LBR/LSU Game Cam Study and Contest:
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Louisiana residents and hunters, here's your chance to contribute to wildlife conservation and keep Louisiana a true Sportsman's Paradise, while having a chance to win some great prizes from some of your favorite local retailers. Louisiana Bobcat Refuge in collaboration with the Louisiana State University School of Renewable Natural Resources is currently researching our state's only remaining felid, the mysterious lynx rufus, more commonly known as the bobcat. Due to their elusive and mysterious behavior, most states will attest to the fact that it's a challenge to get true population numbers on this apex predator. However, it's vital data to provide to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. We're researching which areas are more populated and which areas are less, especially due to the catastrophic flooding that Louisiana sustained during mammal baby season in 2016 in the northern part of the state in the spring, then again in the southwestern and central areas in August 2016. As an agricultural region, this species contributes to keeping the rodent population in check, as bobcats regularly prefer to dine on rabbits, rats and squirrels. They also can dine on feral hog offspring and kill snakes which is beneficial, especially with feral hogs changing the landscape of Louisiana, and most hunters don't want to sit on a venomous snake in a tree stand or keep company with one in a duck blind.
How can you help? It's easy!
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From 2017 through 2021 we'll be collecting photos from the public of live bobcat footage from game cams for ongoing quarterly prize giveaways. The more photo stills you send, will earn you an entry for prizes. Is there more than one bobcat in the photo? You can earn additional entries for each live bobcat photographed. Prizes include a custom knife from master bladesmith, Ben Bischoff of Buckhorn Taxidermy Studio, an original LBR bobcat photo capture from LDWF commissioned & international wildlife photographer, Steve Uffman of Uffman Nature Images, an Atchafalya original framed print from Lafayette based wildlife and commercial photographer, Kerry Griechen of My Eye Photos, along with lots of LSU logo merchandise, gifts and gift cards from local retailers. For local retailers wanting to participate in the donor prizes in exchange for publicity on social media, they can reach LBR at director@louisianabobcatrefuge.com and all donations are tax deductible as LBR is a 501c3 non for profit charity. Submissions should include where the video or game cam photo was taken, parish, city, your name and address for prize mailing if selected to LBRLSUbobcatstudy@rootedconsulting.org
