ManagementPlan forBobcatinNewYorkState 20122017

DivisionofFish,WildlifeandMarineResources BureauofWildlife January2012

ManagementPlan forBobcatinNewYorkState 20122017

GordonR.Batcheller Chief,BureauofWildlife PatriciaRiexinger Director,DivisionofFish,Wildlife&Marine Resources

Date

NYSBobcatManagementPlan

MissionoftheBureauofWildlife
ToprovidethepeopleofNewYorktheopportunitytoenjoyallthebenefitsofthewildlifeofthe State,nowandinthefuture.Thisshallbeaccomplishedthroughscientificallysound managementofwildlifespeciesinamannerthatisefficient,clearlydescribed,consistentwith law,andinharmonywithpublicneed.

GoalsoftheBureauofWildlife
Goal1. EnsurethatpopulationsofallwildlifeinNewYorkareoftheappropriatesizeto meetallthedemandsplacedonthem. Ensurethatwemeetthepublicdesirefor:informationaboutwildlifeandits conservation,use,andenjoyment;understandingtherelationshipsamong wildlife,humans,andtheenvironment;andclearlylisteningtowhatthepublic tellus. EnsurethatweprovidesustainableusesofNewYorkswildlifeforaninformed public. Minimizethedamageandnuisancecausedbywildlifeandwildlifeuses. Fosterandmaintainanorganizationthatefficientlyachievesourgoals.

Goal2.

Goal3.

Goal4. Goal5.

TableofContents
MissionoftheBureauofWildlife....................................................................................................3 GoalsoftheBureauofWildlife.......................................................................................................3 Acknowledgments...........................................................................................................................5 Background......................................................................................................................................6 GOAL................................................................................................................................................9 OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................................................9 MANAGEMENTSTRATEGIES............................................................................................................9 LiteratureCited .............................................................................................................................22 . Appendix1.LegalMatters............................................................................................................23 Appendix2.ClimateChange.........................................................................................................24 Appendix3.WildlifeHealthProgram...........................................................................................25

Acknowledgments
Thisplanwaspreparedby: FurbearerManagementTeam BureauofWildlife DivisionofFish,Wildlife&MarineResources NewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation AndyMacDuff KenBaginski AnneRothrock LanceClark BillSchara MikeClark MikeSchiavone KevinClarke LanceDurfey BillSharick(retired) GaryGolja ScottSmith BillHoffman TomSutter PaulJensen BryanSwift NewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation JoeMartens,Commissioner KathyMoser,AssistantCommissionerforNaturalResources PatriciaRiexinger,Director,DivisionofFish,Wildlife&MarineResources DougStang,AssistantDirector,DivisionofFish,Wildlife&MarineResources GordonBatcheller,Chief,BureauofWildlife SpecialthanksarealsoextendedtoDr.NathanRoberts,USFWS,forhiseffortsandassistancein theearlydevelopmentofthisplan. AcontributionofFederalAidinWildlifeRestoration,NewYorkGrantWE173G

Background
Thebobcat(Lynxrufus)isaNorthAmericanmemberofthecatfamilyFelidae,rangingfrom southernCanadatonorthernMexico,includingmostofthecontinentalUnitedStates.The speciesisfoundthroughoutmostofNewYorkState,exceptforLongIsland.Theyaredefinedas aprotected,smallgamespeciesperEnvironmentalConservationLaw(ECL)110103(2)(c). Withagraytobrowncoat,whiskeredface,andblacktuftedears,thebobcatresemblesother speciesoftheLynxgenus.ItissmallerthantheCanadalynx(Lynxcanadensis),butisabout twiceaslargeasthedomesticcat.Ithasdistinctiveblackbarsonitsforelegsandablacktipped, stubbytail,fromwhichitderivesitsname.Malesareonethirdlargerthanfemalesandboth sexescanbegreaterthan30pounds;however,averagesformalesandfemalesare21and14 pounds,respectively.Bodylengthformalesis34inchesand30inchesforfemales.Taillength isusuallybetween5and6inchesforbothsexes. Bobcatsaresolitaryanimalsandmaybeactiveatanytime,dayornight.Breedingoccurs betweenJanuaryandMarchwithfemalesreachingmaturityintheirfirstyear,whilemalesdo notmatureuntiltheirsecondyear.MostlittersareborninAprilorMayandrangefromoneto fivekittens.Kittensdispersepriortothebirthofthefollowingyearslitter. Bobcatsarehabitatgeneralists,butarenotusuallyfoundinareasofhighdevelopmentor intensiveagriculture.Bobcatsareopportunisticfeedersandusuallyconsumemediumsized mammalianprey.Bobcatfoodhabitschangeseasonallyandtheywillpreyonwhitetaileddeer (Odocoileusvirginianus),birds,reptilesandamphibians. Diseasesandparasitesthatareknowntooccurinbobcatincludefelinepanleukopenia(feline distemper),rabies,toxoplasmosis(anintracellularparasite),cytauxzoonosis(abloodparasite), andinfectionsofthetapewormSpirometra(Davidson,2006).Noneoftheseagentsappearsto affectbobcatpopulationsinNewYorkbutrabiesisoftenofconcerntothepublicbecauseofits potentialtransmissiontohumansanddomesticanimalsandalwaysfatalconsequences. However,theoccurrenceofrabiesinbobcatsinNewYorkisrarewithonlythreeanimalstesting positivefrom2001to2010(NYSDOH,2012). Observationsbyhuntersandtrappers,andreportsfromthegeneralpublicsuggestthatbobcat populationsareincreasingandexpandingthroughoutNewYorkStateoutsideoftheirhistoric corerangeintheTaconic,Catskill,andAdirondackmountainsandintocentralandwesternNew York.Inaddition,emigrationofbobcatsfromPennsylvaniahaslikelyfosteredgrowthofthe bobcatpopulationinthesoutherntierofthestate(MattLovallo,PennsylvaniaGame Commission,personalcommunication).BobcatpopulationtrendsinNewYorkalsoreflect generaltrendsacrosstheUnitedStates.RobertsandCrimmins(2010)notedthatmoststates reportedincreasingbobcatpopulationsintheirjurisdictions. 6

TheDepartmentisresponsibleformanagingbobcatpopulationsandaccomplishesthistask throughseasontiming,seasonlength,anddefininglegalmethodsoftake.Bobcatswere unprotectedinNewYorkuntiltheLegislaturegrantedtheDepartmentauthoritytoestablish openhuntingandtrappingseasonsin1976.In1977,theDepartmentclosedalargeportionof thestatetobobcatharvestwhileallowingharvestopportunitiesintheremainingareasofthe state.Atthattime,apelttaggingsystemwasinstitutedtoestimatethetotalbobcatharvest. Sincethefirstseasonin1977,therehasbeenasteadyincreaseinbobcatharvest(Figure1). Manybobcatsareutilizedfortaxidermyandareoftenconsideredatrophyspecies.However, themajorityofbobcatarepeltedandenterthefurtradeviabothdomesticandinternational outlets.Inrecentyears,easternornorthernU.S.bobcatpeltspriceshaverangedfromaround $50.00toover$200.00,althoughpricesfluctuatefromyeartoyear(FHA2011). 600 500 #BobcatsHarvested 400 300 200 100 0

Figure1.TotalNewYorkbobcatharvest(huntingandtrapping),19772011.

Whilehuntersandtrappersarethemostcommonusersofthebobcatresource,wildlife enthusiasts,naturephotographers,andothersalsobenefitfromahealthybobcatpopulation. Asisthecasewithhuntersandtrappers,manywildlifephotographersalsoviewtheelusive bobcatasbeingatrophyspeciesandarewardingchallengetocaptureonfilm.Asevidenced bythenumberofobservationreportsfieldedbyDepartmentstaff,thepublicisveryinterested inbobcatsandcanplayaroleintheirmanagementbyfacilitatingthecollectionofdataonthe species.

Currently,bobcatsarelistedinAppendixIIoftheConventiononInternationalTradein EndangeredSpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora(CITES).TheU.S.FishandWildlifeService(USFWS) isresponsibleforimplementingcertaintreatyobligations,andtheydosoviatheirOfficeof ScientificAuthority,andtheirOfficeofManagementAuthority. Bobcatsarenotusuallyfoundnearareasofhighhumandevelopmentandnegativeinteractions withhumansareuncommon.Livestockdepredations,whilerare,dooccurinsomeareasofthe state.EnvironmentalConservationLawsection110521providestheDepartmentwiththe latitudeanddiscretiontoissuenuisancepermitstoaddressthesesituations. Historically,furbearerspeciesinNewYorkhavebeenmanagedattheWildlifeManagementUnit (WMU)Aggregatelevel(Figure2).TheseaggregatesarecomposedofoneormoreWMUs groupedbasedonecologicalsimilarity.Occasionally,managingbyindividualWMUswithina WMUAggregatemaybeappropriatesuchaswhennewharvestopportunitiesareestablished.
Figure2.NewYork'sWildlifeManagementUnitAggregatesandWildlifeManagementUnits,2011.

GOAL
Maintainsecure,viablepopulationsofbobcatthroughoutNewYorkStatewheresuitable habitatexiststoprovidesustainablebenefitsforthepublic.

OBJECTIVES
Toachievethisgoal,threeprimaryobjectivesareidentified: 1. Maintainviablepopulationlevelsandmonitortrendsinbobcatdistributionand relativeabundance; Provideforsustainableuseandenjoymentofbobcatbythepublic;and Minimizenegativebobcathumaninteractions.

2. 3.

MANAGEMENTSTRATEGIES
Foreachobjective,wehavedefinedmanagementstrategiesthatarespecifictoWMU AggregatesorindividualWMUsinNewYork. Objective1:Maintainviablepopulationlevelsandmonitortrendsinbobcatdistributionand relativeabundance. Toaidinachievingthisobjective,wedividedthestateintofourmanagementzones(Figure3) definedasfollows: 1)CurrentHarvestAreaareaswherebobcathuntingandtrappinghavehistoricallyoccurred, 2)PopulationGrowthAreaareaswherewedesireincreasedbobcatpopulations, 3)HarvestExpansionAreaareaswhereweplantoestablishnewhuntingandtrapping opportunitiesforbobcat,and 4)NoBobcatAreaareaswherebobcatarenotknowntooccurcurrentlyandwherewehave nodesiretoestablishapopulation. EachoftheseareasisfurtherdescribedbyspecificWMUorWMUaggregatesinthefour strategiesthatfollow.


