Furbearers
Red fox hunting and trapping in Oklahoma, 2026-27
Dec 1–Feb 28; limits, harvest, licenses and places to hunt red foxes.
Photo: caroline legg (CC BY 2.0)
Red Fox hunting at a glance
ODWC opens red foxes on December 1, 2026 and the last red fox window shuts on February 28, 2027, 1 segment in all. The ODWC limit summary for red foxes reads: One daily / two season within the fox limits.
- Season shape (red fox): Dec 1-Feb 28 (year-round for beaver, nutria, raccoon, striped skunk); firearms, archery, legal traps.
- Limit (red fox): One daily / two season within the fox limits.
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 →
Red Fox dates, 2026-27
Every red fox row below shares the same reach.
| Season | Zone | Bag | From | To | Days | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furbearer season | Statewide | See limits | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 90 |
Red Fox season notes
- 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.
The Oklahoma red fox bag
Oklahoma sets the red fox limit in these rows; season rows sometimes add a zone quota or a possession rule of their own.
| Row | Limit |
|---|---|
| Furbearers | Bobcat season 20; foxes two daily/six season (one/two red); otter six season; others no limit. |
| Furbearer season | Gray and red fox combined: two daily (no more than one red fox); season six (no more than two red). |
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50, checked November 3, 2026.
Trap and hound rules for red foxes
- Day rule for red foxes: any legal firearm or archery.
- Red Fox at night: .22 rimfire rifle/pistol and a carried light only while pursuing furbearers with hounds.
- Red Fox, trapping: 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).
The furbearer season and the trap list apply alike to hunters and trappers of red foxes.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
Harvest figures for red foxes
Harvest of red foxes is estimated statewide only, by the 2025 Game Harvest Survey; there is no county table, so no best-county list is given.
| Survey row | Hunters | Days hunted | Harvest estimate | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Fox | 1,216 | 22,161 | 243 | 0 to 746 |
From 2025 Game Harvest Survey, checked November 3, 2026.
Public areas open to red foxes
103 public places carry a red fox season in their 2026-27 special regulations or species list; the biggest are below.
| Area | Type | Counties | 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.
Red Fox: guns, bows and methods
| Rule | Legal arms | Banned |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearers | For red foxes: 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 red foxes: any trap not listed; lights/thermal/night vision from a public road. |
- Dogs (red fox): Dogs may not be used to take bear, deer, elk, antelope or turkey; year-round training/sport chase allowed without means to kill outside season; leashed tracking dog for downed game after notifying a game warden.
- Trapping (red fox): 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.
- Shooting from roads (red fox): No shooting from or across any public road, highway, right-of-way or railroad right-of-way.
Drones may help recover a wounded red fox on private land only after a game warden is notified; they are banned on ODWC lands.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and ODWC general hunting regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
Field rules for red fox hunters
- Red Fox and hunter orange: It depends on the calendar: when big game firearm seasons are open, red fox hunters by day need an orange cap or upper garment; at night furbearer hunters are excused.
- Reporting red foxes: Red foxes need no harvest report; E-Check applies to big game and turkey only.
- Red Fox transfers: 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.
Red Fox: licenses, stamps and permits
Residents 18+ and nonresidents 18+ need a hunting license unless exempt; youth 17 and under are exempt from the base license but need the Youth Annual Super license for deer, turkey, waterfowl, elk, bear, antelope, furbearers or trapping. Resident landowners/tenants hunting only their own (or agriculturally leased) land are exempt from the hunting license. Permanently disabled non-ambulatory residents are exempt. No license for feral hogs on private land (except big game licenses during big game firearm seasons).
| Name | Residency | Category | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
When red fox hunting starts and stops
Legal light for red foxes on key dates, in Central Time, for counties where the red fox season applies.
Red foxes, legal time: 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.
| Day | Marker | County | Town | Sun up | Sun down | Hunting window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opens | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:44 a.m. | 5:35 p.m. | – |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opens | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:20 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | – |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opens | Tulsa County | Tulsa area | 7:16 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | – |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Opens | McCurtain County | Idabel area | 7:06 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:24 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:02 a.m. | 6:23 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | Tulsa County | Tulsa area | 6:57 a.m. | 6:17 p.m. | – |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Closing day | McCurtain County | Idabel area | 6:51 a.m. | 6:14 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.
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)
Windmill and ripe grass under mammatus clouds at sunset after a storm on the southern plains. Photo: Lane Pearman (CC BY 2.0)
Answers about red foxes
What is the red fox limit in Oklahoma?
The red fox limit reads: Bobcat season 20; foxes two daily/six season (one/two red); otter six season; others no limit.
What license do I need for red foxes in Oklahoma?
Look at Annual Hunting (resident, $36); Youth Annual Super Hunting (resident, $26); Nonresident Annual Hunting (nonresident, $209).
Can I use a rifle on red foxes in Oklahoma?
The red fox weapons rule allows 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).
What are the legal hours for red foxes?
The red fox rule on hours: 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.
What public places are open for red foxes?
103 public places, including Ouachita WMA, Ouachita WMA – Le Flore Unit and Three Rivers WMA.
Is hunter orange required for red foxes?
It depends on the calendar: when big game firearm seasons are open, red fox hunters by day need an orange cap or upper garment; at night furbearer hunters are excused.
How do I check in a red fox in Oklahoma?
Red foxes need no harvest report; E-Check applies to big game and turkey only.
Are red foxes open on Sundays?
Yes; no Sunday restriction appears in the 2026-27 regulations or Title 29, so red fox seasons run every day.
How often must red fox traps be checked?
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.
What are the 2026-27 red fox dates in Oklahoma?
2026-27 dates run December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, split into 1 row.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Jack Gray (CC BY 2.0); Lane Pearman (CC BY 2.0).