Furbearers
Bobcat hunting in Minnesota, 2026-27
2026-27 dates, limits, licenses and public land for bobcats, from the DNR booklet.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Bobcats in Minnesota: 2 season rows between Dec 12, 2026 and Jan 17, 2027, plus bag limits, license prices and the public land that lists them.
Bobcat rules in one list
- Limit: 5 per season (hunting and trapping), 1 from south of I-94.
- Seasons in short: North Dec. 12-Jan. 17; south Jan. 2-17.
- Also: Heads and pelts registered (new 2026: heads only, no whole carcasses).
DNR source page (as of Sep 15, 2026), checked October 28, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Bobcat calendar by unit and zone
2 season lines for bobcats, opening to closing.
| Hunt | Applies to | Limit | Start | End | Days | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt and trap (north) | North Furbearer Zone | Read the limit | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | 37 | |
| Hunt and trap (south) | South Furbearer Zone | 5 combined, only 1 from south of I-94 | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | 16 |
What the bobcat rows add
- Present head and pelt for registration within 48 hours after season close (whole carcass no longer collected, new 2026).
- Hunt and trap (north), limit: 5 combined hunting and trapping, only 1 from south of I-94
- DNR web trapping calendar lists only the north-zone 2026-27 bobcat season.
From booklet p. 65, checked October 28, 2026.
Bobcat: north and south zone dates
North Furbearer Zone is north of the I-94/US 10 line (Moorhead-St. Paul-Hastings); South Furbearer Zone is south of it.
Lynx zone set rules
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 that need a trapping 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)
DNR booklet furbearer page, booklet WMA trapping rules, checked October 28, 2026.
Limits and fees for bobcats
| Rule | Bag |
|---|---|
| Bobcat | 5 per season (hunting and trapping combined), only 1 from south of I-94. |
Licenses for bobcats
| License | Residency | Who | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small game license | resident | Adult 18-64 | $22 |
| Junior trapping | resident | Age 13-17 | $5 |
| Adult trapping | resident | Age 18-64 | $23 |
| Senior trapping | resident | Age 65+ | $11.50 |
| Small game license | nonresident | Adult 18+ | $102 |
| Trapping, landowner only | nonresident | Landowners | $84 |
| Raccoon or bobcat license | nonresident | Hunters/trappers | $183 |
Residents must have lived in Minnesota 60 days before buying a resident license.
booklet p. 18, booklet p. 20, booklet p. 22, booklet p. 65, checked October 28, 2026.
Bobcat: hours, blaze and registration
Night calling is for coyotes and foxes; bobcats close at sunset and open half an hour before sunrise.
Minnesota exempts raccoon and predator hunters from the one-article blaze rule; the deer-season rule (cap and above the waist) still covers anyone afield from Nov. 7 on.
Site validation coupons cover fisher, marten and otter, and bobcat, fisher and marten go to in-person registration within 48 hours of the season close (otter by May 17, 2027).
Sundays are open for bobcats: the booklet and chapter 97B set no day-of-week limits.
booklet shooting hours, blaze rules, validation and registration, checked October 28, 2026.
When legal light starts for bobcats
Three county centres show how far the bobcat clock moves between the Red River and Lake Superior.
| Date | Event | County | Rise | Set | Open to close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2026 | Season opener | Clay | 8:02 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 7:32 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Season opener | Ramsey | 7:41 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 4:31 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Season opener | St. Louis | 7:49 a.m. | 4:19 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 4:19 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Closing day | Clay | 8:06 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:36 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Closing day | Ramsey | 7:46 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Closing day | St. Louis | 7:52 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
Rule from the booklet shooting hours page; sun times computed for the county centre (NOAA method, Central Time) and checked against U.S. Naval Observatory tables; checked October 28, 2026.
What the law allows for bobcats
Other rules for bobcat hunters
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Artificial lights (shining) | No shining while possessing a weapon; no shining from 2 hours after sunset to sunrise; no shining posted land or fenced agricultural land, residences or building sites from a vehicle. |
| Night vision and thermal | Banned while taking wild animals except fox and coyote hunting (not during firearms deer season) or with weapons cased in a trunk. |
| Trap checks | Non-drowning traps tended every calendar day; drowning and body-grip traps every third day; no trap in place after season close; traps identified with DL number, ID number, name/address or MDNR number. |
booklet p. 36, booklet p. 69, checked October 28, 2026.
What hunters ask about bobcats
How do I register bobcats?
Site validation coupons cover fisher, marten and otter, and bobcat, fisher and marten go to in-person registration within 48 hours of the season close (otter by May 17, 2027).
Can I wear camo for bobcats?
Minnesota exempts raccoon and predator hunters from the one-article blaze rule; the deer-season rule (cap and above the waist) still covers anyone afield from Nov. 7 on.
Who needs a Minnesota trapping license?
For bobcats: trapping license plus small game license (16+); residents under 13 need no trapping license; nonresidents may trap only their own land.
Do bobcat dates differ north and south?
North Furbearer Zone is north of the I-94/US 10 line (Moorhead-St. Paul-Hastings); South Furbearer Zone is south of it. It is a highway line, not a county line.
What is the bobcat opener in Minnesota?
From Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027. Detail: North Dec. 12-Jan. 17; south Jan. 2-17.
Is Sunday hunting allowed for bobcats?
No day of the week closes the bobcat season in Minnesota.
What does it cost to hunt bobcats?
Small game license (resident, Adult 18-64): $22; Junior trapping (resident, Age 13-17): $5; Adult trapping (resident, Age 18-64): $23; Senior trapping (resident, Age 65+): $11.50; Small game license (nonresident, Adult 18+): $102; all are electronic, with no paper tags.
Is there a daily limit on bobcats?
The booklet says: 5 per season (hunting and trapping), 1 from south of I-94.
What hours apply to bobcat hunting?
Night calling is for coyotes and foxes; bobcats close at sunset and open half an hour before sunrise.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); Ligocsicnarf89 (CC BY 4.0); mary4mac (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0).