Figure3.BobcatManagementZones

Strategy1.1:MonitorbobcatpopulationsintheCurrentHarvestAreathroughthecollectionof takeperuniteffortdata. Wherebobcatharvestiscurrentlyallowed(WMUAggregates:NeversinkMongaupHills, Catskills,HudsonValley,SouthTaconicHighlands,NorthTaconicHighlands,ChamplainValley andTransition,CentralAdirondacks,NorthernAdirondacks,St.LawrenceValley,EastOntario Plain,andTugHill),wewillcontinuetoestimateandmonitortrendsintheharvestthrough mandatorypeltsealing.However,annualvariationinharvestdatacanoftenbemisleadingdue tonumerousfactorsthatcaninfluencethetotalharvest,includingpeltpricesandtrappereffort. Onemethodtoimprovethesedataistoexpressharvestasafunctionoftrappereffort(i.e., takeperuniteffortorTPUE),witheffortexpressedintrapnights(calculatedastheproductof thenumberoftrapssetandthenumberofdaysthetrapsareset).Takeperunitefforthas beenusedasanindexofrelativeabundanceforavarietyoffurbearersandimprovesourability tointerpretharvestfluctuations.Roberts(2010)specificallynotedtheutilityandrelativecost effectivenessofeffortdataformonitoringbobcatpopulationsinNewYork. DECwillmeasuretheeffortofbothbobcathuntersandtrappers.Thefollowingmethodswillbe used:(1)theuseofdiarylogbookstocollectTPUEdata.Thismethodisbestsuitedtousewith trapperswhocanmoreeasilycalculateandrecordtheireffort.(2)Similarmethodsmaybeused withbobcathunters,withthemodificationthateffortwillbebasedonaunitoftime(e.g.,hours ornumberofdayshunted).Whilenotimmediatelyplanned,postseasonsurveysofboth 10

huntersandtrappersmeritfurtherinvestigation.BycollectingTPUEdata,wewillbebetterable tousebobcatharvestinformationformonitoringrelativeabundanceinallareaswheretrapping orhuntingoccurs. Strategy1.2:MonitorbobcatpopulationsinthePopulationGrowthAreathroughcollectionof observationandencounterdata. Wewillcontinuetosolicitandcollectbobcatobservationreportsfromthepublicanduser groups(e.g.,bowhunters,trappers)intheareawherenobobcatharvestisplannedforthenext 5years(WMUAggregatesandWMUs:TugHillTransition,OswegoLowlands,OneidaLakePlain, NorthAppalachianHills,andGreatLakesPlainWMUAggregatesandWMUs7M,7R,and7P). Wewillalsorequestobservationreportsfromthepublicviatheannualhuntingandtrapping regulationsguide,Departmentwebsite,andFieldNotes,theDivisionslistserve.Information, includingsexandagewhenpossible,willbecollectedonroadkills,unintentionalcaptures,and photographicallydocumentedobservations.Inaddition,wewilldocumentthelocationand natureofnuisancecomplaints. Thesedatahaveprovenusefulinmonitoringchangesinbobcatdistributionatlittlecosttothe Department.Solicitingobservationsfromthepublichasbeenanotherrelativelylowcost methodofobtainingdataonbobcats.Wewillcontinuetosolicitandcollectthisinformation withparticularemphasisonthoseobservationsconfirmedwithphotographicevidenceora carcass.Lastly,mostRegionalofficesrecordnuisancecomplaintdataasstandardpracticesand weproposethatthisshouldcontinue,especiallyinareaswherebobcatrangeisexpandingand populationsareincreasing.Observationaldatawillbestoredinacentralizeddatabaseor spreadsheetthatiscompatiblewithaGeographicInformationSystem(GIS). Theannualtrappermailsurveyprovidesanexcellentsourceofobservationdata.Questionson thesurveyregardingbobcatobservationsshouldcontinue.Inaddition,thebowhuntersighting logwasestablishedprimarilyforthemanagementofwhitetaileddeerbuthasalsobeenuseful asanindextomonitorrelativeabundanceofavarietyofwildlifespecies,andshouldcontinueas atooltoalsodocumentselectedfurbearers,suchasbobcat. Strategy1.3:MonitorbobcatpopulationsintheHarvestExpansionAreathrougha combinationofharvestandobservationdata. WeareproposingtoopensomenewareasofNewYorkwithalimitedopportunityfortrappers andhunterstotakebobcat(WMUAggregatesandWMUs:WestAppalachianPlateau,Central AppalachianPlateau,OtsegoDelawareHills,MohawkValley,andNewYorkCityTransition WMUAggregatesandWMU7S).Inthisharvestexpansionarea,wewillmonitortrendsin harvestandrelativeabundanceusingpeltsealandTPUEdatainthesamemannerasdescribed instrategy1.1.Inaddition,wewillcontinuetocollectobservationdataasdescribedinstrategy 1.2.Basedoncurrentobservationdata,bobcatsarewelldistributedintheseWMUAggregates. ThisisdiscussedinmoredetailunderObjective2. 11

