INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — The Indiana Natural Resource Commission will have a public hearing on a proposal to increase the number of bobcats that are allowed to be recreationally trapped or trophy hunted in 40 counties in the state.
If this rule change is passed, the number of bobcats allowed to be hunted and trapped would increase from 250 to 400, a 60% increase. The season would start on Nov. 8 and run through Jan. 31, or until the quota is met, whichever is earlier, consistent with the 2025 season.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the hearing will be at 12:30 p.m. May 19 at Fort Harrison State Park in Lawrence. The meeting can also be attended virtually.
Comments can be mailed to: Natural Resources Commission, C/O Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Legal Division, 402 W. Washington Street, Room W-261, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The deadline for public comments during this first public comment period is May 19.
The nonprofit Humane World for Animals will be opposing the rule change at the hearing. It claims that the proposal lacks scientific evidence that justifies killing bobcats and that trapping bobcats inflicts extreme suffering on them. The organization also claims that the majority of public comments regarding the 2025 hunting season were in opposition.
Last year was the first time bobcats were allowed to be recreationally hunted in Indiana after being legally protected for decades.
