Bobcats are spreading across New York State, prompting expanded trapping and monitoring efforts by the DEC.

Bobcats are increasingly spotted across New York State, especially in Western and Central regions near farms and homes, prompting the state to expand regulated trapping and harvesting programs managed by the DEC. Each harvested bobcat must be tagged and reported to track population data. Once rare outside specific areas, bobcats now inhabit most of the state except New York City, where they are absent. Though generally shy, they may approach residential areas in search of food, occasionally preying on small pets, leading officials to advise securing animals indoors. Confusion with Canadian lynx—now extinct in the wild in New York since October 2025—has led to misidentification, but no wild lynx remain. The DEC continues monitoring bobcat populations to maintain ecological balance.