Michigan Bobcat Hunting Is Residents-Only With Free Kill Tags, but You Must Register Every Cat You Take
November 13, 2026
Bobcat hunting season in Michigan 2026-27 is a residents-only hunt with no drawing, no fee for the kill tag, and a registration step that catches plenty of first-timers off guard. Nonresidents cannot harvest badger, bobcat, fisher, marten or otter in Michigan. If you live in the state, the real deadlines are the kill tag cutoff and your unit’s closing date.
This article walks through the dates, licenses, tags, methods, and post-harvest steps you need to stay legal. Rules come from the Michigan DNR furbearer regulations summary and the Natural Resources Commission order that set the current seasons. Read the official summary before you head out, because the DNR can adjust rules between cycles.
Bobcat Hunting Season Dates in Michigan 2026-27
Bobcat hunting opens January 1 in every unit, and the closing date depends on where you hunt. The Natural Resources Commission order sets January 1 to March 1 in Units A and B and in Unit C, January 1 to February 1 in Unit D, January 1 to January 20 in Unit G, and January 1 to January 11 in Unit H.
| Unit | Hunting Opens | Hunting Closes |
|---|---|---|
| A | Jan. 1 | Mar. 1 |
| B | Jan. 1 | Mar. 1 |
| C | Jan. 1 | Mar. 1 |
| D | Jan. 1 | Feb. 1 |
| G | Jan. 1 | Jan. 20 |
| H | Jan. 1 | Jan. 11 |
The Michigan DNR furbearer regulations summary is the place to confirm the dates for the season you plan to hunt. The DNR’s calendar-year framing means the season you hunt in January and February 2027 is the back half of the 2026-27 license year.
Bobcat Hunting vs. Trapping Seasons in Michigan
Hunting and trapping run on separate calendars, and trapping starts much earlier. The DNR lists bobcat trapping in Units A and B beginning in November, while Units C, D, G, and H begin in December. Each trapping season also has its own closing deadline in January, with Unit H closing December 30, 2026.
Hunting is the short, late-winter window. Trapping gives you the long fall run, but it also brings foothold and cage-trap limits in several units. Bobcat units C, D, G and H are limited to foothold traps or live-restraining cage traps only.
Pro Tip: One kill tag covers one bobcat, whether you hunt it or trap it. Decide early which method you will use, because a trapped cat and a hunted cat draw down the same unit quota.
Bobcat Hunting License and Permit Requirements in Michigan
You need a valid Michigan base license, a fur harvester license, and a free bobcat kill tag. Fur harvester licenses become available for purchase May 1, 2026, and are valid through April 30, 2027. That single license covers your whole hunting window.
Dog owners have their own requirement. Owners of a dog chasing or locating a bobcat who are present during a hunt must have the valid hunting licenses for harvesting a bobcat. If your buddy’s hounds run the cat, the dog owner needs the license too.
- Michigan base license
- Fur harvester license (on sale May 1, 2026)
- Free bobcat kill tag
- Hunter orange where required during firearm deer season
Michigan hunters can buy licenses and request tags through the DNR furbearer page and the Hunt Fish app.
Bobcat Permit Drawings, Lotteries and Quotas in Michigan
Michigan does not run a bobcat drawing. Free kill tags are available over the counter in Michigan for bobcat. You request them, you get them, and the tag costs nothing.
The one deadline that trips people up is the tag cutoff. Bobcat kill tags are only available through Oct. 31, 2026. A 2026 order removed an older rule requiring tags before the season, but the DNR now publishes a hard end date for requesting them, so request yours well before the hunt.
Bobcat Bag Limits and Season Limits in Michigan
The DNR summary lists a bobcat limit of 2 per season, with a note that the second bobcat kill tag is handled differently from the first. The kill tag itself is $0. Check the footnotes in the summary for how the second tag is issued in your unit.
Your tag cannot be shared. You cannot use your kill tag on a furbearer you did not harvest. Tag your own animal, and only your own.
Bobcat Hunting Zones, Units and Open Counties in Michigan
Michigan splits bobcat management into units A, B, C, D, G, and H. The units are not the same as the deer management units, so do not assume your deer unit tells you anything about bobcat rules. Pull the unit map from the DNR before you scout.
The units farther north and west get the longest seasons, while the southern lower-peninsula units that allow harvest have the shortest. Unit H closes January 11, so a hunter there has about 11 days to work with.
Nonresident Bobcat Hunting in Michigan
Nonresidents are shut out. The DNR summary states plainly that nonresidents cannot harvest badger, bobcat, fisher, marten or otter in Michigan. That applies to hunting and trapping alike.
A commission proposal to allow nonresident harvest of limited-take species was reviewed in 2026, but the published 2026 regulations still exclude nonresidents. Plan your trip around coyote or fox instead if you live out of state.
Legal Weapons and Methods for Bobcat Hunting in Michigan
Bobcat hunting is legal with firearms, and calling is allowed. You can use electronic calls, mouth calls, predator calls or other types of game calls when hunting bobcat, coyote, fox, opossum and raccoon during the respective hunting seasons. Hunting with hounds is also legal, with the license rule for dog owners covered above.
Stationary hunters get a break on orange. If you are hunting bobcat, coyote or fox and are stationary, you are exempt from some hunter orange requirements, so read the exact conditions in the summary before you rely on it.
Hunting Bobcats at Night, With Dogs, Bait or Predator Calls in Michigan
Predator calls are legal, and dogs are legal if the dog’s owner holds the right license. Nighttime hunting of bobcats with calls was reviewed by the Natural Resources Commission in February 2026 under Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment No. 2. The DNR summary also references established nighttime hunting hours for furbearers, so check those hours and any bobcat-specific limits before you hunt after dark.
