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Insight Horizon Media

Is it illegal to shoot a bobcat?

Author

Christopher Anderson

Published Feb 27, 2026

Is it illegal to shoot a bobcat?

Bobcats are classified as predatory and furbearing animals. A valid hunting license is required, except in the case of depredation (killing of livestock) removal. The possession of live bobcats is illegal.

Is there a bobcat season?

Bobcat Season Ends 12/31/2019 Pursuant to Assembly Bill 1254 (Kamlager-Dove, Chapter 766, Statutes of 2019), bobcat hunting will be prohibited in California beginning January 1, 2020. Bobcat tags will expire on December 31, 2019. Bobcat tag fees are not refundable.

Is it legal to shoot a bobcat in Illinois?

Hunters and trappers must possess a Bobcat Hunting and Trapping Permit BEFORE taking or attempting to take a bobcat. Applications will be available online only at during Sept. 1-30. Applicants must submit a $5 non-refundable fee.

Is it legal to shoot a bobcat in NC?

Bobcats can be hunted during the regulated hunting season. However, check to see if local ordinances restrict the discharge of firearms and visit for hunting season dates, license requirements, and other restrictions. The WRC is looking for skulls from harvested bobcats.

What kills a bobcat?

The most common predator of the adult bobcat is man. Hunters are allowed to hunt bobcats in some areas. Mountain Lions and Wolves are also predators. The bobcat kittens have other predators including owls, eagles, coyotes and foxes.

Is owning a bobcat legal?

Bobcats are not legal as pets without a permit (only provided to educators, zoos, research, animal sanctuaries, etc.) in most states. Recently, many states are joining the ranks of outlawing everything feline except domesticated cats despite minimal public safety issues.

Can Bobcats breed with domestic cats?

Domestic cat × bobcat (Lynx rufus): There are reports of bobcats breeding with domestic cats, but evidence of offspring remains circumstantial and anecdotal. Their interfertility is yet to be proven scientifically.

How many bobcats are in Illinois?

In Illinois the population is estimated to be around 2,252 bobcats and increasing, the study found. But the Illinois Bobcat Foundation believes the population could actually be as high as 5,000.

Do mountain lions live in Illinois?

No longer are there populations of bears, mountain lions and wolves in Illinois. But that’s not to say individual examples of these long-vanished species won’t occasionally appear in Illinois.

What is the home range of a bobcat?

A female bobcat’s territory ranges about 6 square miles while a male may range 60 miles. Bobcats can live up to 10 years.

What are bobcats natural enemies?