California Bobcat Plan: Public Comments Close November 1st

California residents have a few days left to weigh in on how the state manages bobcats.

Written comments on the draft California Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan are being accepted through November 1st, 2026. The proposal follows five years of research and planning by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The research estimates that more than 62,000 bobcats live across California. That is a statewide estimate, rather than a count of animals in any particular North State county.

There is an important caution behind that number. The draft explains that older estimates were less rigorous and that continued monitoring will be needed to establish population trends over time.

What the draft would mean

The plan lays out conservation and monitoring goals. It does not, by itself, reopen bobcat hunting. Any decision to reinstate a season would require action by the California Fish and Game Commission.

For Northern California residents interested in wildlife, the comment period offers an opportunity to respond to the proposed approach before the plan is finalized.

Comments can be emailed to [email protected] with California Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan in the subject line. The announcement does not specify a closing hour, so submitting before the final day would avoid relying on an assumed deadline time.

Read the official announcement and public comment instructions

Read the draft California Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan