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October 8, 2026
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Wildlife Branch
Attn: Rachel Roberts
RE: California Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan – Maintain California's Ban on Bobcat Hunting and Trapping
Dear Department of Fish and Wildlife:
On behalf of Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL), I am writing to express our strong support for maintaining California's prohibition on the recreational hunting and trapping of bobcats and to urge the Department to make continued protection of these magnificent native animals a central priority of its Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan.
California took an important step forward with the passage of AB 1254 (Kamlager), the Bobcat Protection Act of 2019, which our group actively supported, recognizing that bobcats deserve protection from unnecessary killing. We firmly believe those protections must remain in place.
Bobcats are an essential part of California's ecosystems. As native predators, they help maintain ecological balance, regulate prey populations, and support biodiversity. Their value extends far beyond population numbers. They are an irreplaceable part of our state's natural heritage.
While the Department's recent research estimates a stable statewide population of more than 62,000 bobcats, a stable population should never be interpreted as an invitation to resume killing these animals. Rather, it demonstrates the importance of continuing responsible conservation policies.
Bobcats already face substantial challenges, including habitat loss and fragmentation, vehicle collisions, disease, and increasing pressures from human development. Reintroducing recreational hunting would add an unnecessary source of mortality to a species already navigating these threats.
We also believe that wildlife management should prioritize coexistence, public education, habitat preservation, and scientifically supported nonlethal conflict prevention. Where legitimate threats to livestock or property arise, California already has mechanisms to address those circumstances. There is no justification for reopening recreational hunting or weakening the state's prohibition on trapping.
For nearly two decades, Social Compassion in Legislation has worked to strengthen California's animal protection laws, successfully sponsoring 32 bills signed into law protecting domestic animals, wildlife, and other vulnerable species. Among our landmark achievements is AB 273 (Gonzalez), the Wildlife Protection Act of 2019, which prohibited recreational and commercial fur trapping throughout California. Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 4, 2019, this historic legislation established California as a national leader in protecting native wildlife from commercial exploitation.
We strongly believe the Department's Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan should uphold these hard-fought protections, not open the door to reversing them.
We respectfully urge the Department to ensure that the final Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan explicitly prioritizes continued protection, rejects recreational killing of bobcats, and supports maintaining California's existing hunting and trapping prohibitions.
California has an opportunity to demonstrate that successful wildlife management is not measured by how many animals we can kill, but by how effectively we can protect them and the ecosystems they help sustain.
Thank you for your consideration and for the Department's work to conserve California's native wildlife.
Sincerely,
Judie Mancuso
Founder, President & CEO
Social Compassion in Legislation
Former Public Member, California Veterinary Medical Board
Former Vice Chair, Laguna Beach Environmental & Sustainability Committee
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