North Central Illinois Bobcat Project

About Us

We are a team of researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale studying the spatial ecology and demography of bobcats (Lynx rufus rufus) in north-central Illinois.

Bobcats are medium sized predators whose range spans from southern Canada to northern Mexico. In Illinois, they prefer forested areas where there is higher prey density and adequate cover for denning.

Previous research has focused on bobcats in southern Illinois, where habitat is more suitable and their population is more abundant. In collaboration with the IDNR, this project will focus on bobcats in the more agriculturally dominated north-central part of the state.

Photo by Abby Weber. Anesthetized bobcat being fitted for a collar radio

Methodology

We will be trapping and placing GPS collars on bobcats in six counties in north-central IL (Bureau, Marshall, Peoria, Putnam, Tazewell, and Woodford). These GPS collars will give us information regarding bobcat movement and survival that we can link to habitat and resource use, reproduction, and population trends that will be useful for their management in north-central Illinois and beyond. All bobcats will be handled under a protocol approved by the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

In the media

Past and current related research:

The Rise of Bobcats in West-Central Illinois

Understanding the Impact of Predators on White-tailed Deer

Report Your Sightings

Meet the Team

Clay Nielsen

Principal Investigator

Dr. Clay Nielsen is a Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation in the Department of Forestry and Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory at Southern Illinois University, where he received his Ph.D. in Zoology in 2001.

Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau

Principal Investigator

Dr. Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau is an Assistant Professor in the Zoology department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He is an ecologist interested in understanding the drivers of spatial behavioral processes such as movement and habitat selection.

Brent Pease

Principal Investigator

Dr. Brent Pease is an assistant professor in the Forestry Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Pease’s research addresses applied issues in wildlife conservation and management.

Ellen Audia

Graduate Research Assistant

Ellen Audia is a Ph.D. student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. With a strong background in geospatial analyses and modeling, she will be focusing her research on the space use, habitat selection, and dispersal of bobcats in Illinois.

Katie Buckman

Graduate Research Assistant

Katie Buckman is a Ph.D. student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She studied bobcat spatial ecology in southern Florida, and plans to study bobcat survival, mortality, and reproduction in Illinois.