Furbearers
Badger hunting and trapping in Oklahoma, 2026-27
Seasons, bag limits, license prices and where to hunt badgers in 2026-27.
Photo: Lane Pearman (CC BY 2.0)
Badger: the 2026-27 picture
Counting every segment, the badger season runs December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027; the table below breaks that span into 1 row. On the bag, ODWC sums it up as no limit.
- Dates and methods (badger): Dec 1-Feb 28 (year-round for beaver, nutria, raccoon, striped skunk); firearms, archery, legal traps.
- Bag rule (badger): No limit.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50 (as of November 2, 2026), checked November 3, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Badger dates, 2026-27
One calendar covers badgers; no zone changes the dates.
| Season | Covers | Bag | Opening | Closing | Span | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furbearer season | Statewide | No limit. | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 90 |
Badger row details
- Youth need the Youth Annual Super Hunting License for furbearers and trapping.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50, checked November 3, 2026.
How many badgers one hunter may take
Limits for badgers, general rows first and then any season row that prints a different bag.
| Bag row | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Furbearers | Bobcat season 20; foxes two daily/six season (one/two red); otter six season; others no limit. |
| Furbearer season | No limit. |
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50, checked November 3, 2026.
Legal ways to take badgers
- Badger by day: any legal firearm or archery.
- Night badger hunting: .22 rimfire rifle/pistol and a carried light only while pursuing furbearers with hounds.
- Badger: traps: box/colony, smooth-jawed offset foothold (8 in. land / 8.5 in. water jaw spread), dogproof, body-grip 12 in. in full-submersion sets on private land, and cable restraints (not on WMAs).
Youth who hunt or trap badgers need the Youth Annual Super license.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
How many badgers are taken in Oklahoma
ODWC publishes no harvest figures for badgers: the Big Game Reports cover deer, elk, pronghorn and bear, and the 2025 Game Harvest Survey does not list the badger.
From 2025 Game Harvest Survey and ODWC Big Game Harvest Report, checked November 3, 2026.
Public areas open to badgers
103 areas are open to badgers on public land; WMA rules and closures come from each area's special regulations.
| Place | Type | Counties | Size (acres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita WMA | WMA | Le Flore, McCurtain | 354,559 |
| Ouachita WMA – Le Flore Unit | WMA unit | Le Flore | 221,559 |
| Three Rivers WMA | WMA | McCurtain, Pushmataha | 185,199 |
| Ouachita WMA – McCurtain & Tiak Units | WMA unit | McCurtain | 133,000 |
| Honobia Creek WMA | WMA | Pushmataha | 78,998 |
| Camp Gruber Training Center | Military | Muskogee | 51,840 |
| Eufaula WMA | WMA | Latimer, McIntosh +2 | 48,614 |
| Wister WMA | WMA | Le Flore | 35,500 |
| Cherokee WMA | WMA | Cherokee | 31,360 |
| Black Kettle WMA | WMA | Roger Mills | 30,710 |
| Fort Gibson WMA | WMA | Cherokee, Mayes +1 | 25,298 |
| Fort Gibson PHA | PHA | Cherokee, Mayes +1 | 21,798 |
| James Collins WMA | WMA | Latimer, Pittsburg | 21,353 |
| Keystone WMA | WMA | Creek, Osage +1 | 20,686 |
| Packsaddle WMA | WMA | Ellis | 19,659 |
From lands.json (ODWC area pages, special regulations, OLAP layer and federal rules), checked November 3, 2026.
Methods that apply to badger hunting
| Season | Legal gear | Illegal gear |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearers | For badgers: Any legal firearm or archery by day; .22 rimfire and light while hunting with hounds at night in season; traps listed in fur rules incl. cable restraints (not on WMAs). | Not for badgers: any trap not listed; lights/thermal/night vision from a public road. |
- Trapping (badger): Traps checked every 24 hours, owner name or customer ID on traps (always on Department lands), no traps in paths/roads used by people or dogs, posting signs for offset foothold traps at public-road entrances (not on private land unless the owner asks), permission required on posted, occupied or agricultural land.
- Headlighting/spotlighting (badger): No taking any deer, feral animal or wildlife (except fish and frogs) with a vehicle-mounted spotlight or other powerful light at night or with night scopes; exceptions for furbearer hound hunters and landowner nuisance coyote/feral swine control.
- Motor vehicles (badger): No hunting or harassing wildlife from motor-driven land, air or water conveyances except non-ambulatory/motor vehicle permit holders (vehicle stopped, engine off); vehicles may follow dogs on public roads/waterways and on private land with permission.
