(Springfield, IL) — Illinois doubled the number of bobcat permits for the 2017-2018 season and doubled the number of cats that were taken. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources yesterday said Illinois hunters and trappers took 318 bobcats during the season that ran from November 10th until February 15th. That’s near twice as many permits and cats as the year before. Next year, DNR officials say, there will be a hard cap of 375 cats that can be harvested. Applications for a 2018-2019 bobcat license are due in September.