Minnesota › Species › Gray Fox
Furbearers
Gray Fox: Minnesota hunting rules for 2026-27
Every 2026-27 Minnesota row for gray foxes, with sources.
Photo: btrentler (CC BY 2.0)
What a Minnesota gray fox hunter needs for 2026-27 is gathered here: 4 segments from Oct 17, 2026, each linked to its DNR page.
The DNR line on gray foxes
- Bag: No limit.
- Dates and methods: Same as red fox.
DNR source page (as of Sep 15, 2026), checked October 28, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Gray Fox opening and closing days
The gray fox calendar has 4 lines; unit and zone links lead to the pages where dates change by area.
| Row | Zone | Take | Begins | Through | Days | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting (north): Raccoon | North Furbearer Zone | No limit | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | 150 | |
| Hunting (south): Raccoon | South Furbearer Zone | No limit | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | 143 | |
| Trapping (north zone): Raccoon | North Furbearer Zone | No limit | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | 150 | |
| Trapping (south zone): Raccoon | South Furbearer Zone | No limit | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | 143 |
Gray fox season footnotes
- Day or night except not before 9 a.m. on opening day; raccoon at night on foot with dogs/lights rules; fox night lights Jan. 1-Mar. 15
- Trap setting/tending 5 a.m.-10 p.m.; not before 9 a.m. on opening day for fox, badger, opossum, raccoon
From booklet p. 65, booklet p. 66, checked October 28, 2026.
Gray Fox by furbearer zone
North Furbearer Zone is north of the I-94/US 10 line (Moorhead-St. Paul-Hastings); South Furbearer Zone is south of it.
DNR booklet furbearer page, booklet WMA trapping rules, checked October 28, 2026.
Gray Fox limits and licenses
Gray Fox license prices
| 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 |
Every license is electronic now: buy it online, by phone or from an agent, and carry it on paper or in the app.
booklet p. 18, booklet p. 20, booklet p. 22, checked October 28, 2026.
How the booklet regulates gray fox hunting
Gray foxes may be hunted day or night, except that nobody may start before 9 a.m. on opening day.
No blaze is needed for raccoon and predator hunters in most weeks, yet anyone out during the firearms deer season must wear it.
You may hunt gray foxes on Sundays like any other day.
booklet shooting hours, blaze rules, validation and registration, checked October 28, 2026.
Weapons and rules for gray fox hunting
Legal points for gray foxes
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Sale of game | Hides, bones, antlers, teeth, claws, sinew may be sold (not migratory birds); flesh of beaver, muskrat, raccoon, rabbits and hares may be sold; no sale of bear meat or gall bladders; bear paws only on the hide. |
booklet p. 36, booklet p. 37, booklet p. 69, checked October 28, 2026.
Answers on gray foxes
Are Sundays closed for gray foxes?
Every day is legal for gray foxes, Sundays included.
Is a small game license needed to trap?
For gray foxes: trapping license plus small game license (16+); residents under 13 need no trapping license; nonresidents may trap only their own land.
How many gray foxes per day or season?
Limit: No limit.
When does gray fox hunting open in Minnesota for 2026-27?
Opening Oct 17, 2026, closing Mar 15, 2027: Same as red fox.
How early can I shoot gray foxes?
Gray foxes may be hunted day or night, except that nobody may start before 9 a.m. on opening day.
What do I buy before hunting gray foxes?
From the booklet fee tables: 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.
Which furbearer zone am I in?
The booklet sets later south-zone openers. 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 blaze orange to hunt gray foxes?
No blaze is needed for raccoon and predator hunters in most weeks, yet anyone out during the firearms deer season must wear it.
Other photos on this page: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).