Young male bobcats stick close to mom for the first year or two. Then, they wander off and establish individual territories. Four of five young males moved to new territories more than 70 miles away from where they were born. Most adult bobcats stay within their established home ranges. Only three bobcats moved to new digs, probably because a neighbor died or a more dominant individual displaced them.
Researchers say they're buoyed by their discoveries.
This is a critter that's rebounded pretty well. And they don't need a lot from us. They just need a little bit of habitat. Over the next two years, Nielsen will get a fix on the various landscape components that make for the best bobcat habitat. That will lead to better estimates of bobcat numbers all over Illinois and help scientists better predict how development, farming and other land uses affect bobcat populations.