Bobcat hunt - best area?

J

jefo65

New member
My hunting partner and myself have been seriously thinking about trying our luck with some bobcat. Illinois has very few cats and no season for them. Just looking to be pointed in the right direction, either guided or not. Just doing some of the early footwork trying to choose an area to start out with.
 
I don't know the landscape of IL but out west they can be about anywhere. I live in MT and have seen them on the wide open prarie, river bottoms, and in the rimrocks. They love brush, like slash piles after a logging operation. You might want to contact your state biologist and see what info he (or she) might have as far as sightings or reasearch areas. I'm no cat pro but I have taken a few. Hope this helps and good luck.
 
Illinois is out of the question.....I was hoping to find out what states you'd recommend along with access types. Again, we're not opposed to hiring a guide if needed.
 
Im not a big bobcat hunter but Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas come to mind. Access types... not sure
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Like I said I'm no cat pro, but I would have to say that TX,AZ, and NM probably have the highest #s. If your a capeable predator hunter I would look into public lands in those states. The money you'd spend on an outfitter could be spent on extending your days in the field. JMO
 
I agree on TX, AZ, and NM as state choices. Oklahoma is a state for cats, as well. The challenge with cats, is that most states consider them furbearers with seasons and licenses. Furbearer licenses are generally pricey, as they also cover trappers, whom harvest quite a few animals.

When hunters come with me and want a bobcat, I take them to TX and don't even mess with my home state of NM. The non-res furbearer license in NM is $350. Cats are not considered furbearers in TX and you can hunt them for $48 on a temp license. I don't know what the AZ laws are on cats. I know OK has a season and the license was like $100, if I remember.

There's public land in AZ and NM, and a little bit in OK. Texas is primarly private ground.

Hope this helps...Tony

Tony
 
They like thick cover around streams and what not with rocky out crops. Normally the thicker the better. In my area they like to stick to the thick swampy black spruce areas.
 
I'm no expert, but every one I've called [8] that I've seen, has been in thick brushey area's, especially along streams & old beaver ponds.
 
Missouri has quite a lot of bobcats too. This was the first year that I have really got into predator hunting. All together I have called 7 bobcats and we have killed 3 of them. Most of my sets were for coyotes and I was hunting in more open field areas when I called them in. If I were to spend more time in better habitat for bobcats I think I could have called in a lot more of the cats.Also from my deer stands this year I have seen another 5 cats including one giant tom. Here is a link that should give you some info on Missouri bobcats.

http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/18759.pdf

Where in Ill do you live?
 
I live in Morris kinda on the Grundy/Lasalle county line. Not sure how well ya know the state. If ya look 15 miles west of Joliet on I80,...that's me.
 
Oklahoma may have a good population of bobcats, but they are not very pretty, therefore, not worth much. If you want a really pretty spotted cat check out where the bobcat furs are bringing the best prices. You might get a good cat here, but they are rare.
 
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