BigGameHoundsmen.com

Look what popped up in our local liberal Ragg...



Bobcat fur coats raise trapping concerns in West
Martin Griffith
RENO, Nevada – Bobcat fur coats have become a hot item among the fashion-conscious in Russia and China, leading to a big jump in prices and exports for the soft, spotted pelts.
The fur’s booming popularity has some wildlife advocates worried about possible over-trapping of the cats, which are so reclusive that most states do not know just how many exist.
Bobcat pelts now draw some of the highest prices among trapped furs, recently commanding as much as $550 for a single hide. As the price has gone up, the number of bobcat skins exported by the U.S. has nearly tripled in five years, to 49,700 in 2006.
Because most state wildlife officials do not know the actual size of their bobcat populations, there’s no way to determine if they are being over trapped, according to wildlife advocates.
“These bobcat harvest numbers should be a red flag to tell biologists that economics and fashion trends may be negatively impacting a species,” said Dave Pauli, western regional director of the Washington, D.C.- based Humane Society.
Overseas demand has driven up both the price and the exports, said Brian MacMillan, vice president of U.S. operations for the continent’s largest fur auction house, North American Fur Auctions.
Bobcat skins fetched more than any other wild fur-bearing animal at his Toronto-based company’s two latest auctions, averaging more than $200.
“It’s one of the hottest furs today. It’s definitely a high-fashion piece,” MacMillan said. “The primary marked is with Russia, but they’re also going to China, Hong Kong and Italy.”
Despite the demand, most trappers struggle to earn $2,000 a season from bobcats, said Joel Blakeslee, president of the Nevada Trappers Association.
In fact, the number of bobcat pelts exported by the U.S. fell to 31,680 in 2007, the latest year for which statistics are available.
Federal officials say they are not concerned about the population of bobcats, which are twice the size of house cats and prowl in every state but Alaska, Delaware and Hawaii.
The Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are at least 1.4 million to 2.6 million bobcats nationwide.
But it’s trapping in the Western states that concerns some wildlife advocates.
Pelts from Western bobcats are most prized because the region’s high elevations and cold temperatures make their spotted tan fur softer and longer.
The Humane Society of the United States and other groups are urging Western states to scale back trapping, particularly in Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming, which have the region’s highest number of bobcats killed and no trapping quotas.
Lack of research has made it unclear whether or not bobcat numbers are declining.



The Writing is on the wall...

man some one needs to reread their own market forcast lol

yah, the ones that i know that were sent in from oregon on the western side were $17.00 so it seems that not many people want them right now. or maybe its just me that thinks that?

The writing is on the wall liontracker....I sometimes wonder if putting a yearly limit on bobcats, no matter what the limit would settle the dust a little. For example, I haven't lived there in sometime but when I was a teenager we could buy 7 bobcat tags a year @ about $5 per tag. Now, I realize this would limit trappers and hunters but do you think a limit per hunter, even if it was 20 or whatever would settle them down....Seems they have a real problem with the limitless aspect of it.....among other things of course!

Here in regon we are down to 5 per person on the east side. our cats bring the high money so there was an increase in cats killed so we were reduced. last year you couldn't sell a cat at the end of the season so I bet there were not nearly as many killed.

Personally...I kind of like the no limit I have now. I mean the only traps we can use are live traps and what kind of damage to the population can the average hound do? ... not much. Even if a handfull a guys caught 100 bobs per year a piece(which would be a stretch), I bet the state harvest would not exceed 1500 cats per year. I bet the Colorado statewide population is around 50,000 bobs, on the conservative side. "Biologically" speaking, which carries too much reason and not enough emotion for todays "market" would recomend 5,000 cats harvested per year. The problem with this piece of "journalism" is that it is exactly the same old "fuzzy feelgood" tactic that the Humane society and the Sinipu (Wild Earth Guardians now) used in order to try to outlaw all hunting of Mountain Lions in the state of Colorado 4 yrs ago. They are at it again. Same old scare tactic. If you go to their web site and read the members only info, they flat state that they intend to outlaw all hunting and the way to do it is piece by piece, starting with the most vulnerable and poorly represented segment of hunting which is trapping and hound hunting!!!

I wouldn't support a limit on bobcats, there definitly is not a shortage in any state I've hunted in (and last year I hunted bobcats in Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming). And the anti's love for us to try and placate them with minor concessions, we never get back anything we give up and they just work on taking away our hunting one bite at a time.

they shortened the season in nevada this year. didnt know why until now.

All hunters should be adamantly against any form of a quota. Like bearcat said once you give up anything you never get it back. And whenever you give the anti's (or state wildlife agency) an inch you know they'll take a mile!

...and they are getting pretty good at it.