Photo provided by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Bobcat populations are increasing and sightings have gone up dramatically in recent years. The animals, which were extirpated from the state in the mid-19th century, were reintroduced in the 1990s and remained under legal protection.

MARIETTA — Bobcats are still more common on sports jerseys than they are in the wild, but the tough felines are making a comeback in Ohio, particularly in the forested hills of the southeast.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, 499 verified sightings of bobcats, which were trapped and hunted nearly to extirpation before 1850, were reported in the state in 2017. Washington County residents reported 26 of those sightings, and all but a handful came from counties in the southeastern quadrant of the state.

“I see a decent amount of sightings, and it’s definitely picked up in the three years since I’ve been here,” ODNR wildlife biologist Ryan Donnelly said Wednesday. Donnelly is assigned to Washington County.

Bobcats came back to Ohio through a re-introduction program in the 1990s, Donnelly said, and they appear to be thriving. It is difficult to estimate the population through sighting reports, according to an ODNR report. That’s because many of them come in through the use of trail cameras, which in recent years have become cheaper and more common, so the increase in sightings could be the result of many more eyes on the trail rather than a dramatic increase in the number of animals.

There is little question that bobcat numbers are increasing, however, as indicated by another method of reporting, roadkills, which are conclusive. First-hand sightings are rare.

“They’re very smart, they’re nocturnal, and they don’t have a ton of interactions with people but they are predators. They eat stuff similar to what coyotes and foxes eat,” Donnelly said. “If you see one around frequently, there’s a reason for that. You might be putting feed outside for animals, which draws small animals like mice or other rodents, and that’s what a bobcat eats.”

Donnelly said he’s seen two bobcats this year while driving around his territory as they crossed the road.

“They’ve done really well in eastern Ohio, they have an expanding population. The habitat’s been good for them, there’s no hunting or trapping season, and they don’t have many predators,” he said.

The area has no wolves or mountain lions, and bears and coyotes are not really a threat to a bobcat.

“There are no wolves anywhere even close, and bears, well, I just think of them as big raccoons. For a bear to take down a bobcat would be a ton of effort,” he said.

Rick Headley of Headley Wildlife Control in Marietta said he’s had one request for bobcat removal.

“I worked a case this summer in Noble County, near Wolf Run State Park. The kids were raising chickens, and a bobcat ate all of the chickens,” he said.

Even though that request was unique, Headley said, his contacts and connections in the wildlife, hunting and trapping community have reported more and more bobcat sightings.

“A lot of local outdoorsmen are seeing them on their trail cameras,” he said. “They’re fantastic animals. They’re cats, and being wild, they don’t like interaction with humans. They prefer the roughest country.”

To report a bobcat sighting, go to https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/wildlife/speciessighting/ and fill out the form. Verified sightings are entered in the ODNR wildlife database, which helps the agency determine populations and the needs of the animals.