Bobcat

New York Status: Not listed
Federal Status: Not listed

Description

Bobcats are medium-sized cats with a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears. They are smaller in stature than the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) but are about twice as large as the domestic cat. Bobcats have distinctive black bars on their forelegs, white spots on the back of their ears, and a black-tipped, 5-6-inch-long tail from which they derive their name. Bobcats are known by many for their spotted coat; however, the degree of spotting is highly variable throughout their range. In New York, most bobcats have faint or indistinct spots. Males are larger than females, with males averaging 21 pounds and females averaging 14 pounds. However, large individuals of either sex can exceed 30 pounds. Average body length is 34 inches for males and 30 inches for females.

Sometimes sightings of bobcat are confused with the closely related Canada lynx. Bobcats can be distinguished from lynx by the absence of the huge, seemingly oversized paws that are characteristic of the lynx. Bobcats have paws that are proportional to their body size with shorter legs and a stockier appearance than lynx. Lynx tracks are roughly twice the size of that of a bobcat. Currently, the lynx is considered extirpated in New York because there is no evidence of any remnant population of resident animals, although the occasional lynx may travel through the state.

Life History

Bobcats are solitary animals and may be active at any time, day or night. Males have larger home ranges than females, and they travel greater distances on a daily basis. The average home range of a male in the Adirondacks is 136 square miles. The average female home range is 33 square miles. In the Catskills, the average male home range is 14 square miles, while the female average is 12 square miles. Home ranges are smaller in areas of good habitat than in areas of poor habitat. Scent marking using feces, urine, and scrapes of fluid from their anal glands have all been documented as ways they mark territory and are commonly found on the underside of leaning trees, logs, shelter rocks, or stumps.

Bobcats are opportunistic carnivores and will feed on prey ranging in size from mice and voles to deer. Smaller prey items such as mice and birds are consumed whole. Larger animals taken and stored are eaten in the position they lay, and can be identified as a bobcat cache (food stored for future use) if the upper parts were consumed, while the portion of the cache in contact with the ground may be untouched. In New York, deer and rabbits make up a large proportion of bobcat diets, with the former being an especially important food source in the winter.   and will use multiple strategies while hunting. They may approach stealthily, using any form of cover available between them and their prey, attempting to get close enough to pounce and strike. They may also use an ambush technique where they will sit and wait for prey to pass by, to strike undetected. 

Bobcats typically breed in late winter, although they are capable of breeding any time of year. Females can reproduce in their first year, while males breed in their second year and likely mate with more than one female. Courtship activities may include chasing, ambushing, and what appears to be fighting. The average gestation period for a litter is 62 days, but varies from 50 to 70 days. Most litters are born in April and May. Young are born in a dry, well hidden den, usually found within natural rocky areas and caves where available. The female will likely have numerous auxiliary dens which they will use to aid in raising their young. Females raise one litter of 1-5 kittens alone. Kittens are able to accompany their mother away from the den by their third month and disperse prior to the birth of the following year's litter.

Bobcats have few natural predators, although kittens and juveniles can be preyed on by coyotes and adult male bobcats. Adults may be injured or killed by their prey animals. The most common cause of death for kittens and juveniles is low food supply. It is not uncommon for an adult to die of starvation, especially during severe winters. Some researchers have suggested that diseases carried by raccoons and feral cats may be an important mortality factor for bobcats. Twelve infectious diseases have been documented in wild bobcats, including rabies, feline distemper, and feline leukemia. They also carry a variety of parasites including tapeworms, roundworms, and others that are common in their prey species.

Distribution and Habitat

Bobcats can be found throughout upstate New York, although their secretive nature makes sightings relatively infrequent. Surveys in the late 1970s identified three bobcat population centers: (1) Adirondack, (2) Catskill, and (3) Taconic regions. The Adirondack Study area had about 5 bobcats for every 100 square miles of area, while the Catskill area had about 16 bobcats for every 100 square miles of area. Since that time, bobcat distribution has expanded dramatically across the entire state, and they are now well-established everywhere outside of New York City and Long Island.  

Bobcats are habitat generalists and occupy a wide range of habitats in New York, from suburban and agricultural areas to mature forest stands. Bobcats often use rocky ledges and rock piles for shelter, breeding, and raising young. Brush piles, hollow trees, and logs are other good structures for resting and dens. Evergreen bogs and swamps-and other secluded places-also fill the bobcat's requirement for refuge and protection. Bobcats are poorly adapted to deep snow conditions; winter severity likely limits their abundance in some parts of northern New York and possibly the snow belt of western New York. 

Bobcats usually are not present where there are continuous human population centers; however, they can use patches of habitat if the patches are not completely isolated by urban development.

Bobcat Management Plan

New York is one of 41 states that have a regulated harvest season for bobcats. Bobcats are a charismatic species that are highly valued by many different groups in New York, including trappers, hunters, photographers, and wildlife enthusiasts. It is necessary to closely monitor bobcat harvest to ensure sustainable populations that can be enjoyed by both consumptive and non-consumptive users in New York for generations to come. 

The first New York State Bobcat Management Plan was adopted in 2012. This plan expanded harvest opportunities for bobcats by extending the season in portions of northern New York and opening a restricted season in the southern tier and Rockland and Westchester counties for the first time since 1976.

The New York State Bobcat Management Plan, 2024-2033 (PDF) was completed in 2023 and serves as an update to the previous 2012 management plan.  Since the publication of the previous plan, DEC has improved data collection and our understanding of bobcat populations by conducting an age-at-harvest analysis of bobcats in Central/Western NY, collecting hunter and trapper effort data to understand take-per-unit effort, and began collecting bobcat observations from the general public. This second edition plan outlines strategies to continue assessment of bobcat harvest trends and population indices and provides recommendations for future bobcat management in New York.

The plan advances three goals for managing bobcat populations in New York. 

Goal 1: Maintain or enhance bobcat populations in all areas of the state where suitable habitat exists. 

Goal 2: Provide for the sustainable use and enjoyment of bobcats by the public. 

Goal 3: Ensure that we are meeting the public desire for information about bobcats and their conservation, use, and enjoyment. 

A draft of the updated bobcat management plan was available for public review and comment in January-March, 2024. DEC received comments from more than 50 individuals and organizations and all of the input received was considered in the development of the final plan. See the Assessment of Public Comment on the Draft Bobcat Management Plan (PDF) to review the comments submitted and DEC's response.