Statewide, no badger may be shot from or across a public road, highway or railroad right-of-way.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and ODWC general hunting regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
Badger checklist from ODWC
- Blaze orange, badger hunters: ODWC asks every other hunter and trapper, badger hunters included, for an orange head covering or upper garment during big game firearm dates, except furbearer hunters at night.
- E-Check and badgers: Not required. Oklahoma reports deer, elk, antelope, bear and turkey through E-Check, and badger is not one of them.
- Badger: possession: Give written or electronic transfer information (names, addresses, customer ID, date taken, number/type, confirmation number); no compensation.
From the ODWC big game regulations, ODWC general hunting regulations and the 2026-2027 regulations guide, checked November 3, 2026.
Paying to hunt badgers in Oklahoma
Resident landowners and tenants hunting only their own land are exempt from the hunting license; species licenses for badgers still follow the rows below.
| License | Who | Category | Price | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Hunting | Resident | Age 18+ | $36 | 365 days |
| Youth Annual Super Hunting | Resident | Age 17 and under | $26 | 365 days |
| Nonresident Annual Hunting | Nonresident | Age 18+ | $209 | 365 days |
From the ODWC license fee page and the ODWC license requirements, checked November 3, 2026.
Legal hours for badgers
Sunrise in the Panhandle and in the southeast can be half an hour apart, so the badger hours below are computed county by county.
The badger hours rule: Furbearers at night only with hounds and a .22 rimfire plus carried light in the open furbearer season; coyote and prairie dog no light or sight dog dark to daylight; feral swine at night only by landowner/designee with the night exemption; nuisance coyote/hog control provisions for landowners and ag lessees outside deer gun seasons.
| Date | Season point | County | Near | First sun | Last sun | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opener | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:44 a.m. | 5:35 p.m. | – |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opener | Woodward County | Woodward area | 7:30 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | – |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opener | Comanche County | Lawton area | 7:23 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | – |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opener | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:20 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Season closes | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:24 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Season closes | Woodward County | Woodward area | 7:11 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Season closes | Comanche County | Lawton area | 7:06 a.m. | 6:28 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Season closes | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:02 a.m. | 6:23 p.m. | – |
Rules from the ODWC big game regulations and ODWC migratory bird regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 3, 2026. Legal hours for all 77 counties.
Geese flying over oil pumpjacks against a red Oklahoma sunset. Photo: Shiva Shenoy (CC BY 4.0)
Field of golden coreopsis wildflowers glowing at sunset on the prairie. Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Pink sunrise behind bare cottonwoods and an old shed on open range. Photo: Jack Gray (CC BY 2.0)
Badger FAQ for Oklahoma
What gear is legal for taking badgers?
Methods for badgers: Any legal firearm or archery by day; .22 rimfire and light while hunting with hounds at night in season; traps listed in fur rules incl. cable restraints (not on WMAs).
Can I hunt badgers at night in Oklahoma?
ODWC says, for badgers: Furbearers at night only with hounds and a .22 rimfire plus carried light in the open furbearer season; coyote and prairie dog no light or sight dog dark to daylight; feral swine at night only by landowner/designee with the night exemption; nuisance coyote/hog control provisions for landowners and ag lessees outside deer gun seasons.
Which public areas list badgers?
Ouachita WMA, Ouachita WMA – Le Flore Unit and Three Rivers WMA, among 103 areas.
Does the orange rule apply to badger hunters?
ODWC asks every other hunter and trapper, badger hunters included, for an orange head covering or upper garment during big game firearm dates, except furbearer hunters at night.
What reporting applies to badgers?
Not required. Oklahoma reports deer, elk, antelope, bear and turkey through E-Check, and badger is not one of them.
Is there a Sunday ban for badgers?
There is no Sunday rule for badgers in Oklahoma.
What traps are legal for badgers?
Traps checked every 24 hours, owner name or customer ID on traps (always on Department lands), no traps in paths/roads used by people or dogs, posting signs for offset foothold traps at public-road entrances (not on private land unless the owner asks), permission required on posted, occupied or agricultural land.
When is badger season in Oklahoma this year?
ODWC opens badgers on December 1, 2026; the final day is February 28, 2027.
What does ODWC allow for badgers?
Limit rows for badgers: Bobcat season 20; foxes two daily/six season (one/two red); otter six season; others no limit.
What does a badger hunter need to buy?
Annual Hunting (resident, $36); Youth Annual Super Hunting (resident, $26); Nonresident Annual Hunting (nonresident, $209). Youth 17 and under skip the base license but need the Youth Annual Super license for big game, turkey, waterfowl and furbearers.
Other photos on this page: Shiva Shenoy (CC BY 4.0); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Jack Gray (CC BY 2.0).