ILL bobcat ban

I see that now that I dig for it. Its well hidden in the news, I don't think they want people to know.
(On Monday March 15th the Illinois House Agriculture & Conservation Committee will hold a hearing on a bill to ban bobcat hunting in the state. The bill has been in the works ever since bobcat hunting resumed, says state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, a co-sponsor)
It sounds like a democrat from Chicago is the one pushing this bill dealing with rural wildlife, evidently bobcats are a problem in Chicago, otherwise, why would a Chicago democrat be pushing the bill? A wise leader would concentrate on the more immediate problems in her district. I hear that the murder rate in the city is high, does she think it's the bobcats that are killing people? When city people make the laws determining what happens out in the countryside it probably won't turn out well.
Kelly Cassidy's info page calls herself a community organizer, abortion rights supporter, and LGBT activist. It doesn't mention anything about being a wildlife expert.
 
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I see that now that I dig for it. Its well hidden in the news, I don't think they want people to know.
(On Monday March 15th the Illinois House Agriculture & Conservation Committee will hold a hearing on a bill to ban bobcat hunting in the state. The bill has been in the works ever since bobcat hunting resumed, says state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, a co-sponsor)
It sounds like a democrat from Chicago is the one pushing this bill dealing with rural wildlife, evidently bobcats are a problem in Chicago, otherwise, why would a Chicago democrat be pushing the bill? A wise leader would concentrate on the more immediate problems in her district. I hear that the murder rate in the city is high, does she think it's the bobcats that are killing people? When city people make the laws determining what happens out in the countryside it probably won't turn out well.
Kelly Cassidy's info page calls herself a community organizer, abortion rights supporter, and LGBT activist. It doesn't mention anything about being a wildlife expert.

They could have saved time and simply acknowledged that she’s a moron. The education system and so many parents have failed their kids by raising them to become ignorant adults. Such a shame to watch our country rot right in front of our eyes.
 
OK,before we go off the deep end, last year 1500 were trapped or shot in IL. Indiana and Ohio don't allow taking them. I've been hunting for 60 years and never saw one. Got 2 trail cam pics in 25 years. So are there large enough population to hunt/trap? I don't know. But I would guess there are not enough to harvest with out doing damage to sustainability. It's sad that hate politics is in everything. IDNR has the final say.
 
OK,before we go off the deep end, last year 1500 were trapped or shot in IL. Indiana and Ohio don't allow taking them. I've been hunting for 60 years and never saw one. Got 2 trail cam pics in 25 years. So are there large enough population to hunt/trap? I don't know. But I would guess there are not enough to harvest with out doing damage to sustainability. It's sad that hate politics is in everything. IDNR has the final say.
I apologize, I had no intentions of bringing hate politics into the discussion. I'm generally not interested in politics, and as an out-of-stater was only commenting on what appeared to me as strange forms of governance. Hopefully it gets resolved to the best interests of the taxpayers of Illinois.

Here in PA we've got a yearly 3 1/2 month season on bobwhite quail, (8 daily, 24 possession limit). I've been hunting well over 40 years and never seen or heard a wild quail in the past 35 years, and don't know any hunter who's ever shot at one. This is what sustainability looks like when the it's left in the capable hands of the game commission.
 
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I apologize, I had no intentions of bringing hate politics into the discussion. I'm generally not interested in politics, and as an out-of-stater was only commenting on what appeared to me as strange forms of governance. Hopefully it gets resolved to the best interests of the taxpayers of Illinois.

Here in PA we've got a yearly 3 1/2 month season on bobwhite quail, (8 daily, 24 possession limit). I've been hunting well over 40 years and never seen or heard a wild quail in the past 35 years, and don't know any hunter who's ever shot at one. This is what sustainability looks like when the it's left in the capable hands of the game commission.

that is the same as we are - no quail, no rabbits, turkey population crashing - but we have expanding coon, bobcat, hog, bear, and alligator populations. Kill every cat you can. We tried to make them go extinct in the seventies and eighties when their fur was worth $120 and tens of thousands of people were trapping and hunting them - and couldnt do it. Now, they are mainly incidental kills by deer hunters and their population is exploding. Our statewide fawn recruitment numbers are .5 per doe - one of the lowest in the nation. Hope their population remains suppressed.
 
There is absolutely no doubt bobcats are very efficient predator. It's my belief that fence rows being bull dosed out impacted birds and other game.It seems farmers are on a mission to rip them out. Quail Unlimited would better answer questions. Coons and opossums account for some nest robbing. I shot some wood cock and quail on my place years ago. I hear them once in a while when I'm not on a noisy machine. Yotes figure into the mix as do feral kitties(yote dinner).I agree there are some stupid people running their mouth's about things they no nothing about. I'd bet they have no idea about the city yotes in their yards at night. It would be my guess coyotes are a bigger problem than bob cats. It just strikes me that the bob cat can't be that big a menace. I also don't think taking 1500 state is a big deal. At this point in my life ,it's hard to get excited about much anything. On politics,70 years has taught me nothing will be as bad or as good as a politico says. People are foolish to buy into it. There are devils, but I keep that opinion to myself.
 
Everywhere is different and so is the affect local predators have on wildlife populations. Bobcats have probably doubled around my place in the last ten years. I believe them to be a much more effective fawn predator than coyotes. But, I believe coyotes to be a more effective feral pig predator. Coyotes eat such a wide variety of food, where as bobcats are more pure carnivores. I rarely get pictures of bobcats at carrion/previously dead animals. Coyotes are common visitors at those food sources. But where bobcats live - they are always effective predators.
 
Everywhere is different and so is the affect local predators have on wildlife populations. Bobcats have probably doubled around my place in the last ten years. I believe them to be a much more effective fawn predator than coyotes. But, I believe coyotes to be a more effective feral pig predator. Coyotes eat such a wide variety of food, where as bobcats are more pure carnivores. I rarely get pictures of bobcats at carrion/previously dead animals. Coyotes are common visitors at those food sources. But where bobcats live - they are always effective predators.
Well said.
 
I agree Swampcat, and I also think for every bobcat you see there are ten you don’t see. They aren’t as visible as coyotes, but I do pick up quite a few on my trail cams.
 
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