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Furbearers
Georgia Bobcat Hunting
Hunting and trapping seasons for bobcats both run Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027, with no limit. This guide gathers the bobcat calendar, limits, licenses, legal weapons and public land.
Photo: Monkeystyle3000 (CC BY 2.0)
Centerfire rifles of .17 caliber and larger are legal for foxes and bobcats, except on WMA small game dates. Electronic calls, dogs and night hunting are all allowed, and a light must be worn on the body, a hat or a belt. Trapping takes a Trapping License ($40.00 resident, $325.00 nonresident); hides of legally trapped furbearers may be sold.
What WRD prints about bobcats
- Methods allowed: Hunting Dec. 1-Feb. 28 with small game firearms or centerfire .17+; electronic calls, dogs and night hunting allowed. Trapping Dec. 1-Feb. 28 with trapping license.
Bobcat take, day and season
Limits for bobcats as numbers and as written.
Bobcat
No limit (hunting and trapping).
When bobcats are open in Georgia
2 dated rows for bobcats from the 2026-27 guide, with private land, zone and public land segments kept apart.
| Season | Area | From | Through | Days | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 90 | |
| Trapping | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 90 |
Bobcat row notes
- No limit. Small game firearms or centerfire .17 cal.+; electronic calls, dogs and night hunting allowed.
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 season page and the 2026-27 guide (PDF), checked October 13, 2026.
Public land for bobcats in Georgia
Bobcats are not a heading in the area listings, so the table shows the 145 with small game seasons.
| Area | Type | Counties | Region | Size, acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | National Forest | Rabun, Fannin, Union | – | 869,017 |
| Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Charlton, Ware, Clinch | Brunswick | 407,038 |
| Blue Ridge Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Union, Lumpkin, Fannin | Gainesville | 302,238 |
| Chattooga River Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Rabun, White, Habersham | Gainesville | 261,439 |
| Conasauga Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | Gainesville | 188,617 |
| Oconee Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Putnam, Jasper, Greene | Thomson | 116,724 |
| Cohutta WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | Armuchee | 92,647 |
| Cedar Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Putnam, Jones, Jasper | Thomson | 41,000 |
| Redlands WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Greene, Oglethorpe, Morgan | Gainesville | 37,500 |
| Dixon Memorial WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Ware, Brantley | Brunswick | 35,247 |
| Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Jones, Jasper | Thomson | 35,000 |
| Townsend WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Long, McIntosh | Brunswick | 34,294 |
| Altamaha WMA | Wildlife Management Area | McIntosh | Brunswick | 31,569 |
| Savannah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Effingham, Chatham | Fitzgerald | 30,715 |
| Cooper's Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Union, Fannin | Gainesville | 30,000 |
Other bobcat ground, by size
Paulding Forest WMA (28,183 ac) · Chestatee WMA (27,123 ac) · Dawson Forest WMA (25,658 ac) · Chattahoochee WMA (25,150 ac) · John's Mountain WMA (23,710 ac) · Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA (21,895 ac) · Blue Ridge WMA (20,900 ac) · Rich Mountain WMA (20,674 ac) · Chickasawhatchee WMA (19,700 ac) · Sansavilla WMA (19,084 ac) · Swallow Creek WMA (19,000 ac) · Lake Russell WMA (17,300 ac) · Bullard Creek WMA (17,005 ac) · Little Satilla WMA (16,990 ac) · Paulks Pasture WMA (16,066 ac) · Ceylon WMA (16,000 ac) · Warwoman WMA (15,800 ac) · Berry College WMA (15,605 ac) · Ocmulgee WMA (15,475 ac) · Tuckahoe WMA (15,100 ac) · Oaky Woods WMA (13,450 ac) · B.F. Grant WMA (11,400 ac) · Penholoway Swamp WMA (11,177 ac) · Canoochee Sandhills WMA (10,224 ac) · Clarks Hill WMA – East (10,224 ac) · West Point WMA (10,000 ac) · Upatoi Ravines Natural Area (9,500 ac) · Ohoopee Dunes WMA (9,271 ac) · Silver Lake WMA (9,200 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: VPA Tracts (9,048 ac) · Sapelo Island WMA (9,000 ac) · Flat Tub WMA (8,748 ac) · Grand Bay WMA (8,700 ac) · Lake Seminole WMA (8,300 ac) · Di-Lane WMA (8,100 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Hilliard Plantation Tract (8,089 ac) · Oconee WMA (7,930 ac) · Yuchi WMA (7,800 ac) · Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (7,760 ac) · Allatoona WMA (7,589 ac) · Richmond Hill WMA (7,400 ac) · Horse Creek WMA (7,397 ac) · Big Hammock WMA (7,315 ac) · Treat Mountain WMA (7,260 ac) · Big Lazer Creek WMA (7,200 ac) · Alapaha River WMA (6,870 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract (6,700 ac) · Clybel WMA (6,700 ac) · Sprewell Bluff WMA: West (6,571 ac) · Mayhaw WMA (6,300 ac) · Griffin Ridge WMA (5,975 ac) · Rum Creek WMA (5,800 ac) · Hannahatchee Creek WMA (5,600 ac) · Sheffield WMA (5,556 ac) · Beaverdam WMA (5,500 ac) · plus 75 smaller areas
Areas and species lists from WRD’s 2026-27 area listings, the WRD WMA layers and federal managers, retrieved 2026-10-13. Harvest by area from WRD Game Check.