The summary’s hunting-hours table shows day-only hunting for a bobcat hunter in some listed circumstances. Confirm which category applies to your hunt in the 2026 regulations PDF. For bait rules, read the summary’s methods section directly rather than relying on forum advice.
Common Mistake: Running a friend’s hounds without checking who holds a license. The dog owner needs the hunting licenses for harvesting a bobcat whenever they are present on the hunt.
Bobcat Season Closures During Deer Seasons and on Sundays in Michigan
Bobcat hunting starts January 1, after the firearm deer season (November 15-30) is over, so there is little overlap. The DNR summary does include special rules for hunting or trapping furbearers during the firearm deer season and the limited firearm deer seasons, which matter mostly for trappers whose seasons start in November.
If your trapping plans overlap with those periods, read the hunter orange and access notes for them. For a full breakdown of the deer calendar that sits on top of furbearer seasons, see the Michigan deer hunting season guide.
Where to Hunt Bobcats in Michigan: Public Land and Private Land
Michigan hunters take bobcats on both state land and private ground. Most of the productive country is in the northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, where state forests and national forest land give you large blocks to call and run hounds. The DNR’s Hunt Fish app shows public land boundaries.
On private land, get permission before you set up and before you turn hounds loose. Running dogs across property lines is a common source of landowner conflict, so confirm access with every neighbor along your likely route.
Tagging, CITES Tags and Registering a Bobcat in Michigan
Every bobcat you take must be registered. If you harvest a bobcat, fisher, marten or otter, you must present the animal at a DNR registration station for registration. The registration process also involves replacing your kill tag with an official DNR seal.
Tag the animal as soon as you take it, and keep the tag with the carcass or pelt until registration. The DNR provides incidental tags free of charge for animals found dead, so you never use a regular kill tag on a road-killed cat.
- Tag the bobcat immediately after the harvest.
- Take the animal to a DNR registration station.
- Have your kill tag replaced with an official DNR seal.
- Keep the seal attached to the pelt.
Submitting Lower Jaws or Teeth From a Harvested Bobcat in Michigan
The DNR collects biological information from harvested furbearers, and Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment No. 2 of 2026 addressed whether hunters and trappers may keep harvested furbearer skulls. Ask the registration station staff what they collect from your bobcat and what you can keep.
The details of tooth or jaw submission are in the registration section of the regulations summary. Bring the whole carcass to registration unless the DNR tells you otherwise.
Selling, Transporting and Exporting Bobcat Pelts From Michigan
Once your bobcat is registered and sealed, the pelt is yours to handle. Selling, shipping out of state, or exporting a bobcat pelt involves state sealing and federal CITES rules, so keep your DNR seal on the pelt and keep your paperwork. Contact the DNR Law Enforcement Division with questions about a specific sale or shipment.
Do not remove the seal before the pelt is tanned or sold. A bobcat pelt without its seal is an enforcement problem waiting to happen.
Early Season Closures When the Bobcat Quota Is Reached in Michigan
Michigan sets bobcat seasons by unit and by fixed dates, and the DNR’s regulations treat the listed dates as the season. The order that set the 2026 regulations says the Department recommends that regulations set in 2026 stay in effect for two years, so the dates above should hold for the cycle.
The DNR can still amend rules through the Natural Resources Commission. Watch the DNR’s furbearer page and sign up for DNR email updates so you hear about any change before your hunt.
Bobcat Population and Management Status in Michigan
The DNR manages bobcat as a limited-take furbearer, which is why kill tags and registration exist. The department reviews furbearer regulations with an internal workgroup and a furtaker user group, and its 2026 order notes concerns that tag deadlines were affecting hunter and trapper participation and recruitment.
Bobcats are more common in the northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula than in the southern Lower Peninsula, which is why season lengths shrink in Units D, G, and H.
Best Time to Hunt Bobcats in Michigan
With seasons opening January 1, you are hunting cold, snowy country, and fresh snow is the single biggest advantage. Tracks tell you where a cat is working, and many hunters set up at first light or just before dark. A forum thread from the 2026 opener shows callers working morning sets over multiple days, so expect to put in several sessions.
If you hunt Unit H, the window is short, so the first week matters. In Units A, B, and C, you can wait for a good snow and a stable weather window.
Can You Eat Bobcat in Michigan?
There is no Michigan rule against eating a legally harvested bobcat. Hunters who do describe the meat as similar to other lean wild game, and it should be cooked thoroughly like any wild carnivore. Most Michigan hunters take bobcats for the pelt rather than the table.
Bobcat Hunting Season in Michigan 2026-27: Frequently Asked Questions
When Does Bobcat Season Open in Michigan?
Hunting opens January 1 in Units A, B, C, D, G, and H. Closing dates run from January 11 in Unit H to March 1 in Units A, B, and C.
Can Nonresidents Hunt Bobcat in Michigan?
No. Nonresidents cannot harvest bobcat in Michigan.
Do You Need a Kill Tag?
Yes. Residents need a free bobcat kill tag, and bobcat kill tags are only available through Oct. 31, 2026.
Can You Use Predator Calls?
Yes. Electronic calls, mouth calls, and other game calls are legal for bobcat hunting during the season.
Do You Have to Register a Bobcat?
Yes. Every harvested bobcat must be presented at a DNR registration station. For other Michigan seasons, see the Michigan pheasant hunting season guide.