Hunting Bobcat

478. Bobcat.

Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) 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 265 and 472-479 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 265, 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) Dogs may be permitted to pursue bobcats in the course of breaking, training or practicing dogs in accordance with the provisions of Section 265 of these regulations.

(e) 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 7-13-94; operative 7-13-94.

§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 at designated department offices. 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 fill in his/her name, address, and hunting license number prior to hunting, and carry the tag while hunting bobcats. Upon the harvesting of any bobcat, the hunter shall immediately fill out both parts of the tag and cut out and completely remove appropriate notches that clearly indicate the date of harvest. 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.

Amended 2006.

§479. Bobcat Pelts.

Bobcat pelts may be taken only pursuant to the provisions of sections 465.5 and 478 of these regulations.

(a) Any person who takes a bobcat shall, at any time during the trapping season or within 14 days after the end of the bobcat season, have the following appropriate department mark or tag affixed to the pelt.
(1) Pelts from bobcats taken under a hunting license shall be tagged as provided in Section 478.1. Pelts taken by a licensed trapper for only his personal use shall, at no cost, be marked by the department. Such pelts shall not be sold.
(2) Pelts from bobcats taken for commercial purposes under a trapping license shall be tagged with a department shipping tag.

(b) 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 unless the department has affixed a shipping tag to the pelt or parts thereof.

(c) Shipping tags and marking are available from the department. All persons taking bobcat pelts under provisions established by the commission must personally present the pelt to a representative of the department for placement of the nontransferable tag or mark and shall furnish the following:
(1) Date of take;
(2) County of take and nearest major geographical landmark;
(3) Sex; and
(4) Method of take (trap, call or hounds).

The department shall mark bobcat pelts and issue bobcat shipping tags for export of pelts at designated department offices during the trapping season and for a 14-day period immediately following the trapping season.

An administrative fee of $3.00 shall be charged for the issuance of each shipping tag. There is no fee for marking bobcat pelts not for sale.

(d) It is unlawful for any person to import, receive from out-of-state, or receive for sale, any bobcat pelt, or parts thereof that is not:
(1) Marked with the current export or shipping tag from the state of origin.
(2) Accompanied by an import declaration in accordance with Section 2353 of the Fish and Game Code, and specifying the number and kind of raw pelts in the shipment, the state in which the bobcats were taken, the license number under which they were taken and attesting that they were legally taken. