Michigan Looking to Expand Bobcat Hunting to Parts of Lower Peninsula

Even though some states including Indiana and Ohio have banned Bobcat hunting and trapping, Michigan is considering making an increase in parts of the state.

The state Natural Resources Commission is planning to meet later this week to consider making some changes to bobcat hunting and trapping in the Lower Peninsula.

According to MLive, officials from the state Department of Natural Resources recommend lengthening the number of days for bobcat hunting and trapping, as well as increasing how many counties where kill tags can be issued.

If all goes according to plan, hunters and trappers would see new hunting and trapping opportunities in nine zones/counties in mid-Michigan. These new hunting zones would include Muskegon, Montcalm, Gratiot, Saginaw, Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, and Shiawassee counties.

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As you would expect, not everyone is on board with the possible change.

Molly Tamulevich, state director for the Humane Society of the United States:

The bottom line is that the Michigan DNR has no idea how many bobcats are in the state, yet it wants to allow even more of them to be killed – for no other reason than to pander to the demands of a tiny, and shrinking, minority who want to obtain a trophy or a pelt.

While it's unclear how many bobcats are in Michigan, sightings are on the rise.

Are Bobcats Aggressive?

Bobcats don't attack humans very often, as a matter of fact it's extremely very rare. If one does attack, it's more than likely rabid.

Bobcats are about twice the size of domestic cats and max out around 30-40 lbs.