IA DNR: Iowa bobcat species info

The bobcat was found throughout Iowa at the time of European settlement. Although they were abundant in the early 1800’s, there was little mention of bobcats by the end of that century. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, they were present in all corners of Iowa as result of emigration from surrounding states but they were absent in the majority of the state. In 1977, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) developed the first list of endangered and threatened species and the bobcat was then listed as endangered.

Notable bobcat population increases have occurred since the mid-1980’s. In 2001, The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) downlisted the bobcat from endangered to threatened. In 2002 and 2003, DNR staff tallied sightings, roadkills, and incidental captures of bobcats statewide. This data indicated that bobcat numbers are increasing and can be considered common in southern Iowa. This information was presented to the Natural Resource Commission in March 2003. The DNR staff believed that the data warranted removal of the bobcat from the threatened list and that action took place, with unanimous vote at the NRC’s August, 2003 meeting. The legislative rules review committee accepted the NRC’s vote by following suit on 9-10-03. Bobcats are now removed from the endangered and threatened species list in Iowa, and classified as protected (no harvest by hunting and trapping). Now that the status of bobcats has been changed, the following statutes control their status and legal actions that may be taken (numbers refer to sections of the Iowa Code):

Bobcats are no longer listed as threatened under 481B.
Bobcats are defined as furbearer and receive complete protection except in the following circumstances:
During the legal seasons established by the Natural Resource Commission under 481A.1.
They could be dispatched under the protection of person or property language under 481A.87.
Liquidated damages for the illegal take will be reduced from $1000 to $50 under 481A.130.
If a harvest season is established, legally harvested bobcats exported from the state would have to be tagged under the CITES Act.
The return of bobcats to Iowa is a result of many factors. Populations in surroundings states are growing. Another reason might be the grassland and brushy habitats created by the Conservation Reserve Program. These habitats provide suitable food resources such as small mammals and rodents for the bobcats to feed upon as well as denning sites. Less human pressure on bobcats in states to the southwest of Iowa has also allowed bobcat numbers to increase in Iowa. It is rewarding to think that this magnificent animal has made a comeback on its own, with a little assistance from humankind. Conserving this increasingly common species is a great accomplishment as we move into the 21st Century.
Summary of the ISU/DNR cooperative bobcat research project.

For more information about the status of Iowa's wildlife populations, interested persons may want to look into the Wildlife Bureau's Trends in Iowa Wildlife Populations and Harvest.