Lawmaker renews attempt to approve bobcat hunting in Indiana

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources abandoned a 2018 attempt to create a bobcat hunting season amid strong opposition, but a new bill in the legislature is bringing the proposal back to life — again.

A bill in 2019 also attempted to open hunting for bobcats, but it died, too. Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, hopes this year will be different.

Baldwin, who describes himself as an avid outdoorsman, said he doesn't want the bobcat population to grow to the detriment of other species, such as Cottontail rabbits.

"It's a voiced concern in southern and southwestern Indiana pretty regularly," said Baldwin, who represents portions of Hamilton County and authored Senate Bill 241.

"We are trying to create an ecosystem that all works together," he added.

This bill, if approved, will not automatically establish a hunting season. Rather, it directs DNR to start the rulemaking process and reach a decision by summer 2025. The bill would leave it to DNR to determine rules, as well a season dates, what counties would be open, how many bobcats a hunter could take, and the method of killing bobcats.

While Baldwin is leaving details to DNR, because he "trusts their science," the lawmaker noted the agency has many people of varying opinions and sometimes needs a push: "The state agency isn't necessarily sure there is a need, and the definition of need is an interesting concept."

That question of need is exactly what leads others around the state — including some hunters — to oppose the bill.

Bobcats are the only resident native wild cat in Indiana. They are more common in southern Indiana, but their numbers north of I-70 are growing, according to the DNR website page on bobcats.

"Opening up the chance to kill Indiana's only remaining native wild cat for a trophy should not be an issue our legislators are prioritizing," said Samantha Chapman, the Indiana State Director of the Humane Society of the United States.

"The message from Hoosiers has been loud and clear: protect Indiana's bobcats," she added.

Greg Hopper, an avid hunter, said he would like to see data to support the season.

"I'm not sure why the DNR has to be told to make a season, let the professionals decide," Hopper said. "But I just don't think they are as big of a nuisance as some think they are."

A survey conducted by Purdue University in fall 2022 included roughly 275 hunters and trappers across Indiana. The results indicated they somewhat agree to the creation of a bobcat hunting and/or trapping season. However, more respondents were in favor of a trapping season.

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Some other states including Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have hunting seasons for bobcats. Since pulling its hunting proposed in 2018, DNR has not made any efforts, legislatively or through rule making, to revisit the idea.

In 2019, DNR told IndyStar in a statement that it did not "have the scientific data to support a sustainable bobcat season." DNR did not answer IndyStar's question about current data. The agency also declined to reveal its stance on SB 241.

The bobcat was recognized as an endangered species in the state until 2005. Since then its numbers have been growing, based on reported sightings, but it can be difficult to study because the cat is elusive and hard to count. That is why some environmental and wildlife advocates say sightings is a poor measure to determine if bobcats should be hunted and where.

Baldwin said he recognizes the importance of the bobcat to Indiana and is happy to see they have been recovering over the years.

"We want to make sure they stay a conservation success story and not a conservation horror story," he said. "We don't want to have an issue where we waited too long to take action."

The bill has been assigned to the Senate Natural Resources Committee and is scheduled for a hearing during the Thursday meeting that begins at 1:30 p.m.

Baldwin also authored another hunting bill, SB 189, that would permit the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle with infrared abilities to locate and recover a legally taken animal. That bill is scheduled to be heard during Thursday morning's Senate Commerce and Technology hearing.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: New bill asks DNR to create season for bobcat hunting in Indiana