Furbearers
Bobcat hunting in Missouri
The 2026-27 MDC rules for bobcats, with harvest figures and public land.
Photo: Jena Fuller (CC BY-SA 2.0)
This guide follows the 2026-27 MDC regulations for bobcats: the first legal day is Nov 15, 2026 and the last is Feb 28, 2027, each row with its source.
Bobcat at a glance
- Bag limit: Any number.
- Methods: Nov 15-Feb 28; pelts tagged by April 10.
MDC source (as of Feb 6, 2026), checked October 29, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Bobcat calendar by zone and county
These are the 2026-27 bobcat rows; conservation areas and managed hunts can add their own limits.
| Segment | Area | Limit | First day | Last day | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Any number | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 106 |
Fine print for bobcats
- Pelts must be registered/tagged by an MDC agent by April 10.
From Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 18, checked October 29, 2026.
Trapping and furbearer rules for bobcats
| Trapping | Rule |
|---|---|
| Legal | Smooth or rubber-jawed foot-hold, Conibear-type, foot-enclosing, cage and colony traps; snares only in water (loop <=15 in.); cable restraints (12 in. loop, breakaway 350 lb, Nov 15-Jan 31 rules per Code); electronic calls allowed. |
| Not legal | Dry-land snares, pitfalls, deadfalls, nets; killing traps near public roads except underwater. |
Bobcats may be sold only after legal take; live coyotes and foxes need a commercial live trapping permit.
Heaviest bobcats on record
| Weight | County | Date | Sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 lb 7.5 oz | Worth County | Dec 22, 2019 | Male |
trapping summary, MDC record weights, checked October 29, 2026.
Bobcat: limits, permits, prices
Missouri calls hunting licenses permits; the bobcat permits below come from the 2026 MDC price list, and the permit year runs March 1 to the end of February.
| Limit type | Text |
|---|---|
| Crows, groundhogs, furbearers | Any number. |
Permits for bobcats
| Permit | Residency | Who | Price | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Game | resident | Age 16-64 | $11.50 | Permit year |
| Daily Small Game | nonresident | All | $16 | 1 day |
| Small Game | nonresident | Age 16+ | $108.50 | Permit year |
| Trapping | resident | Age 16+ | $12 | To June 30, 2027 |
| Furbearer and Trapping | nonresident | All | $221.50 | To June 30, 2027 |
| Lifetime Trapping | resident | Age 15 or younger / 16-29 / 30-39 / 40-59 / 60+ | $320 / $465.50 / $407 / $349 / $40.50 | Lifetime |
From Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 11, Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 18, Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 8 and Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 9, checked October 29, 2026.
Places to hunt bobcats
7 public areas in this guide list bobcat hunting, the group that covers bobcats; the biggest by acreage are below.
| Area | County | Acres | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Twain National Forest | Oregon County | 1,510,740 | National Forest |
| Doniphan / Eleven Point district (Mark Twain National Forest) | Oregon County | 338,889 | Ranger district |
| Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs district (Mark Twain National Forest) | Taney County | 316,688 | Ranger district |
| Potosi / Fredericktown district (Mark Twain National Forest) | Iron County | 290,899 | Ranger district |
| Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek district (Mark Twain National Forest) | Phelps County | 210,393 | Ranger district |
| Salem district (Mark Twain National Forest) | Reynolds County | 195,986 | Ranger district |
| Poplar Bluff district (Mark Twain National Forest) | Wayne County | 157,884 | Ranger district |
| Kind of land | Areas |
|---|---|
| Ranger district | 6 |
| National Forest | 1 |
| MDC region | Areas |
|---|---|
| Ozark | 3 |
| Southwest | 2 |
| Southeast | 2 |
Area lists from MDC area pages and the MDC places directory; methods from the MDC atlas; checked October 29, 2026.
Bobcat hunting rules
- When to shoot: The Code sets no shooting hours for bobcats; lights may be used only for furbearers treed by dogs and for coyotes in set windows.
