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New Hampshire State Wildcat

New Hampshire State Wildcat: Bobcat
Photographs, prints, posters

In 2015, two states nominated the bobcat to represent them in the halls of officialdom.

In New Hampshire, State Representative Jonathan Manley introduced House Bill No. 423 (HB423) on January 8, 2015. HB423 specified that the bobcat, Lynx rufus, should be designated the official state wildcat of New Hampshire.

Later in the year, when North Carolina's House of Representatives convened, State Representatives Bobbie Richardson and Rick Glazier introduced and read for the first time House Bill No. 161 (HB161) on March 3, 2015. HB161 specified that the bobcat should be designated the official cat of the State of North Carolina.

The North Carolina proposal passed in the House but failed in the Senate.

New Hampshire's proposal met with more success.

In 1989, bobcats were considered headed for extinction in the State of New Hampshire. It was estimated that as few as 150 were residing mostly in the south western portion of the state. Habitat loss, hunting, and trapping were credited with the low numbers.

On the heels of a seven-year study, by New Hampshire Fish & Game and the University of New Hampshire, and a 1989 moratorium on hunting or trapping, it began to look like the population was on the rise. A University of New Hampshire survey indicated that between 800 and 1,200 bobcats were living in the Granite State at the time of the survey. The bobcat became the subject of much conversation.

Enter fourth and fifth grade students and a fourth-grade teacher from The Well School in Peterborough, New Hampshire.

It's reported that their decision to pursue official status for the bobcat was made in 2014 when they discovered that the state had no official state cat when reading a Scholastic News Reader article "Colorado, the shelter pet state." In fact, no other state had an official wildcat at the time, though a few, California, Florida, and the above-mentioned North Carolina had raised the issue.

Teacher Audrey Carrel's current fourth-grade students and her previous year students, now in fifth grade, worked on the project.

The project included learning all about Lynx rufus through study and visits to wildlife centers in the state including the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness. A visit to the 45-year-old Harris Center for Conservation in Hancock was also in order. The Harris Center includes a bobcat on its logo.

After missing the legislative filing deadline in 2014, State Representative Jon Manly was recruited to sponsor a 2015 bill, on behalf of The Well students, proposing that the bobcat be declared New Hampshire's official state wildcat. His bill, House Bill No. 423 was introduced to the legislators on January 8, 2015 and referred to the House Committee on Fish and Game and Marine Resources.

New Hampshire State Wildcat: Bobcat
Photographs, prints, posters

A committee hearing was scheduled for February 12. The students were well prepared and delivered solid and persuasive testimony in favor of official state status for the bobcat.

The students gave legislators a primer on the history of the bobcat in New Hampshire since early settlement -- how it was hunted into near-extinction before the Fish and Game Department eliminated the season in 1989 and how the animal has been able to recover to populations estimated at about 1,200 throughout the state."

"Strong, resilient, independent and adaptable," Owen Nieuwenhuizen told the House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee on Thursday. "Bobcats are just like the people of this Granite State."

Student Trace Borozinski told the legislative committee that in the early 1800s, bobcats were quite common and had a lot of prey.

Student Lewis Carlton noted that the bobcats' range grew out of primarily southwestern New Hampshire, where the school is located.

"You can walk in the woods in New Hampshire and not see a bobcat, but that doesn't mean that a bobcat hasn't seen you," student Eva Calcutt said.

"Bobcats are uniquely situated to living in New Hampshire because of their aptitudes, their symbiotic relationship to the landscapes and the prey available, and because they are adaptable to the varied landscapes and terrain found within New Hampshire's borders," she said.

"We believe that a formal recognition of New Hampshire's bobcat comeback can lead to increased visitors and revenue as people come to our state to visit wild New Hampshire," student Clint Macy said. "We also think that it would be really cool and in keeping with New Hampshire's long-standing reputation of innovation and 'First in the Nation' status to become the first to designate a state wildcat."

(Tracy Students ask lawmakers to declare bobcat state's official wildcat 2015)

New Hampshire State Wildcat: Bobcat
Photographs, prints, posters

On March 3, 2015, the House Committee on Fish and Game and Marine Resources voted unanimously to send House Bill No. 423 to the floor of the New Hampshire House of Representative with the recommendation that the measure "ought to pass."

And pass it did, with no objection, on March 11, 2015.

In the New Hampshire Senate, House Bill No. 423 encountered another smooth ride. The Well students returned to the state capital in Concord for testimony in front of the Senate Committee on Rules, Enrolled Bills and Internal Affairs.

In return for another round of student testimony in support of the official state wildcat proposal the New Hampshire Senate offered up a full-throated 5-0 "ought to pass" recommendation.

The full Senate approved House Bill No. 423 on April 30, 2015.

"So excited and so proud!" said Audrey Carrel, the children's teacher, who began working with last year's fourth-grade class on their study of bobcats. Both last year's class and this year's fourth-grade worked on their presentations and found success.

Tracy Bobcats will be official state wildcat with governor's pen 2015/p>

The bobcat took on the role of New Hampshire's official state wildcat when Governor Maggie Hassan signed House Bill No. 423 on June 5, 2015.

The law went into effect on August 4, 2015.

New Hampshire Law

New Hampshire State Wildcat: Bobcat
Photographs, prints, posters

The following information was excerpted from the New Hampshire Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 3, Section 3:28.

