Some Homeowners Are On Edge In East Aurora, New York

After recent report surfaced about large cats wandering around portions of New York State, a Facebook post is getting a lot of attention and East Aurora in New York.

Do you know the difference between a bobcat and a house cat? Sometimes a large house cat can appear as though it is a wild cat like a bobcat or other wild feline. For example, a recent video popped up that showed what could’ve been a mountain lion in Western New York.

This time it is just someone saying that they might have seen a bobcat. The Facebook comments were all over the place on this one, but there is a possibility that they saw a bobcat considering that there are some in the area. I have even seen some when I am hunting in portions of Western New York.

"Mathew recently wrote on the East Auroran Facebook page that: "I’m pretty sure I saw a bobcat in my backyard (in the village) this morning".

Fur Trapping In New York State

There is a season for trapping varieties of furbearing animals in New York State but the best advice is to leave wildlife alone and contact people who can help to make sure you are not endangering yourself or the welfare of the wildlife.

However, when it comes to bobcats specifically, the DEC says: With bobcat populations growing throughout the state, a limited harvest season was opened in portions of Central and Western New York starting in 2013. Between 2013 and 2015, all hunters and trappers wanting to pursue bobcats in the Harvest Expansion Area (HEA) had to apply for a special permit and complete a hunting and/or trapping activity log. In addition, DEC collected teeth from all harvested bobcats during this time period".

As of now, there are only select locations where you can legally trap bobcat in New York State.