Strategy1.4:NomonitoringplannedfortheNoBobcatArea. BobcatsarenotcurrentlyknowntoexistonLongIsland(WMUAggregate:CoastalLowland), andduetoitsrelativeisolationfromadjacentpopulations,itisunlikelythatbobcatswilloccur therenaturally.DEChasnoplanstoestablishabobcatpopulationinthisarea,soaclosed seasonwillbemaintainedandnomonitoringisplanned. Objective2:Provideforthesustainableuseandenjoymentofbobcatbythepublic. Strategy2.1:ExpandharvestopportunityinportionsoftheCurrentHarvestArea(Figure3),as describedbelow,beginningin2012. Action2.1.1:ExtendthebobcattrappingseasonuntilFebruary15concurrentwith currentbobcathuntingseasonsforthefollowingWMUAggregates:Northern Adirondacks,CentralAdirondacks,ChamplainValleyandTransition,St.LawrenceValley, andEastOntarioPlain. NorthernZoneWMUAggregateshavehadahistoryofmuchshorterbobcattrapping seasonsnestedwithinamoreliberalhuntingseason.Theseshortertrappingseasons providedprotectiontoagrowingfisher(Martespennanti)population.Fisher populationshaveexpandedthroughouttheNorthernZoneandhavebeenharvestedin asustainablemannerforseveraldecades. Recently,theDepartmentextendedtrappingseasonsforfox,coyote,opossum,skunk, raccoon,andweaselineightNorthernZoneWMUsfromDecember10untilFebruary 15.Resultsofthe20102011TrapperMailSurveyshowthatonly3%oftrapperstook advantageofthisnewopportunity.Weexpectasimilarlevelofparticipationby trappersdespiteanextensioninthebobcattrappingseason. WeproposetoextendthebobcattrappingseasonfromDecember10toFebruary15in theseaggregatestobeconcurrentwiththebobcathuntingseason.Theseasonchange willresultinauniformbobcathuntingandtrappingseasonthroughoutthecurrent harvestarea.DuetothelimitedtrappingeffortevidencedintherecentTrapperMail Survey,wedonotanticipateasignificantincreaseinoverallbobcatharvestsfromthe additionoftwomonthsoftrappingeffort. Action2.1.2:ExtendbobcattrappingandhuntingseasonuntilFebruary15intheCentral TugHillWMUAggregate. Currently,boththebobcathuntingandtrappingseasonsintheCentralTugHill aggregate(WMU6N)endonDecember10.Overtheprevioussevenseasons,this aggregatehasproducedalow,butsteadybobcatharvestofuptoeightanimalsper year.TheTugHillareaiswellknownforitsdeepsnowsthatlimithunterandtrapper access.Thesedeepsnowsalsomaketrappingonlandexceedinglydifficult.Huntingis 12

limitedtothoseareasthatareeasilyaccessednearroadsoralongsnowmobile corridors. Weproposetoextendboththehuntingandtrappingseasonsinthisaggregatefrom December10toFebruary15.Theseasonchangewillresultinauniformbobcathunting andtrappingseasonthroughoutthecurrentharvestarea.Duetotheweatherlimited accessibilitytotheareanotedabove,participationinthisnewopportunityisexpected tobelimitedand,asaresult,harvestincreasesshouldbesmall. Strategy2.2:AdoptregulationsallowingforalimitedharvestofbobcatsintheHarvest ExpansionArea(Figure3),asdescribedbelow,beginningin2012. ThepresenceofbobcatinNewYorksSouthernTierhasincreaseddramaticallyoverthepast decade.WhatbeganasoccasionalsightingsalongtheNewYork/Pennsylvaniaborderhas progressedtolargenumbersofobservations,trailcameraphotos,andincidentalcapturesand releasesbytrappers.Overthepastfiveyearstherehavebeen332bobcatobservations documentedintheharvestexpansionarea(Figure4).

Figure4.Totalconfirmedbobcatobservations,20062011.

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Observationsofbobcatswhennormalizedbyarea(miles2)indicatethatbobcatshavebecome wellestablishedintheharvestexpansionareaandobservationratesinthisareaaresimilarto, orexceed,thoseincurrentharvestareasofeasternandnorthernNewYork(Figure5and6). Figure5depictsthecombinedtotalnumberofbobcatsobservedpersquaremileforeachWMU aggregateusingdatafromthebowhuntersightinglogandtrappermailsurveyfrom20062011. Figure6depictsthissameinformationbutattheindividualWMUlevel.

Figure5.CombinedbowhunterlogandtrapperobservationdatabyWMUaggregate.

Figure6.CombinedbowhunterlogandtrapperobservationdatabyWMU.

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Action2.2.1:OpenthebobcattrappingandhuntingseasonintheHarvestExpansion AreafromOctober25untiltheFridaybeforethestartoftheSouthernZoneregularbig gameseason. Werecommendaconservativeapproachtoestablishingbobcatharvestopportunityin thisareathatincludesrestrictionsonseasonlengthandtiming.First,ashortseason lengthwouldlimitthenumberofbobcatsharvested,whilestillprovidingopportunity forsmallgamehuntersandtrappers.Seasonlengthinthebobcatharvestexpansion areawillbeconsiderablyshorterthanotherareasofthestatewherebobcatshavebeen harvestedinasustainablemannerforseveralyears.Secondly,thetimingofthebobcat trappingandhuntingseasonshouldlimitthenumberofbobcatsharvestedbecauseit willavoidtheregulardeerseasonwhenmanybobcatareharvestedincidentaltodeer hunting.Webelievethattheseharvestcontrolmeasureswillallowforalimitedand sustainableharvestofbobcatsandcontinuedexpansionofbobcatpopulationsincentral andwesternNewYork. RobertsandCrimmins(2010)reportedanestimatedbobcatpopulationinNewYorkof approximately5,000animals.Knick(1990)recommendedharvestratesoflessthan 20%ofthefallpopulation.Followingthisrecommendation,itisconceivablethatNew Yorksbobcatpopulationcouldsustainatotalharvestofapproximately1,000animals peryear. Bobcatharvestrates(animalsharvested/mi2)varytemporally(e.g.,relativetothedeer huntingseason)andspatially(northernversussoutheasternNewYork;Table1).Mean harvestratesfortheentirebobcattrappingandhuntingseason(200506through2009 10seasons)innorthernandsoutheasternNYwere0.012bobcats/mi2and0.034 bobcats/mi2,respectively.Usingthesemeanharvestratesaslowerandupperlimits,we estimatedthatafulllengthbobcattrappingandhuntingseason(October25to February15)intheharvestexpansionareawouldresultinatotalharvestof120350 animals(Table1).Actualharvestinthisareashouldbelessthantheseestimates becausetheproposedseasonlengthisapproximately25days.Weestimatethatthe bobcatharvestduringashort,earlyseasonintheharvestexpansionareawouldresultin anestimatedharvestof3498bobcats.Comparisonwithotherindices(e.g.,bowhunter sightinglogandtrapperobservationdata)suggeststhattheharvestrateintheharvest expansionareawilllikelyfallbetweenthoseofnorthernandsoutheasternNY. Recentstatewideharvesttotalshavefluctuatedbetween400500bobcats.Addingthe upperlimitestimateofharvestfromtheharvestexpansionareatorecentharvests(i.e., approximately500600bobcats)resultsinanoverallharvestestimatethatiswellbelow the20%thresholdof1,000animals. 15

