Bobcat Hunting Regulations

§478. Bobcat.

Except as provided in subsection (c) below no person shall pursue, take or possess any bobcat without first procuring a trapping license or a hunting license and bobcat hunting tags. The pursuit, take and/or possession of a bobcat under the authority of a hunting license and a bobcat hunting tag shall be in accordance with the provisions of this section and sections 472, 473, 474, 475, 478.1 and 479 of these regulations.
Bobcats taken under the authority of a trapping license shall be taken with traps or other means in accordance with this section and sections 465, 465.5 and 475. Bobcats taken under a trapping license must be tagged in accordance with the provisions of Section 479.

• (a) Trapping Season and Area: Bobcat may only be taken under the authority of a trapping license as follows:
  • (1) Area: Statewide.
  • (2) Season: November 24 through January 31.
• (b) Hunting Season and Area: Bobcats may only be taken under the authority of a hunting license and bobcat hunting tags as follows:
• (1) Area: Statewide.
• (2) Season: October 15 through February 28.
• (c) Bag and Possession Limit:
  • (1) Bobcats taken under a hunting license and bobcat hunting tags: Five bobcats per season.
  • (2) Bobcats taken under a trapping license: No limit.
• (d) This section shall not apply to bobcats trapped under the provisions of sections 4152 and 4180 of the Fish and Game Code (also see Section 480 of these regulations).

Amendment filed 3/5/2013; operative 3/5/2013.

§478.1. Bobcat Hunting Tags.

• (a) Any person who possesses a valid hunting license may, upon payment of the fee specified in Section 702, procure only five revocable, nontransferable bobcat hunting tags. Such tags shall be acquired through the department's Automated License Data System terminals at any department license agent or department license sales office. These tags do not act as shipping tags as required in Section 479 for pelts taken under a trapping license.
• (b) Bobcat hunting tags are valid only during that portion of the current hunting license year in which bobcats may be legally harvested as provided in Section 478.
• (c) The holder of a bobcat hunting tag shall carry the tag while hunting bobcats. Upon the harvesting of any bobcat, the hunter shall immediately fill the tag completely, legibly, and permanently, and cut out or punch out and completely remove notches or punch holes for the month and date of the kill. One part of the tag shall be immediately attached to the pelt and kept attached until it is tanned, dried or mounted. The other part of the tag shall be sent immediately to the department.
• (d) Possession of any untagged bobcat taken under the authority of the hunting license shall be a violation of this section except that the provisions of this section shall not apply to the owner or tenant of land devoted to the agricultural industry nor to authorized county, state or federal predatory animal control agents operating under a written trapping agreement with the appropriate landowner while on such land and in connection with such agricultural industry. It is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, barter, trade, purchase, transport from this state, or offer for out-of-state shipment by any common carrier any bobcat pelts, or parts thereof taken pursuant to this provision.
• (e) Any person who is convicted of violating any provision of this chapter shall forfeit his bobcat hunting tags, and shall not apply for additional tags during the then current hunting license year.

Amendment filed 7/8/11; effective 7/8/11.