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03-21-2011 06:49 AM |
Locals helping Fish & Game as it delves into growing bobcat numbers
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Today's Citizen has a story about our friend Dan who is helping NH F&G live trap bobcats for attaching tracking collars. The photo below was originally sent to us by Dan and is the same shot that is in the Citizen.
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...937/-1/CITIZEN
Quote:
By HARRISON HAAS
Monday, March 21, 2011
Local trappers have aided the state in its most recent study of bobcats, an animal whose population is on the rise.
The state Fish and Game Department has teamed up with the University of New Hampshire in conducting a study on bobcats. In the past, the state has conducted studies on white-tail deer, black bear, moose and other animals, but it has never done a study on bobcats before.
For more than 20 years, bobcats have been a protected species. Recently there has been an increase in the bobcat population and researchers from the state plan to conduct a four-year study in hopes of finding out why their numbers are increasing.
Assisting the state in its research has been Dan Dockham, a local trapper from Gilmanton, who has been covering the Lakes Region, specifically in Gilford, Gilmanton and Barnstead.
Dockham explained there was once a bounty on bobcats because they became a menace to some farmers and other animals in the area.
"The bobcats in New Hampshire went on the decline somewhere in the '70s," said Dockham. "Nineteen eighty-nine was the last year to have a season for bobcat and they have been protected ever since."
From a personal observation, Dockham began seeing an increase in the bobcat population after seeing more and more evidence of the cats.
"Historically the bobcat was an animal you didn't see very often," said Dockham. "It wasn't that they weren't plentiful, it was more the nature of the animal."
Dockham said some of the bobcats are now coming into closer contact with humans, which is unnatural because they would normally avoid human contact. Bobcats have been seen feeding near bird feeders and some have ventured into more built-up areas.
Explaining one of his theories of why the bobcat population has increase, Dockham made note of the plentiful amount of food for the cats' diet.
"When we had plenty of cats, we didn't have any coyotes," said Dockham. "Fisher cats were low in numbers too, but mostly in the north country."
He said those animals as well as hawks and other birds of prey all eat the relatively same diet such as small rodents, rabbits and other vulnerable animals. With farms closing over the years, the vegetation for the prey has caused bobcats to move elsewhere, hence decreasing the amount of food for them.
Dockham said while some predators have adapted to eating fruits and other food, bobcats primarily feed on meat with the only vegetation they receive comes from the contents of the stomachs of the animals they consume.
"I believe that the turkeys have been bringing them back," he said. "There are plenty of turkeys around and we think they have helped the bobcat make a good comeback."
He said at one point, the turkey was eliminated but then reintroduced in the state. With there being more turkeys, the bobcats could be preying on the them for a source of food.
The main objective for the study is to find out more information about the bobcats living in New Hampshire. Researchers will collect data relative to habitat, population density, travel corridors and various other facts.
"There is a population increase in the areas where they were historically, but there will be places where there won't be any cats because the habitat isn't right," said Dockham.
Bobcats in the state can range from 25 to 35 pounds, with males growing larger than the females. Dockham said the Vermont record was set by a 50 pound male.
During the study, bobcats are captured and analyzed in a specific manner. Before sedating a cat, they must be a minimum of 12 pounds as well as an adult. Once determined to be the right maturity, researchers take down several measurements and a small molar is removed to see how old the cat is (similar to a tree, teeth have age rings).
Before releasing the cats, they are given an ear tag and collar equipped with GPS. The cats are then injected with a drug to reverse the affects of the tranquilizer and released back into the wild.
A total of seven cats have been collared in New Hampshire and the state has collected a substantial amount of data. Dockham said trapping is a passion of his and will assist in the study throughout the year and again in the fall when the collared cats need to be recaptured.
For more information about the study, visit the N.H. Fish and Game website at www.wildnh.com and type in "bobcat" in the search field.
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