Table1.MeannumberofbobcatsharvestedinnorthernandsoutheasternNewYorkrelativetodeerhunting seasons,(20052010).

Season Oct.25toDeerSeason Opener FirstWeekofDeerSeason RemainderofDeerSeason RemainderofBobcatSeason Totals

Region Northern 34 13 17 55 120 Southeastern 98 39 51 162 350

Action2.2.2OpenbobcattrappingandhuntingseasonintheNYCTransitionWMU AggregatefromOctober25toFebruary15. BobcathuntingandtrappingseasonsarecurrentlyclosedintheNewYorkCity TransitionAggregate(WMUs3Rand3S).Bobcatshistoricallyoccurwithinthis aggregateandwebelievetheirpopulationsareincreasing.Weproposetoinstitute concurrenthuntingandtrappingseasonsfromOctober25toFebruary15inthis aggregateconsistentwiththeadjacentaggregateswithinthecurrentharvestarea. Harvestsfromthisaggregateareanticipatedtobeminimalduetolimitedtrappingand huntingpressure.Mostharvestswilllikelyoccurviahuntingincidentaltothepursuitof otherspecies. Theseproposedchangeswillresultinagreatlysimplifiedseasonstructure(concurrent seasondatesforbothbobcathuntingandtrappingforallWMUs).Thiswillmakeit easierforhuntersandtrapperstointerprettheseasonsandeaseenforcementfor DivisionofLawEnforcementpersonnel. Action2.2.3Issuemandatorytrapping/huntingpermitsfortakeofbobcatintheHarvest ExpansionAreaandrequirethesubmissionofTPUEandbiologicaldata. Effortandbiologicaldatafrombobcatcarcasseswillbecollectedfromtrappersand smallgamehuntersinterestedinpursuingbobcats.Thiswillbeaccomplishedviaa mandatoryharvestpermit,whichwillrequirethattrappersandhunterssubmita logbookandthelowerjaworcaninetoothfromallharvestedbobcatpriortothepelt beingsealed.Thelogbookwillcollectinformationonhourshuntedand/ortrapnights. Acaninetoothwillbeusedforagedetermination.Sexofharvestedbobcatswillbe

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determinedviathecurrentpeltsealingprocess.Areportontheageandsexof harvestedbobcat(s)willbereturnedtothehunterortrapperonceavailable. Thecollectionofagedatawillallowustomodelsurvivorshipforbobcat.Roberts(2010) foundutilityintrackingsurvivorshiptomonitorapreviouslyunharvestedpopulationof bobcatsincentralNewYork.Assumingsufficientsamplesizes,concurrentlycollecting sexofharvestedbobcatwouldallowforsurvivorshipmodelingbysextodetermineif therearegenderspecificdifferencesinsurvivorship.Additionally,analysisofsexand TPUEdatamayallowustodetermineiftherearedifferencesincapturevulnerability betweenthesexes.Thesedatacouldinformfuturemanagementdecisionssuchas seasontimingshiftstoaffordprotectiontoyoungorfemalebobcatifnecessaryor seasonlengthadjustmentstodecreaseorincreaseoverallharvestrates. AllofthechangesproposedunderObjective2areshowninFigure7,andtheresultant seasonmapfromtheseproposedchangesisshowninFigure8.

Figure7.Summaryofproposedbobcatmanagementchanges.

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Figure8.Proposedbobcathuntingandtrappingseasonmapforthe201213season.

Strategy2.3:Developandimplementmonitoringcriteriatoevaluateandadjustharvest regulations. Action2.3.1Evaluateobservationdatatoopennewareasforharvest. InordertoimplementnewharvestopportunitiesforbobcatinotherWMUAggregates orindividualWMUs,trappermailsurveyandbowhunterlogindicesmustfallwithinthe rangeofindicesfromexistingharvestareas.Weproposeusingobservationratecriteria foropeningnewareastobobcatharvestbasedonthepreviousfiveyearsumofbobcat observationsfromthecombinedtrappermailsurveyandbowhuntersightinglog.This criterionwouldrequirethatWMUAggregateshaveaminimumof0.1bobcat observations/mi2and50%oftheindividualWMUsthatcomprisetheaggregatehavea minimumobservationrateof0.1bobcatobservations/mi2.IftheWMUAggregatedoes notmeetthiscriterion,thenindividualWMUsmaybeopenediftheobservationratein thatWMUis0.2bobcatobservations/mi2.Supplementaldata,includingmethods describedbyRoberts(2010),orconfirmedobservationsfromtheareaofinterestwith densitiessimilartoexistingharvestzones,mayalsobeused. Action2.3.2Evaluatemultiyeartrendsinharvestandeffortdataforareasopenfor harvest. Bobcatharvestswillbemonitoredthroughtwoprimarymethods:mandatorytaggingof peltsorunskinnedcarcasseswithpeltsealsandestimatesofharvestandtrappereffort 18

