The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is the only native wild cat species found in Illinois. This medium-sized predator, characterized by its tufted ears and short, “bobbed” tail, helps control populations of smaller mammals like rabbits and rodents. Understanding the status and abundance of the bobcat population is a primary focus for wildlife managers, as its presence signals the overall health of forested and brushy habitats across the landscape. The species’ recovery from near extirpation to widespread presence is a major conservation success story in the state.
Population Estimates and Recovery Trends
The history of bobcats in Illinois involves a dramatic decline followed by a significant comeback. By the mid-1900s, bobcats were nearly eliminated due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting, leading to their listing as a state threatened species in 1977. Protection under the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, combined with habitat improvements and a ban on harvest, allowed the population to begin a slow recovery, starting primarily in the remote southern counties. The bobcat was officially removed from the state’s threatened species list in 1999.
The population has continued to expand and increase in density throughout the 21st century. Earlier IDNR estimates placed the statewide population at 5,000 individuals, but recent research suggests the number could be as high as 23,600 animals. This robust population is colonizing new areas, a trend evident in harvest data collected since the regulated season began. While density remains highest in the southern third of the state, continued growth confirms high survival rates and reproductive success, pushing expansion into central and northern Illinois.
Where Bobcats Live in Illinois
Bobcats are now found in nearly all of Illinois’ 102 counties, though distribution is uneven. The most robust populations are concentrated in Southern Illinois, particularly in the forested, rugged terrain near major river drainages like the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. These areas historically provided the largest blocks of suitable habitat, helping the species survive its lowest population levels. Counties in the extreme south, such as Union, Jackson, and Johnson, consistently report the highest numbers of sightings and captures.
The preferred habitat is a mix of cover types, including wooded bluffs, brushy thickets, and rolling hills with open fields for hunting. Bobcats utilize dense understory for cover and denning sites, and riparian zones are important for foraging. As the population expanded, bobcats demonstrated an ability to adapt to fragmented agricultural landscapes in central and northern Illinois. They utilize smaller woodlots and brushy ravines within a matrix of farmland, focusing expansion along river corridors and remnant forest patches.
How Wildlife Biologists Count Bobcats
Counting a solitary, elusive predator like the bobcat requires advanced field techniques and citizen science data. One effective method is the use of spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models, which rely on a network of remote-sensing camera traps. Cameras capture images of bobcats, which are individually identified by their unique coat spot patterns, similar to a fingerprint. The location of the capture, combined with the rate of recapture, allows biologists to estimate population density within the surveyed area.
Biologists also employ radio-telemetry by fitting captured bobcats with GPS or VHF tracking collars to monitor their movements and survival. This technique provides data on home range size, habitat use, and mortality factors. Furthermore, long-term surveys of hunters and trappers, such as those conducted during the firearm deer season, provide valuable sighting data that track distribution and relative abundance trends.
Harvest data, collected through the regulated hunting and trapping season, provides another direct measure of the population. When a bobcat is legally taken, data on its age, sex, and location are collected. This information is crucial for modeling the population’s growth rate and overall stability. These diverse methods help account for the challenges of counting a low-density animal for management decisions.
Conservation Status and Management
Following successful recovery, bobcats transitioned from a protected species to a managed furbearer under the Illinois Wildlife Code. This paved the way for the implementation of a regulated harvest season in 2016, the first in over 40 years. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) manages this season as a tool to maintain a healthy and sustainable population while offering opportunities for hunters and trappers.
Management is accomplished through a lottery system where a limited number of bobcat hunting and trapping permits are issued annually. The number of permits is tied to population research, ensuring the harvest does not cause a decline. For instance, the number of permits issued was doubled to 2,000 for the 2024-2025 season, reflecting confidence in the species’ growing numbers.
Any harvested bobcat must be registered, and a registration permit must be purchased, which includes a federal CITES tag for international trade regulation. Total annual takes, including roadkill salvaged by permit holders, remain relatively low. The primary management goal is to continue monitoring the population through harvest and research data to prevent the bobcat from ever returning to the threatened species list.