Bobcats in Northern New Mexico: Yes, They're There

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are well-established in northern New Mexico. Their range covers the entire state, favoring:

• Piñon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests (Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, San Juan Mtns).
• Riparian corridors along the Rio Grande, Chama, Pecos rivers.
• Brushy canyons and high-desert mesas with rabbit/rodent prey.

They are elusive, nocturnal, and rarely seen, but camera traps and track surveys confirm healthy populations. NMDGF manages them as a furbearer with regulated harvest.