fromusersurveys.Methodsfortaggingbobcatpelts/carcasseswillbeconsistentwith existingprocedureswithinourpeltsealingprogram,includingthecollectionof FurbearerPossessionTagsfromtrappersandhunters.Datacollectedfromthesetags includemethodoftake,dateofharvest,sex,andharvestlocation(town,county,and WMU)andenableustodetermineharvestchronology,sexratios,andharvestdensity, respectively.Acurrentdatabaseoflicensedhuntersandtrappersismaintainedthrough theDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservationAutomatedLicensingSystem(DECALS). Thisdatabasewillfacilitatethecollectionofinformationfromlicensedhuntersand trappersthroughtheannualsmallgamehunterandtrappermailsurveys. Wewillevaluateexistingpracticesofourpeltsealingprogramandimplementreforms thatwillincreaseefficiencyforDECandreduceburdenstothepublicbutwithout compromisingtheintegrityofbobcatmanagement.Thesereformscouldinclude,but arenotlimitedto,mailingpeltsealstohuntersortrapperswhoharvestabobcat, appointingagentstosealbobcatonbehalfofDEC,orremovingtheneedforhunters andtrapperstorecordthesexofharvestedbobcats(externaldeterminationofsexfor bobcatisdifficultevenfortrainedobservers).Reformsofthisnature,ifadopted,may alsohaveapplicabilitytotheotherfurbearerspeciesinNewYorkthatrequireapelt seal. Additionally,wewillcalculateTPUEandusetheseestimatestomonitortrendsin relativeabundanceofbobcats.Effortisinfluencedbyfactorssuchasweather,pelt prices,andgaspricesandcanhavelargeimpactsonannualvariationinharvests. Therefore,calculationofTPUEreducestheeffectofthesesourcesofvariationon harvesttrends.Assumingequalharvestvulnerabilityamongyears,theseestimates wouldbetterreflectchangesinrelativebobcatabundancethanharvesttotals. IntheCurrentHarvestArea,wewillcollectlowerjawsforcementumageanalysisby voluntarysubmissionfromhuntersandtrappers.WewillalsocollectbobcatTPUEdata usingavoluntaryquestionnairecompletedbybobcathuntersandtrappers. IntheHarvestExpansionArea,wewillcollectbobcatTPUEdatawithamandatory questionnairethatbobcathuntersandtrapperswillreceiveaspartoftheirpermit package.Thequestionnairewillrequirethattrappersdocumentthenumberoftraps setandthenumberofbobcatscaughtonaseasonalbasiswithinindividualWildlife ManagementUnits.Smallgamehunterswillrecordthenumbersofhoursspent pursuingbobcats.Inadditiontothetrappingquestionnaire,wewillrequirethatpermit holderssubmitthelowerjawfromharvestedbobcatsforaminimumofa3yearperiod. Usingestimatesofageatharvestfromcementumanalysis,wewillevaluatetheage structureofthebobcatharvestandcompareagedistributionswithotherareasofNew Yorkandwithadjacentcooperatingstates(e.g.,Pennsylvania,Vermont).Thesedata maybeusedtomodelsurvivorshipasdescribedbyRoberts(2010).Afterthe3year 19

period,wewilldetermineif,andatwhatsamplingintensity,weshouldcontinue collectingteethfromharvestedanimals. Despiteourbestefforts,incidentalharvestsbyhuntersortrapperspursuingother speciesmayoccur.Becausetheinformationthatcouldbecollectedfromthese instancesisvaluable,wewillissuepermitsretroactivelytoaddressthesesituations.The trapperorhunterwillneedtomeetalloftherequirementsnotedaboveincludingTPUE dataandlowerjawsubmission. Similarly,ifconditionssuggestthatharvestopportunityshouldberestrictedtomeetthe managementobjectives,harvestquotas,permits,seasonstructure,seasonclosure,bag limits,orothermanagementtechniqueswillbeconsidered. Strategy2.4:Conductoutreachtoincreasepublicunderstandingandsupportofbobcatasa sustainablewildliferesourceinNewYorkState. Action2.4.1Ensurebobcattrappingandhuntingregulationsareavailabletoandeasily understoodbytheaffectedandinterestedpublic. Regulationsmustbecommunicatedtotheregulatedpublicinaneffectiveandefficient manner.Proposedregulatorychangeswillbedisseminatedtothepublicthroughnews releases,targetedmailingsandpublications,trappermeetings,andtheuseofthe Departmentswebsite.WhenevertheDepartmentisconsideringsignificantregulatory changes,staffwillundertakeoutreacheffortstogaugepublicacceptanceanddesires priortothesechangesbecominganofficialproposal.Regulationswillbemadeas simpleaspossibleandtheywillbeclearlydescribedintheregulationsguideandonthe Departmentswebsite.Inaddition,theSportsmenEducationprogram,specificallythe TrapperEducationprogram,willalsoaddressmanyoftheregulationsrelevanttobobcat management.Criticaltothesuccessofanyregulatoryactionsisthepresenceof effectivelawenforcement.WewillmaintainaliaisonwithDivisionofLawEnforcement (DLE)toensureEnvironmentalConservationOfficers(ECOs)areknowledgeableof relevantregulations. Action2.4.2EnhancethepublicsknowledgeandawarenessofbobcatresourcesinNew York. Abobcatprofilewillbemaintainedonthepublicwebsite (www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9360.html)thatprovidesinformationonthestatus,natural history,andmanagementofbobcatinNewYork.Departmentpersonnelwillengagethe public,whenappropriateandfeasible,andprovideinformationconcerningbobcat populationsandmanagement.Theseeventsmayincludefairs,schools,trapper meetings,andotherpubliceventsasrequestedaswellasinformalcontactsviaphone, email,andinpersonofficevisits. 20