- Hunter orange rule: When a firearms deer portion is open, bobcat hunters need a hunter orange hat and vest too.
- Checking game: The bobcat pelt tag comes from an MDC agent, by April 10.
Legal methods for bobcats
| Methods | Rule |
|---|---|
| Legal | Smooth or rubber-jawed foot-hold, Conibear-type, foot-enclosing, cage and colony traps; snares only in water (loop <=15 in.); cable restraints (12 in. loop, breakaway 350 lb, Nov 15-Jan 31 rules per Code); electronic calls allowed. |
| Not legal | Dry-land snares, pitfalls, deadfalls, nets; killing traps near public roads except underwater. |
Artificial lights: Not to spot or take game while holding a weapon, except treed furbearers (dogs) and coyotes Jan 1-Sept 30 excluding spring turkey season (2026: Jan 1-Apr 19 and May 11-Sept 30); landowners may use lights on their land without weapons.
shooting hours, hunter orange, methods, checked October 29, 2026.
Bobcat legal hours on key dates
The bobcat window on key dates, computed from the MDC table for six counties from Nodaway to Cape Girardeau. Bobcats have no hours rule; the columns are sunrise and sunset.
| Date | County | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 2026 | Jackson County | 7:00 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | St. Louis County | 6:44 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Greene County | 6:56 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Boone County | 6:52 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Cape Girardeau County | 6:41 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Nodaway County | 7:02 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Jackson County | 6:51 a.m. | 6:10 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | St. Louis County | 6:35 a.m. | 5:54 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Greene County | 6:47 a.m. | 6:06 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Boone County | 6:43 a.m. | 6:02 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Cape Girardeau County | 6:32 a.m. | 5:51 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Nodaway County | 6:53 a.m. | 6:12 p.m. |
MDC sunrise and sunset table with the MDC longitude rule; checked October 29, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Answers about bobcats
Does Missouri restrict Sunday hunting for bobcats?
Yes. MDC prints no Sunday closure, so the bobcat season includes every Sunday.
Does MDC keep bobcat records?
38 lb 7.5 oz, Worth County, Dec 22, 2019 (male). MDC record-weight furbearers, weighed on a certified scale since 2011.
May hounds run bobcats in November?
Not for bear, deer, elk, turkey, beaver, mink, muskrat, otter (leashed tracking dogs excepted); no furbearer dogs in daylight Nov 1-end of November portion and antlerless portions; dogs must wear a collar with ID (except waterfowl and game-bird dogs); training only with blanks in closed season.
When is bobcat season in Missouri?
Hunting and trapping Nov 15, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027.
What possession limit applies to bobcats?
Any number.
What permit do I need for bobcats?
For bobcats, the resident Small Game permit costs $11.50 (Age 16-64). A nonresident hunting bobcats pays $16 for the Daily Small Game permit. Buy bobcat permits at mdc.mo.gov, in the app or at a vendor; phone sales add $1.
Which firearms and bows are legal for bobcats?
Smooth or rubber-jawed foot-hold, Conibear-type, foot-enclosing, cage and colony traps; snares only in water (loop <=15 in.); cable restraints (12 in. loop, breakaway 350 lb, Nov 15-Jan 31 rules per Code); electronic calls allowed. Not legal: Dry-land snares, pitfalls, deadfalls, nets; killing traps near public roads except underwater.
How early can I shoot bobcats?
The Code sets no shooting hours for bobcats; lights may be used only for furbearers treed by dogs and for coyotes in set windows.
What orange rule applies to bobcats?
When a firearms deer portion is open, bobcat hunters need a hunter orange hat and vest too.
How many public areas allow bobcat hunting?
7 public areas in this guide list bobcats or the hunting group that covers them; the largest include Mark Twain National Forest, Doniphan / Eleven Point district (Mark Twain National Forest) and Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs district (Mark Twain National Forest). Every area posts its own bobcat rules.
How is a bobcat harvest recorded?
The bobcat pelt tag comes from an MDC agent, by April 10.