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Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 12:01 am
Mountain lions, wolves and black bears in Illinois?
By Marc Miller

The recent occurrence of a mountain lion in Whiteside County has generated much public discussion about the future of this species in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources welcomes that discussion, and believes it’s equally important to talk about the possible return of other apex predators such as the gray wolf and the American black bear.

While we believe this and other recent confirmed mountain lion sightings are isolated occurrences for now, we have been actively preparing for the time when mountain lions, wolves and black bears may once again establish populations in the state. We have funded scientific research where suitable habitat models have been developed for these species, and have also researched attitudes and opinions of Illinoisans regarding these large carnivores.

In the spring of 2011, we supported a bill in the General Assembly (HB 1437) that sought to add the gray wolf, American black bear and mountain lion to the list of protected species under the Illinois Wildlife Code. While that effort was not successful, the IDNR remains interested in finding ways to achieve protections for these animals by working cooperatively with a wide range of constituencies.

We believe there is room on our Illinois landscape for apex predators, but these species also will require management as they re-establish and grow in numbers to deal with human-wildlife interactions, nuisance animals, and to keep a balance in predator-prey numbers within suitable habitat areas. Placing the species on the protected list is a necessary step.

The agency is also trying to educate and inform residents on wildlife-human interactions and their role in wildlife management, and has worked with the University of Illinois Extension to develop a useful website, “Living with Wildlife in Illinois”: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/

While our attitude surveys revealed that a large number of people in Illinois support carnivore protection, they also show that a majority of people don’t want them close to their home. Like so many of the resources that we manage, we recognize that there are differing views on how mountain lions, and other large predators, should be managed within the state.

Our current work is focused on understanding people’s views on these carnivores and other wildlife, including urban and rural residents and all other cross-sections of citizens in the state, and then using that information to manage this resource in a way that best meets the needs and expectations of our residents. In the near future we will be sharing the results of public surveys on these issues on the “Living with Wildlife” website.

Aldo Leopold, the father of modern conservation, wrote his 1933 book Game Management at the time when much of North America’s big game animals, like wolves and deer, were nearly extinct, and the wildlife management profession was beginning to be institutionalized. Leopold stated, “The hope of the future lies not in curbing the influence of human occupancy – it is already too late for that – but in creating a better understanding of the extent of that influence and a new ethic for its governance.”

In the 80 years since, we have seen great strides in conservation and species recovery, including deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, beaver, raccoons, river otters and large carnivores. Countless sportsmen, conservationists, land owners, environmentalists and natural resource professionals have all played a significant part in these accomplishments. Now we must focus on the next step of creating a better understanding and new ethics to support the future management and protection of large carnivores in Illinois.

Marc Miller is director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

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Hunting News
Illinois Lawmakers Propose Bobcat Hunting Season
Daniel Xu + | January 20, 2014 | |
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Illinois sportsmen may soon have the chance to hunt bobcats again.

Bobcat hunting and trapping may return to Illinois after more than 40 years due to a push from legislators. According to the Springfield Bureau, state Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) is co-sponsoring a proposal that would allow hunters and trappers to take a hand in managing the bobcat population.

“There are just more and more of them out there. We just want to control them,” Rosenthal said.

If approved, the proposed season will take place between November 1 and February 15 with a bag limit of one bobcat per hunter and trapper. According to the latest count in 2009 by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), bobcats had been sighted in 99 of the state’s 102 counties. A study by Southern Illinois University estimated that about 3,200 bobcats live south of Interstate 64, while isolated groups live elsewhere in the state.

“Bobcats once were common in Illinois,” said Bob Bluett, a DNR biologist. “Habitat changes and unregulated harvests, before the birth of our state fish and wildlife agency, caused numbers to decline by the late 1800s. But now, we’re happy to say, they’re doing great.”

Illinois bobcats faced drastic declines in the twentieth century, causing the state to cease all hunting in 1972 and place the animal on the threatened species list five years later. In 1999, DNR biologists agreed that the bobcats had recovered enough to be removed from the state’s list of threatened species. It is a recovery that officials credit in part to the efforts of hunters and trappers.

“Trappers [and hunters] care about animal welfare and have proven themselves again and again as true allies of conservation,” Bluett said. “They help us monitor, restore, and study wildlife populations. They also help us maintain a balance between the needs of people and wildlife by harvesting abundant species that cause damage and other problems.”

For more than four decades sportsmen have ensured the survival of the state’s bobcats, but now lawmakers are calling on them to manage the species. Supporters of the hunting proposal say that the abundance of bobcats is starting to affect prey animals like quail.

Along with the more common coyote, bobcats are small predators that primarily feed on mice, voles, rabbits, and squirrels. Like coyotes, bobcats can be a threat to small pets, although they are generally harmless to humans.

“People consider bobcats a wilderness creature, but their shy nature allows them to live close to people,” says biologist Clayton Nielsen. “People have nothing to fear from bobcats or living near them. Bobcats are active mainly at dawn and dusk, and have no desire for a fight. The bobcat’s story is the same as for most wildlife: if they can flee, they will.”

While some other states have higher bag limits and more liberal regulations, legislators hope that a strict hunting season will help control bobcat numbers without endangering the species.

Image courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service