PORTLAND, Maine — Maine's season for hunting of bobcats starts in one week.
The season for the wild cats runs Dec. 1 to Feb. 14. State Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife says bobcats are rare in northwestern Maine due to the long winters, but are common everywhere else in the state.
Hunters must possess a valid hunting license to take a bobcat. The state classifies the cats as "big game animals."
State officials warn that bobcats and lynx can be difficult to distinguish. Lynx are a species of special concern in Maine and cannot be hunted or trapped.