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Bobcat Season

Bobcat Trapping Season

The 2025-26 bobcat trapping season closed on December 6, 2025. There is no grace period for bobcats. Any bobcats caught the same day as the closure may be kept. Bobcats caught after the day of closure should be released if possible or, if dead, turned in to DNR Law Enforcement by calling 812-837-9536 or a district wildlife biologist. There is no penalty for the accidental trapping of a bobcat out of season.

The season bag limit is one per trapper. The season quota is 250 bobcats. If the quota is reached before Jan. 31, the season will close early.

To target bobcats, trappers must possess a resident or nonresident Indiana bobcat license, a lifetime trapping license, or a resident youth hunting and trapping combo license. A valid trapping license is required to set traps for any species in Indiana, including bobcats. The bobcat season is for trapping only; no hunting is allowed.

If you are not in an open county or have already met your bag limit,  visit the trapping page for guidance on releasing a bobcat from a trap.

Mandatory Bobcat Registration

Register

Successful trappers must register their bobcat within 24 hours using CheckIN Game.

Visit GoOutdoorsIN.com

Skin & Separate

Successful trappers must skin the bobcat and separate the pelt from the carcass before registering the pelt with a designated Indiana DNR employee or official Indiana DNR furbearer check station. Bobcat carcasses are not required to be submitted at the time of registration.

Present Pelt

The pelt must be presented for physical registration and CITES tagging within 15 days after the month of harvest at a furbearer registration station.

CITES is the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species. Bobcats are a look-alike for endangered lynx, so are required to be CITES tagged by federal law and international treaties. A CITES tag is also required by state rule, as well as being necessary to transport legally harvested bobcats across state lines to tan or sell them.

Trappers should call furbearer registration stations in advance to ensure staff availability. For help finding the options nearest to you, check the list here or call the furbearer tagging hotline at 812-353-8282.

Additional Information

Please visit the Activity Hub's available quota web page to view current harvest numbers.