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Bobcat hunting could expand as numbers grow upstate
ALBANY — New York wildlife officials have proposed expanded hunting for bobcats as their population continues to grow upstate.
The Department of Environmental Conservation estimates there are 5,000 bobcats in New York.
That population is growing even in areas where killing bobcats has been allowed since the 1970s.
The agency is taking public comment until April 5 on plans to open several areas in the Southern Tier for hunting and trapping, and make some changes to the seasons for both of those activities.
so, should we allow hunting just because there is recovery? After all, two things contributed to their decline in NY... habitat destruction... and over-hunting.
Risk it again? Or wait until they become a pest problem?
I would definitely wait till they become a problem. I have yet to hear reports of any nuisance problems. I don't think 5000 of a species is a stable population.
However funny, the other day I saw a video from Texas I believe in which two bobcats were on someones front lawn in a very suburban area having words with one another.
“There’s an inconsequentiality to our lives that living in the wilderness shows up. Mountain are real, they set their limits, they set ours. They expose us, make us vulnerable and strong at the same time. “ --Alison Wat