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Furbearers

Minnesota Furbearer Zones

The I-94/US 10 line, seasons by zone, the forest and farmland snaring line and the lynx zone.

RaccoonBobcat Hunting gear

2Zones

I-94 / US 10Line

16Rows

Photo: U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0)

The North and South furbearer zones

North Furbearer Zone is north of the I-94/US 10 line (Moorhead-St. Paul-Hastings); South Furbearer Zone is south of it. DNR draws it as a highway line, so a county along I-94 or US 10 can sit in both zones. The DNR North/South Furbearer Zones GIS layer on gisdata.mn.gov does not match the booklet I-94/US 10 line (it places Aitkin, Pine, much of Cass, Hubbard and Carlton in the south zone); it was not used (flagged).

2Zones

I-94 / US 10Dividing line

16Season rows

11Trapping-permit WMAs

booklet furbearer page, checked October 28, 2026.

Furbearer seasons by zone

Species	Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Limit
Raccoon	Hunting (north)	North	Oct 17, 2026	Mar 15, 2027	No limit
Raccoon	Hunting (south)	South	Oct 24, 2026	Mar 15, 2027	No limit
American Badger	Hunting (north)	North	Oct 17, 2026	Mar 15, 2027	No limit
American Badger	Hunting (south)	South	Oct 24, 2026	Mar 15, 2027	No limit
Raccoon	Trapping (north zone)	North	Oct 17, 2026	Mar 15, 2027	No limit
Raccoon	Trapping (south zone)	South	Oct 24, 2026	Mar 15, 2027	No limit
Mink	Trapping (north zone)	North	Oct 24, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	No limit
Mink	Trapping (south zone)	South	Oct 31, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	No limit
Beaver	Trapping (north zone)	North	Oct 24, 2026	May 15, 2027	No limit
Beaver	Trapping (south zone)	South	Oct 31, 2026	May 15, 2027	No limit
River Otter	Trapping (north zone)	North	Oct 24, 2026	May 15, 2027	4 statewide
River Otter	Trapping (south zone)	South	Oct 31, 2026	May 15, 2027	4 statewide
Bobcat	Hunt and trap (north)	North	Dec 12, 2026	Jan 17, 2027	5 combined hunting and trapping, only 1
Bobcat	Hunt and trap (south)	South	Jan 2, 2027	Jan 17, 2027	5 combined, only 1 from south of I-94
Fisher	Trapping (north zone)	North	Dec 12, 2026	Dec 20, 2026	2 combined (1 fisher + 1 marten, 2 fishe
Fisher	Trapping (south zone, fisher only)	South	Jan 2, 2027	Jan 17, 2027	Within the 2 fisher/marten limit; only 1

booklet furbearer seasons, checked October 28, 2026.

The forest and farmland snaring line

Forest/farmland line for snaring: US 59 from Thief River Falls to Detroit Lakes, US 10 to Wadena, MN 210 to Brainerd, MN 18, US 169, MN 23 to Milaca, MN 65, MN 70 to Wisconsin (from the booklet map). Farmland snaring Oct. 24-Mar. 31 on private land with permission, water sets and frozen public waters only.

Counties in the farmland zone (DNR GIS)

Otter Tail,

Polk,

Stearns,

Morrison,

Clay,

Renville,

Todd,

Marshall,

Redwood,

Norman,

Kandiyohi,

Fillmore,

Goodhue,

Lac qui Parle,

Blue Earth,

Yellow Medicine,

Swift,

Wilkin,

Martin,

Nobles,

Lyon,

Freeborn,

Faribault,

Douglas,

Murray,

Jackson,

Pope,

Wright,

Mower,

Kittson,

Olmsted,

Cottonwood,

Meeker,

Winona,

Brown,

Hennepin,

Sibley,

Chippewa,

Traverse,

Dakota,

Grant,

Stevens,

Houston,

Wabasha,

Lincoln,

Big Stone,

Rice,

McLeod,

Rock,

Le Sueur,

Pipestone,

Nicollet,

Isanti,

Sherburne,

Anoka,

Chisago,

Watonwan,

Dodge,

Becker,

Waseca,

Steele,

Washington,

Benton,

Carver,

Scott,

Mille Lacs,

Crow Wing,

Red Lake,

Pennington,

Ramsey,

Mahnomen,

Kanabec,

Pine,

Wadena,

Cass

Counties in the forest zone (DNR GIS)

St. Louis,

Koochiching,

Beltrami,

Itasca,

Cass,

Lake,

Aitkin,

Lake of the Woods,

Roseau,

Cook,

Pine,

Clearwater,

Becker,

Hubbard,

Carlton,

Marshall,

Crow Wing,

Wadena,

Polk,

Mahnomen,

Kanabec,

Kittson,

Pennington,

Mille Lacs,

Otter Tail,

Red Lake,

Todd

Counties named in both lists straddle the forest and farmland line.

DNR farmland and forest zone layer, checked October 28, 2026.

Lynx zone and trapping-permit WMAs

East and north of US 53: land snares 8-10 in. loops, 5/64-1/8 in. wire, anchored, loop stop 3 1/4 in., one-piece lock, no fence/vegetation reach, 7 ft max length, 1+ swivel; foothold traps over 6 1/2 in. banned on dry land; body-grip 5-7 1/2 in. traps half-submerged, 3 ft up a pole or in a cubby.

WMAs where every trapper needs a permit

Carlos Avery (Anoka, Chisago)
Hampton Woods (Dakota)
Hubbel Pond (Becker)
Red Lake (Beltrami, Lake of the Woods)
Lac qui Parle (Big Stone, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Chippewa)
Mille Lacs (Mille Lacs, Kanabec)
Roseau Lake and Roseau River (Roseau)
Talcot Lake (Cottonwood, Murray)
Thief Lake (Marshall)
Vermillion Highlands (Dakota)
Whitewater (Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona)

All trappers need a permit from the area manager on these WMAs; beaver and otter on any WMA by permit.

booklet lynx zone rules and booklet WMA trapping page, checked October 28, 2026.

Sunset reflected in the Minnesota River under scattered clouds

Spring river backwater with leafing woods on the far bank in Minnesota

Answers about minnesota furbearer zones

Where is the lynx management zone?

East and north of US 53, with special snare and trap rules.

Can pine marten be trapped in the south zone?

No. Pine marten is closed in the south zone; fisher has a south-zone season Jan. 2-17, 2027.

Where is the Minnesota furbearer zone line?

North Furbearer Zone is north of the I-94/US 10 line (Moorhead-St. Paul-Hastings); South Furbearer Zone is south of it.

Do I need a permit to trap on a WMA?

All trappers need a permit from the area manager on these WMAs; beaver and otter on any WMA by permit.

How many bobcats may be taken?

5 per season (hunting and trapping combined), only 1 from south of I-94.

Do north and south seasons open on different days?

Yes. Most north-zone seasons open a week before the south zone: raccoon and fox Oct. 17 north and Oct. 24 south.

Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); btrentler (CC BY 2.0).