Application Deadline Aug. 1 For 2021 Bobcat And Fisher Permits
The deadline to apply for a bobcat or fisher permit closes this Sunday, Aug. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Log into your Go Wild account to purchase your applications. Applications are also available for purchase at all Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) service centers and license agents. Permits cost $3 for fisher and $6 for bobcat. River otter are now a bag limit/quota species. Two river otter tags are included with each trapping license, and an application to pursue otter is no longer required.
Drawings for 2021 bobcat and fisher permits will take place in August and permits will be posted to Go Wild accounts by mid-September.
In addition to a permit for bobcat and fisher, a trapping license is required to trap bobcat, fisher and river otter and a small game license is required to hunt bobcat. All first-time trappers who are trapping alone are required to complete a trapper education course before buying a trapping license. Trapper education classes are posted on GoWild.wi.gov. A trapper education course is not required to hunt bobcat.
2021 Season Dates
- Bobcat (hunting and trapping):
- Period 1: Oct. 16 – Dec. 25, 2022
- Period 2: Dec. 26 – Jan. 31, 2022
- Fisher (trapping only): Oct. 16 – Jan. 2, 2022
- Otter (Trapping only):
- North Zone: Nov. 6 – April 30, 2022
- South Zone: Nov. 6 – March 31, 2022
Youth And Mentored Trapping
Youth under the age of 16 may trap without a license while under the supervision of a licensed trapper. Youth trapping under supervision may apply for and receive bobcat and fisher permits and are required to have a valid permit to target those species. Youth under 16 may obtain two river otter tags, at no cost, through their individual Go Wild account.
Mentored trapping licenses are available to trappers ages 16 years or older who would like to trap under the supervision of a licensed trapper. The mentor must be at least 18 years old, and if the mentee is under 18, the mentor must either be the mentee’s parent/guardian or approved by the mentee’s parent/guardian. Anyone possessing a Mentored Trapping License may not receive a fisher harvest tag but may assist the mentor in trapping this species. A mentee holding a mentored trapping license may still apply for and receive a bobcat harvest tag if hunting bobcat (in which case a small game hunting license must also be purchased). Additional permit and license details can be found in the 2021 Wisconsin Trapping Regulations.
For more information on trapping and hunting furbearers in Wisconsin, visit the DNR website.