California Assembly Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove’s (D- Los Angeles) Assembly Bill 1254, which would ban the bobcat hunting season, will receive another hearing on May 16 in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The hearing will take place upon adjournment of session in room 4202 of the state capitol building.
Take Action Today! California sportsmen and women should contact their state assembly member and ask them to vote NO on AB 1254. Members can find their assembly member by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.
On its face, HB 1254 would only pause the opening of a season until 2025, but this is, in reality, a backdoor to end the season all together. The bill would require the department to create a brand-new bobcat management plan before considering any resumption of a season. In a state as hostile to hunting over the last 30 years as California, it is highly unlikely any governor will approve a new hunting season once it is lost, and perhaps equally unlikely the department would even risk proposing one.
Hunting is the most cost-effective and efficient means of managing bobcats in California. According to the 2014-15 bobcat harvest report, the Department of Fish and Wildlife stated that there was no danger of over harvest since the total bobcat take in recent years had been substantially less than 20 percent of the statewide harvest quota. Plus, revenue generated from the sale of hunting licenses is used for continued conservation efforts of the state’s wildlife.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.