Bobcat license odds are one-in-four

Pennsylvania hunters and trappers can apply for one of the 1,010 bobcat permits to be awarded by public drawing. Based on demand for licenses in recent years, odds of receiving one are about four-to-one.

Applications must be received no later than Aug. 15, except for requests submitted online through the Game Commission's website, pgc.state.pa.us. Those are due by Sept. 4.

The season will be open only in northcentral and northeastern Pennsylvania, including all of Potter, Cameron and McKean counties.

Application fee is $5.00. The bobcat hunting season will take place Oct. 20 through Feb. 16. The bobcat trapping season will be held from Oct. 21 through Feb. 17.

This season's allotment of 1,010 licenses far exceeds last season's 720, which produced 258 bobcats.

Potter County topped the state with 31 cats taken, followed by Tioga (27), Clearfield (21), Bradford (19), Elk (18), Clinton (18) and Sullivan (18). Eleven bobcats came from Cameron County; seven from McKean County.

Dr. Matthew Lovallo, furbearer biologist for the PGC, said the animal's population can easily withstand the added hunting and trapping pressure.

"All of the tools that we use indicate increased abundance and continued geographic expansion," said Dr. Lovallo. "We are able to increase the statewide harvest objective to 340 bobcats and adjust the permit allocation accordingly."

Following the creation of a preference point system in 2003, individuals who applied for a bobcat permit in 2004 and were not selected will have their names entered into the drawing four times if they applied the last three years and this year as well.