HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Game Commission, with assistance from several interested observers, publicly drew by computer the names of 1,010 individuals who each will be awarded one bobcat permit for the upcoming 2007-08 hunting and trapping season. The drawing was held at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Clearfield County ranked as third highest in the state with 43 licenses given to Clearfield County residents.
After a review of the 6,064 applications received for the drawing, the Game Commission disqualified 15 individuals for failing to follow instructions, including mailing in multiple applications and bounced checks. Of those 15, five were disqualified because they had been issued bobcat permits for the 2006-07 season and were not eligible to be in this year’s drawing.
Of the 6,049 eligible applicants in the drawing, an additional 20 applications were drawn as alternates in case the Bureau of Wildlife Protection declares any of the first 1,010 individuals ineligible during an application review.
Of the 1,010 permits awarded, 44 were awarded to female applicants and 65 were awarded to applicants under the age of 17.
Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe noted that preference points played a significant role in determining those drawn. According to results, 165 of the 478 individuals with five preference points were selected for a bobcat permit; 181 of the 659 individuals with four preference points were selected; 223 of the 953 individuals with three preference points were selected; 231 of the 1,385 individuals with two preference points were selected; and 210 of the 2,574 individuals with one preference point were selected.
Those selected in the random drawing will receive one permit for no additional charge to either hunt or trap one bobcat in the next few weeks. The hunting season will run from Oct. 20- Feb. 16. The trapping season will run from Oct. 21- Feb. 17.
Top counties for those receiving bobcat permits are: Lancaster (57); Berks (55); Clearfield (43); Tioga (40); and York (38).
Hunting and trapping bobcats is restricted to Wildlife Management Units 2A, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D. A statewide map of the WMUs, as well as a series of maps of each WMU, appears on pages 42 through 45 of the 2007-08 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations.