Why It Matters: California’s ban on bobcat hunting and trapping, enacted through Assembly Bill (AB 1254) remains in place more than six years later. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has now released their draft Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan, required by AB 1254, opening a public comment period through November 1, 2026. This process will inform whether the California Fish and Game Commission may consider reinstating a regulated hunting season in the future.
Highlights:
- Assembly Bill 1254 (2019) prohibited hunting, trapping, or other take of bobcats statewide, with limited exemptions. This directed CDFW to develop a conservation and management plan before any hunting season could again be considered.
- CDFW’s draft plan was developed over a five-year period alongside a statewide population monitoring project. This monitoring estimates a stable bobcat population of more than 62,000.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is working with the agency, the California Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and coalition partners to ensure that the voice of sportsmen and women is reflected in the final management plan.
Signed into law on October 12, 2019, Assembly Bill 1254 added provisions to the Fish and Game Code making it unlawful to hunt, trap, or otherwise take a bobcat except in narrow circumstances, including under a depredation permit. The legislation further required CDFW to develop a bobcat management plan using credible science and an ecosystem-based approach before any hunting season could be reopened. Enacted under Fish and Game Code 4157, once the Legislature appropriates funds for the purpose, the California Fish and Game Commission may open a bobcat hunting season in any area it determines requires a hunt. However, before doing so, the Commission must adopt the management plan and consider potential impacts of a bobcat season on bobcat populations, their prey populations, alternative non-lethal strategies, assess administrative and enforcement costs, and consider state residents’ values with regard to the “trophy” hunting of bobcats.
CDFW released the draft California Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan in late September 2026. This document is a first of its kind in state history, even though the agency has regulated bobcat take since 1971. It was developed in parallel with the California Bobcat Population Monitoring Project which was released in August of 2026.The population monitoring project found that bobcat populations remain stable, with over 62,000 bobcats dispersed throughout the large state. These documents note that, currently, the leading causes of mortality for bobcats are vehicle strikes and disease (mange). These documents also provide scientific information and potential management scenarios but do not officially recommend whether hunting should resume. Under AB 1254, only the Fish and Game Commission has the authority to reinstate a season and this could only occur after the adoption of a final management plan.
CDFW is accepting written comment on the draft plan through November 1, 2026. Comments may be emailed to [email protected] with “California Bobcat Conservation and Management Plan” in the subject line. Because section 4157(b)(4), mandated through AB 1254, expressly requires the Commission to consider state residents’ values regarding trophy hunting of bobcats before opening any season public input during this process is especially consequential.
Sportsmen and women who support science-based wildlife management, regulated hunting as a conservation tool, and the American System of Conservation Funding are encouraged to review the draft plan and submit comments so that those perspectives are clearly reflected in the record the Commission will later Consider. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation continues to monitor the implementation of AB 1254 and related Commission actions ensuring that the sportsmen’s community stays informed, and the sportsmen’s voice is reflected as rulemaking moves forward.