Pennsylvania's First Bobcat and Fisher Hunt in a Century

Pennsylvania's First Bobcat and Fisher Hunt in a Century

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Starting December 18th hunters in Pennsylvania will get to do something that they haven't been able to do for nearly a century, openly hunt bobcats and fishers. No when I say fishers I don't mean the guys on the shore with rods and reels but rather the fisher cats, a member of the weasel family. The recent hunt is due in large part to the increase in the numbers as a result of a game management plan started in the 1990's by game and wildlife. The game management plan was a partnership between Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), and other partners such as the Wild Resource Conservation Fund with the propose making fishers self-sustainable.

As a result of the management plan it was discovered that fishers and bobcats can survive in areas other than the large forested regions that the Pennsylvania Game Commission originally thought were required for the animal's growth. Bobcats and fishers in the state have learned how to exist within human occupied areas and this causes the population of both of the animals to grow widely because they have more room to breed and live.

I like to hear stories like this where a game commission has a plan to rebound a certain type of animal so that they can be enjoyed by the citizens of the state. It seems to me that recently their have been a lot of stories in the news about animals that have rebounded as a result of effective game management such as black bears and the sandhill crane. These recent stories also make me think that maybe game commissions are pushing to remove hunting bans on all of these previously restricted animals as a way to increase the number of hunters. Although it doesn't seem likely that this is the case it still seems odd since many states are having declining numbers in hunter registration.

On the bright side the effectiveness of these game management plans means that we are providing a better hunting experience for the youth of our country. If the number of hunter continues to decline hunters in the future will have more choices and resources to hunt and possible providing the entire country with more choices of wild game to eat. With less hunters and less restricted animals industries can develop around harvesting these newly introduced wild games and providing them to the mass public.

On a side note it doesn't seem like the normal animal activists are on the prowl to stop the fisher and bobcat hunts! Is that because these animals aren't made into stuffed animals nor have cartoon shows like the black bear and deer?

What are your thoughts on bobcat and fisher hunting in Pennsylvania? Are they an animal that will make hunting more diverse or just another source of prey for trophy hunters?

To respond follow my Outdoor Sporting News Blog at OutdoorNews.PoorFish.com.

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