Contributed to

Iowa State University

Bobcat Study

In 2002 the Iowa State University (ISU) in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, initiated a study of the recovery of the bobcat (Lynx rufus), a species which has become increasingly common in the corn belt of the Midwest. The study was prompted by the reports of bobcats from about two-thirds of the counties of Iowa in the last 5 years and the need for basic data to manage the species. ISU has now been radio-collaring bobcats in southern Iowa for the last 3 years. Hopefully this project will answer questions with regard to the distribution, landscape ecology, and population dynamics. Given that the public expresses desires that range from complete protection of bobcats to opening a limited harvest season, we must be prepared to define management options based on sound scientific data.

The study did not have adequate funding through the State Wildlife Grant. This grant allowed Iowa State University to hire an Iowa State University student research assistant who would examine and analyze Iowa bobcat stomach contents, reproductive tracts, and help prepare DNA samples.

This research is crucial for effective management of bobcat populations in Iowa. Harvest is the most controversial part of a management plan for bobcats in Iowa. Stomach content analysis is also critical component for understanding the habitat relationships. Information on bobcat diets is also needed for public education, providing facts about how bobcats would likely have negligible impact on game birds. Modern genetic DNA techniques will enable us to understand whether bobcat distribution is continuous or disjunctive in Iowa and surrounding states. Genetic analyses will reveal patterns of long-distance movement that will be combined with data on local habitat selection to build models that predict future spread of the population in Iowa. Ultimately these data will enable predictions about population dynamics of bobcats that are fundamental to assessing potential harvest and other management recommendations.