that's it is info for the classes in the Dwr website I'm not interested in trapping I don't have the free time but would love to run some with the dogs


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## pibjr (Dec 5, 2013)

The bobcat harvest doesn't fluctuate that much. Read through the bobcat management plan sometime and you can see what their thinking is. The second link is the bobcat trapping harvest statistics from 1982 - 2013.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/furbearer/pdf/bobcat_plan.pdf

http://wildlife.utah.gov/furbearer/pdf/harvest_12-13.pdf


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Cat.....the other white meat


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

Past data doesn't fluctuate much but that info is based on a limited number of tags issued. Not based on any data with 6 tags issued to everyone that wants them. I think you will see an increase in the numbers this year


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## elkantlers (Feb 27, 2014)

I really don't see the harvest being much greater than it has been in the past. Alot of people don't fill all of their tags now. You can give some people 100 tags and they will still only catch one or two. I helped at the sale the last several years and there a many people that only bring in one or two cats.


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## pelican (Mar 29, 2012)

Does anyone know how many were taken last year compared to the last few years. I talked with people all winter that had bought tags and we're just hoping to have one come in while calling or trapping for coyotes. Most people I talked with had only recently bought a call or a few traps because of the bounty on dogs and the pelt price of a cat. Very few had taken dogs and I haven't talked to anyone that had taken a cat, that hadn't been doing this for awhile. Just makes me wonder if this year the interest will be down.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

So word is that at the Southern RAC meeting last night, they agreed on the 6 tags a person. But they want to increase the price to $15, reasoning is "because last year people paid it with no problems."-O,- Sounds like the "ERROR" last year wasn't really an error but a test. This info is coming from the UTA facebook page.


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## pibjr (Dec 5, 2013)

I am going to suggest to the RAC that they ask the poor girls working the windows and answering phones the morning tags went on sale if people were willingly paying the $15.00.

As far as the 6 tags per person and unlimited number of tags wiping out the states bobcat population, Look at the links I posted above.
The average for the past 31 seasons has been 1.7 cats per person with a one time high of 3.


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