This is an often asked question. The 2016 Furbearing Animal Hunting or Trapping Seasons Regulations are a great and necessary resource for anyone with trapping questions. Under state law coyotes are defined as a predatory animal. No license is required to take predatory animals.  Bobcats are defined as furbearing animals and can only be taken November 15 through March 1. A furbearer license is required to take any furbearing animal, including bobcats.

All harvested bobcats shall be registered by 5 p.m. MST on March 11 of each year. The properly licensed individual shall present the pelt or unskinned carcass in an unfrozen condition to a game warden or Game and Fish Regional Office. A Game and Fish representative will attach a tag to the bobcat free of charge. It is unlawful to possess an untagged bobcat pelt after the registration period expires.

When registering a bobcat, the properly licensed trapper shall provide Game and Fish with:

• the age and sex of the bobcat,
• the bobcat management area where it was harvested,
• the date the bobcat was taken, the number of traps set, and
• the number of days traps were set or days hunted with a firearm.  

There is a bobcat harvest log in the 2016 Furbearing Animal Hunting or Trapping Seasons Regulations, which is a great place to record this information. Refer to these regulations for further information such as trap and snare check periods, trap and snare tagging requirements, and other important information.