Wewillprovidetrappers/hunterswithinformationregardingbobcatmanagementand harvestviatheDepartmentwebsite,regulationsguide,andSportsmenEducation program.VoluntaryuseofrecommendationspresentedinBestManagementPractices forTrappingBobcatintheUnitedStates(AFWA2011)willbeencouragedandthis documentwillbeprovidedtotrapperswhenavailableviaalinkontheDepartment website. Objective3:Minimizenegativebobcathumaninteractions. Strategy3.1:Identifyanddocumentnegativebobcathumaninteractions. Thepresenceofbobcatcreatesthepotentialforbobcathumanconflicts,butreportsofsuch interactionsareuncommon.Mostcomplaintsrelatetobobcatskillingpoultryanddomestic cats.Otherpotentialpreyincludesgoats,sheep,lambs,andyoungpigs,butreportsofsuch depredationsarerare.Asthepopulationcontinuestoexpand,wewilldocumentreported conflictsastheyoccur. Action3.1.1Developstandardstaffresponsesandguidelinesforresolvingnegative bobcathumaninteractions. Astandardformwillbedevelopedtodocumentreportsorincidentsofbobcathuman conflicts.Althoughnegativebobcathumaninteractionsareuncommon,Department personnelmayissueanuisancepermitauthorizingtheremovalofproblembobcat(s),if warranted.Between2007and2010,theDepartmentissuedonly13suchnuisance permits.However,asthepopulationexpands,conflictsmayoccurmoreoften,sostaff willneedstandardresponsesandguidelinestohelpresolvenegativebobcathuman interactionsastheyoccur.Guidelinesdevelopedbyotherstatesorwildlifedamage expertswillbeusedtotheextentpossible.

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LiteratureCited
AssociationofFishandWildlifeAgencies(AFWA).2011.Bestmanagementpracticesfor trappingbobcatsintheUnitedStates.Website, http://www.fishwildlife.org/files/Bobcat_BMP.pdf,accessed19September2011. Davidson,W.R.2006.FieldmanualofwildlifediseasesinthesoutheasternUnitedStates,Third edition.SoutheasternCooperativeWildlifeDiseaseStudy,DepartmentofPopulation Health,CollegeofVeterinaryMedicine,TheUniversityofGeorgia,Athens,Georgia,USA. FurHarvestersAuctionInc.(FHA).2011.Salesresults.Website, http://www.furharvesters.com/saleresults.htm,accessed19September2011. Karl,T.R.,J.M.Melillo,andT.C.Peterson.2009.GlobalclimatechangeimpactsintheUnited States.CambridgeUniversityPress. Knick,S.1990.Ecologyofbobcatsrelativetoexploitationandapreydeclineinsoutheastern Idaho.WildlifeMonographs108. NewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation.2011.WildlifeHealthProgram, DraftStrategicPlan,20112015.NYSDEC,Albany,NY.24pp. NewYorkStateDepartmentofHealth.2012.Rabiesannualsummaries(20012010).Website, http://www.wadsworth.org/rabies/annualsum.htm,accessed6Jan2012. Parker,G.R.,J.W.Maxwell,L.D.Morton,andG.E.J.Smith.1983.Theecologyofthelynx(Lynx canadensis)onCapeBretonIsland.CanadianJournalofZoology61:770786. RobertsN.M.,andS.M.Crimmins.2010.BobcatpopulationstatusandmanagementinNorth America:evidenceoflargescalepopulationincrease.JournalofFishandWildlife Management1(2):169174. Roberts,N.M.2010.EnhancingfurbearermanagementinNewYork.PhDDissertation.Cornell University,Ithaca,NY.75pp. Rosenzweig,C.W.Solecki,A.DeGaetano,M.OGrady,S.Hassol,andP.Grabhorn(Eds.).2011. RespondingtoclimatechangeinNewYorkState:theClimAidintegratedassessmentfor effectiveclimatechangeadaptation.Synthesisreport.NewYorkStateEnergyResearchand DevelopmentAuthority(NYSERDA),Albany,NY.

