Gov. Braun should listen to the science on bobcat hunting quota

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Dear Editor:

Indiana DNR wants to raise the annual bobcat kill quota from 250 to 400 – a 60 percent jump – and they’re doing it without any real data on how last year’s first-ever trapping season actually affected the population. Trappers already killed 253 bobcats last season, blowing past the original 250 cap. If the quota goes to 400, there’s no telling how many will actually be taken.

There’s no science backing a jump this big. In fact, DNR’s own population model shows that killing 400 bobcats a year could push the species toward local extinction in Indiana within a decade. That’s not wildlife management – that’s a gamble with a species we only recently got back. Bobcats are the only native wildcat Indiana has left. They do real work keeping rodent and rabbit populations in check, which benefits farmers and ecosystems across the state. A species that was nearly wiped out in the mid-1900s deserves better than a quota decision made without solid data behind it.

Governor Braun and the Natural Resources Commission need to listen to the science, as well as the voices of the public, and reject this proposal.

If you care about this, please show up: the public hearing is Aug. 27, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Fort Harrison Inn in Indianapolis (or join online). Tell DNR and the Natural Resources Commission to reject the 400-bobcat quota and the expansion of hunting.

Grace Johnston
Carmel