The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the bobcat and otter seasons are moving right along with hunters already over halfway to meeting the quotas in under two weeks. The season opened November sixth and D.N.R. spokesman, Willie Suchy, says things have gone well.
He says they are at 280 animals for the otters and 140 for the bobcats, with the otter quota at 500 and the bobcat quota at 250. The season ends as soon as the quotas are reached. Suchy says they try to set a limit that keeps the numbers for both species at a good size.
Suchy says they are very conservative with the quotas and they expect the hunters will meet the quotas. He says the goal is to keep a sustainable population through a limited harvest. The bobcat season is available in the southern three tiers of counties and along the western border, while otter season covers the entire state.
Suchy says hunters can make some money selling the fur from the animals they trap, but the amount they make on the sale varies. He says it depends on the year and the fur prices go up and down based on international circumstances. Suchy says the prices have been pretty good this year, but you never know what they are going to be. Many of the hunters aren’t as concerned about the price of the fur.
Suchy says many of the trappers are in it to have fun and enjoy the outdoors and the selling of the fur is simply a byproduct of that. The otter season has been in place for five years and the bobcat season for four.