TITLE I THE STATE AND ITS GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 3 STATE EMBLEMS, FLAG, ETC.
Section 3:28

3:28 State Wildcat. - The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is hereby designated as the official state wildcat of New Hampshire

Source. 2015, 90:1, eff. Aug. 4, 2015.

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Sources...

Manley, Jonathan. "Chaptered Law: 0090." NH General Court - Bill Status System. The State of New Hampshire, 11 June 2015. Web. 16 Aug. 2016.

"State of New Hampshire Revised Statutes Online." New Hampshire General Court. The State of New Hampshire, Mar. 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2016.

Tracy, Paula. "Peterborough Students Push for Bobcat as NH State Wildcat." WMUR 9 ABC. WMUR-TV, 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2016.

Tracy, Paula. "Students Ask Lawmakers to Declare Bobcat State's Official Wildcat." WMUR 9 ABC. WMUR-TV, 15 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Tracy, Paula. "Bobcats will be official state wildcat with governor's pen." WMUR 9 ABC. WMUR-TV, 2 May. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2016.

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Additional Information

New Hampshire State Wildcat: Bobcat
Photographs, prints, posters

Bobcat - Lynx rufus: Discovering Lewis & Clark: Discovery Paths. Journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001)

Bobcat - Lynx rufus: New Hampshire Public Television: NatureWorks. Discover the natural world and the connections that make nature work in this 16-part series for students in grades 3-6. Student host Patrice Forrester and Senior Naturalist Dave Erler of the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, explore the ways living things interact with the environment. NatureWorks is designed to align with state and national science frameworks and standards.

Bobcat - Lynx rufus (Felis rufus): New Hampshire Fish and Game Department: Wildlife Fact Sheets. Guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources.

Bobcat Lynx rufus: The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center advanclmg the understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire's natural world.

Meet Our Mascot: History of the University of New Hampshire mascot.

Lynx rufus Bobcat: Smithsonian Institution: National Museum of Natural History: North American Mammals: Carnivora · Felidae · Lynx rufus. This Web site includes detailed descriptions, images, and distribution ranges for more than 740 mammals native to the North American continent.

Basic Facts About Bobcats: Defenders of Wildlife: Fact Sheet. Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.

BOBCATS (Lynx rufus): Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management providing research-based information on how to responsibly handle wildlife damage problems: Scott Hygnstrom at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Lynx rufus bobcat: Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is an online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology at the University of Michigan.

Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777): The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an easily accessible database with reliable information on species names and their hierarchical classification.

State wildcats: Complete list of official state wildcats from NETSTATE.COM

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official New Hampshire state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

Bobcats
(Cats of the Wild)
Henry Randall

Bobcats (Cats of the Wild), by Henry Randall. 24 pages. Publisher: PowerKids Press (January 15, 2011) Reading level:Kindergarten - Grade 3. Age Range: 5 - 8 years

Though bobcats are rarely seen, thousands of these animals hunt throughout much of North America. Known for their short, "bobbed" tail, these small animals can kill prey much larger. Engaging text and dramatic photographs will capture and hold young readers' interest.

Bobcats in the Dark
Therese M. Shea

Bobcats in the Dark, by Therese M. Shea. 99 pages. Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing (August 1, 2012) Reading level:Preschool - Grade 3. Age Range: 6 - 8 years

Bobcats look like big housecats, as readers will see in the up-close photographs provided in this book. But these hunters wont curl up on your lap! Theyre much more interested in hiding in trees or behind bushes watching for their next unsuspecting meal. Readers will learn much more about these furry nocturnal animals and the special ways they have adapted to living in the wild.

Bobcat: North America's Cat
Stephen R. Swinburne

Bobcat: North America's Cat, by Stephen R. Swinburne. 32 pages. Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (February 1, 2001) Reading level:Grades 2+. Age Range:4 - 8 years

Bobcats truly are North America’s cats. From southern Canada to northern Mexico, bobcats inhabit forest, deserts and swamps. Although they have been hunted and trapped for more than two hundred years, there may be as many as 1.5 million bobcats in North America. But these cats live in their own secret world. Elusive and mysterious, these beautiful animals are rarely seen in the wild.

In this fascinating book, chock full of bobcat facts and stunning full-color photographs, Steve Swinburne puts us on the trail of the bobcat, examining its behavior, hunting techniques, and habitat, as well as the cat’s special abilities to survive. Join Steve as he leads the us into North American woods to stalk the mysterious bobcat.

Bobcat
Master of Survival
Kevin Hansen

Bobcat: Master of Survival, by Kevin Hansen. 248 pages. Publisher: Oxford University Press (November 30, 2006)

Bobcat: Master of Survival tells the story of the most adaptable and resilient wild feline in the world. While half the wild cat species worldwide are in danger, the bobcat is thriving, even expanding its range in North America. Why are bobcats flourishing when so many other wild felines are advancing towards extinction? The book explains how scientists apply the latest in wildlife research technology to probe this diminutive predator's habits and behavior. The reader is invited inside the bobcat's world to see how they hunt, kill prey, raise their young, coexist with humans, and deftly navigate the endless obstacles to survival.

The bobcat is both the most studied and the most exploited wild feline in the world. Millions have been killed for the fur trade. They were the focus of major controversy in the 1970s that transformed international conservation of wild felines. The book discusses how economics and politics play a far greater role in bobcat management and conservation than does science. Bobcat is the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on the natural history and management of bobcats to appear in 40 years.