Influences of Seasons on Bobcats in Idaho

We studied a bobcat (Felis rufus) population in the Frank-Church River of No Return Wilderness (RNRW), Idaho, during 1982-85, to determine the influences of seasons on bobcat use of space, elevation, habitat, and prey. We fitted 30 of 35 captured bobcats with radio collars and collected 1,372 daytime telemetry locations. Weighted bivariate normal estimates of home-range sizes for 7 resident adults were smaller (P 20 cm, bobcats were more vulnerable to trapping. We recommend that harvest be controlled and populations closely monitored in areas where bobcat densities are low and where bobcat behavior is influenced by winter conditions. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 53(1): 197-202 Regional bobcat populations differ in habitat use, diet, spatial requirements, and density (McCord and Cordoza 1982, Fuller et al. 1985, Litvaitis et al. 1986b). At northern latitudes, winter conditions and site productivity (Harestad and Bunnell 1979) may influence bobcat density (Berg 1979) and home-range size (Fuller et al. 1985). Snow depth influences bobcat travel patterns (McCord 1974), use of habitats (Bailey 1974, Hamilton 1982), and natural (Petraborg and Gunvalson 1962, Major 1983, Litvaitis et al. 1986a) and man-caused mortality (Petraborg and Gunvalson 1962). We studied a bobcat population in RNRW in central Idaho from 1982 through 1985 to determine seasonal influences on bobcat use of space, habitats, and prey, and to assess the influences of winter conditions on the vulnerability of bobcats to trapping. The U.S. Forest Service and University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center provided logistic support for our study. We are indebted to H. A. Akenson, J. J. Akenson, K. R. Higgs, D. P. Koehler, M. M. Koehler, T. W. Koehler, K. M. Murphy, and R. A. Sutherland for their field assistance. E. D. Ables, E. G. Bizeau, E. O. Garton, D. R. Johnson, J. M. Peek, and H. B. Quigley offered helpful suggestions on the manuscript. Funding for this study was provided by the Idaho Fish and Game Department, the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Boone and Crockett Club, National Geographic Socie y, National Rifle Association, National Wildlife Federation, University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center, and Wildlife Research Institute. This is Contribution 384 of the Idaho Forest, Wildlife, and Range Experiment Sta-