ELKINS, W.Va. — The Division of Natural Resources is calling on trappers to aid in an ongoing study of bobcats in West Virginia. Research got underway last year on a two year study of the cats in the state There are actually two separate research projects being conducted by West Virginia University. One project is using unique traps to capture fur samples from the wild felines but the second study goes inside the critter. The DNR needs trappers in the state to produce critters to go inside.
“We had to do some background data and find out what’s going on with the cat population,” said Rich Rogers, the DNR’s Fur Bearer Biologist. “Especially now that some trappers are asking for the bag limit to be raised.”
The limit is currently three cats per year. However, few hunters and trappers ever get that many in a year’s time.
“If you look at the data, very few catch more than two. There’s a few, but not many,” said Rogers. “A lot of people would say they’re lying, but you have to check the animal in and then to sell it you have to have a CITES certificate so we’ve got a lot of records.”
What the DNR doesn’t have is updated research. The only research ever done on cats in West Virginia came in the early 1980’s. Since then, much has changed about the state’s landscape. There is also much more interest in the bobcat. Rogers credits that increased interest to a sudden upturn in fur prices, particularly for bobcats a few years back. He said that’s also caused guys to improve their trapping skills.
“I wouldn’t say they’re increasing in numbers as much as the learning curve for catching them has increased,” said Rogers. “When the price of a cat pelt went sky high, everybody wanted to catch cats and they started learning.”
This year, in addition to the price a bobcat’s pelt will bring, the trapper can get another $20 out of the carcass if they contact the DNR.
“We’re trying to look at female reproductive tracks to determine the number of young they’re having on an annual basis. We’re also collecting canine teeth,” said Rogers. “I want to see how that data has changed from the 1980’s.”
Trappers will receive a $20 gift card when they drop off a usable carcass at any DNR office in the state. The have to be intact, with no severe trauma, and must be frozen unless they are dropped off on the same day they are killed. You can contact any DNR office to learn more about the collection.