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Appendix1.LegalMatters
FurbearermanagementoccurswithintheauthorityprovidedbytheECL.TheECLfurther authorizesDECtoestablishrulesandregulationsforsome,butnotall,aspectsoffurbearer management.Despiteouroutreachefforts,huntersandtrappersremainconfusedbythe distinctionandmistakenlybelieveDEChasfullcontrolofallaspectsoffurbearermanagement. ThissectionoutlinesseveralitemswhereamendmentoftheECLisdesirabletoimproveDECs abilitytomanagebobcat. 1.PursuerevisionstothestatutoryauthorityinECL110905(3)governingtheharvestof bobcatsthatrequiresconcurrenthuntingseasonsduringopentrappingseasons. Alternatively,pursueregulationchangesrestrictingmethodoftakeforhuntingseasons. ECL110905(3)requirestheDepartmenttoprovideaconcurrenthuntingseasonanywhere thereisanopentrappingseasonforbobcat.Attimes,theseparationofthesetwoactivitiesis desirable,suchasallowingtrappingwhilerestrictinghuntingduringanopenfirearmsdeer season.Bobcatshotincidentaltodeerhuntingoftenareharvestedwithfirearmsthatmaynot allowforfullutilizationofbobcatpelts. TheDepartmentdoesnothavetheauthoritytoamendlawsandmustrelyonthelegislatureto doso.However,regulationsgoverningmethodsoftake(caliberorshotsizerestrictions)maybe consideredtohelppromoteresponsibleuseofbobcatstakenbyhunters. 2.Developmethodstoincreasereportingofroadkilledbobcatinareasclosedtoharvestto enablemoretimelyupdatesofbobcatstatusassessments. Wewillpursuethedevelopmentoflegalavenuesorcriteriatoallowforthelawfulsalvageof bobcatinareasclosedtobobcatharvest(e.g.,roadkilledanimals)andduringperiodswhen seasonsareclosed.Currently,salvageofbobcatinclosedareasandoutsideofanopenseason isnotlegalandthefinderoftendoesnotreporttheseobservationstotheDepartment.We believethatbyfacilitatingameansoflegalsalvage,theDepartmentcanobtainvaluable informationonbobcatsatlittlecost.Effortsonthisfrontwouldalsohavetremendousvaluein themanagementoffisher,marten,andotterasthesamesituationsoccurforthesespecies. 3.Legalizetheuseofmoderncablerestraints. Finally,inrecognitionofthemanypositiveattributesofmoderncablerestraintdevicesforthe livecaptureofwildlife,theDepartmentwillcontinuetoseeklegislativeauthoritytoallowand regulatetheiruse.Cablerestraintsareanotherselective,BestManagementPractices(BMP) approveddevicethatwouldallowtrapperstotargetbobcatandcanineswhileavoidingother speciesthatmayhavemorerestrictivetrappingseasonslikefisherandmarten. 23

Appendix2.ClimateChange
TheimpactstobobcatpopulationsinNewYorkduetoclimatechangeforces,especiallyoverthe fiveyearspanofthismanagementplan,arenotconclusive.Currentinformationavailable suggeststhataveragetemperatureswillincrease,longtermsnowfallwilldecrease,andoverall lengthofwinterconditionswilldecrease(Karletal2009).Intheshortterm,stormintensityis predictedtoincreasewhichmayresultinmoresignificantsnowfalleventsinareastotheeastof LakeOntarioandLakeEriewherelakeeffectprecipitationoccurs.Thereareseveralpotential impactstobobcatpopulationsandmanagement,whicharediscussedfurtherbelow. Parkeretal(1983)suggestedthatbobcatrangemaybelimitedbydeepsnow.Itisplausible thatdeepsnowmayalsolimitpopulationdensities.Withdecreasesinlongtermsnowfall, bobcatnumbersmayincreaseinsomeareasofthestateandtheremaybesomeminorshiftsin occupiedrange.Ourmechanismsforcollectingbobcatobservationsnotedelsewhereinthe planshouldbesufficienttomonitorchangesinrangeandpotentiallydensity. Rosenzweigetal(2011)notedthatpredatoryspeciessuchasbobcatmightexperiencesome levelofvulnerabilityduetopossiblepopulationdeclinesofsnowdependentpreyspeciessuch assnowshoehare,voles,andotherrodents.Thiswouldsuggestthepotentialforbobcat populationdeclinesinsomeareassuchastheAdirondacks,TugHill,andtheCatskills.However, bobcatsareageneralistspeciesandwebelieveashiftinpreyismorelikely. Finally,trappersmayfinditdifficulttocapturebobcatusingfootholdtrapsiftheshortterm increasingstormintensitypredictionisrealizedanddeepersnowsresult.Trappingindeep snowandwinterconditionswithfootholdtrapsischallengingandhasalowrateofsuccess.To continuetoprovidereasonableopportunityfortrapperstotargetbobcat,newtoolsthatare easiertouseindeepsnowssuchasmoderncablerestraints,maybecomenecessary.

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Appendix3.WildlifeHealthProgram
TheDepartmentsWildlifeHealthUnithaswrittenacomprehensiveWildlifeHealthProgram StrategicPlan(NYSDEC,2011).ThiswillallowtheDepartmenttorespondeffectivelytohealth issuesinvolvingfreerangingwildlife,aswellasminimizingthenegativeimpactsofwildlife healthissuesaffectingdomesticanimalsandhumans.TheDepartmentcollaborateswiththe DepartmentsofHealthandAgricultureandMarketsundertheumbrellaoftheOneHealth concepttoaddressissuesaffectingpeopleandanimalsintheirenvironment.TheWildlifeHealth Programintegratesstatewidewildlifehealthactivitiesintoasingleunifiedprogramtoaddress allwildlifehealthissuesincludingtheprovidingdiagnosticservices,diseaseresponseand prevention,andprovidingasuiteofwildlifeveterinaryservices. TheWildlifeHealthProgramwillassistbobcatmanagementeffortsbyperformingnecropsies, identifyingthecauseofdeath,diseasediagnosis,conductingwildlifehealthrelated investigations,assistinginresearchdesignandsupportingregionalandnationalbobcatresearch and/orclassroom/laboratoryexercises.Asneeded,sickorabnormalactingbobcatsreportedto theDepartmentshouldbesubmittedfornecropsy.

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