Legal requirements for bobcats
The bobcat rules below come from the guide’s license, hunting information and definitions pages.
Licenses
| What to buy | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting License | $15.00 | $100.00 |
| Sportsman's License | $65.00 | $400.00 |
| Trapping License | $40.00 | $325.00 |
Daily hours
After dark is legal for bobcats, with a body, hat or belt light of any voltage.
Orange or blaze pink
If a WMA firearms deer hunt is on, bobcat hunters there need 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink.
Hunting over bait
Only deer and hogs are exempt from the bait rule on private land, so bobcats cannot be hunted over bait.
Sunday status
Sundays are open for bobcats under the statewide seasons; a WMA listing can set its own days.
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 guide, licenses and fees and hunting information, checked October 13, 2026. Georgia hunting laws · License guide.
Bobcat weapons and methods
Read the weapons rows with the season table: the legal gun depends on the segment.
| Season | Legal weapons | Off limits |
|---|---|---|
| Small game & furbearers | .22-cal. or smaller rimfire rifles/handguns; any muzzleloading firearm; any caliber air rifle/air gun; shotguns with shells 3.5 in. or shorter and No. 2 or smaller shot. Fox and bobcat: centerfire .17-cal.+ also legal (not on WMA small game dates). | Centerfire rifles for other small game; centerfire rifles on WMA small game dates day or night. |
Field rules for bobcats
Electronic calls and devices
Electronically amplified sounds unlawful for game except electronic calls for bobcats, crows, foxes and coyotes (and feral hogs on WMAs). Electronic communications equipment may not be used to aid pursuit of game.
Night hunting
Alligators, raccoons, opossums, foxes, coyotes, bobcats and feral hogs may be hunted at night; lights for raccoon/opossum/fox/bobcat carried on body, hat/helmet or belt. No night hunting of hogs or coyotes on WMAs/National Forests.
Sale of game
Unlawful to sell or buy game or parts, except antlers, hides and tails of legal deer, squirrel tails, hides of legally trapped furbearers and legal alligator products.
WMA prohibited acts
Man-drives (3+ hunters driving deer/hogs); baiting; target practice off ranges; hunting within 50 yards of open roads; driving around gates; alcohol outside designated campsites; drones; dogs for big game/hogs/coyotes unless specified; loaded firearms in vehicles during open season (non-carriers); cocked crossbows in vehicles; trapping without permit.
2026-27 guide (PDF) and the hunting information page, checked October 13, 2026.
Bobcat country gear list
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Bobcat questions, answered from the guide
Can I use a centerfire rifle for bobcats in Georgia?
.22-cal. or smaller rimfire rifles/handguns; any muzzleloading firearm; any caliber air rifle/air gun. Fox and bobcat: centerfire .17-cal.+ also legal (not on WMA small game dates).
Do I need a trapping license for bobcats?
Yes, to trap them: $40.00 resident, $325.00 nonresident. Hunting needs a regular hunting license.
What public ground in Georgia has bobcats?
145 areas on our list qualify; the largest are Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest). Those areas list a game category that covers it.
Which permits apply to bobcats?
Bobcat hunters need (resident price): Hunting License ($15.00); Sportsman's License ($65.00); Trapping License ($40.00).
Do bobcat hunters have to wear orange in Georgia?
If a WMA firearms deer hunt is on, bobcat hunters there need 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink.
What time does legal light end for bobcats?
After dark is legal for bobcats, with a body, hat or belt light of any voltage.
May bobcat hunters go out on Sundays?
Sundays are open for bobcats under the statewide seasons; a WMA listing can set its own days.
Is baiting legal for bobcats?
Only deer and hogs are exempt from the bait rule on private land, so bobcats cannot be hunted over bait.
Which days are bobcats legal in 2026-27?
The bobcat dates are hunting Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027; trapping Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027.
What can I hunt bobcats with?
Small game & furbearers: .22-cal. or smaller rimfire rifles/handguns; any muzzleloading firearm; any caliber air rifle/air gun; shotguns with shells 3.5 in. or shorter and No. 2 or smaller shot. Fox and bobcat: centerfire .17-cal.+ also legal (not on WMA small game dates).
How many bobcats can one hunter take in Georgia?
No limit (hunting and trapping).
Before the bobcat trip
WRD’s guide is the final word on bobcats; this page was checked against it on October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: TonySprezzatura (CC BY-SA 2.0); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); John Brighenti (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).