Illinois bobcat season ends with 627 harvested, state officials say

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., (KBSI) — The 2025–2026 Illinois bobcat hunting and trapping season ended Feb. 15 with 627 bobcats harvested, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Officials said 405 bobcats (62%) were harvested by hunters, while 222 (34%) were taken by trappers. Another 27 bobcats (4%) were salvaged by permit holders in cases such as roadkill.

The department issued 2,000 bobcat permits for the 2025 season from a pool of about 9,700 lottery applicants.

Jefferson County reported the highest number of harvested bobcats with 33, followed by Macoupin County with 28.

State officials said the department will continue monitoring the bobcat population and evaluate the hunting and trapping program as additional research data becomes available.

More information about bobcat hunting and trapping in Illinois is available at Hunt Illinois—Bobcat.