Bobcat kitten survival and den site selection

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are an important furbearing species in South Dakota.  However, management of bobcats, as with many other carnivores, is difficult because of their elusive nature and the lack of information on demographic rates.  In particular, there is a dearth of information on abundance, survival, and reproductive rates necessary to ensure sustainable harvests through time. Our project seeks to estimate survival rates of bobcat kittens in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and to understand how environmental variables influence den site selection of the mother.  This will allow state biologists to construct a population model that will be used to guide harvest decisions. Moreover, linking variation in den site selection with kitten survival will allow us to understand spatial factors contributing to bobcat dynamics in the region.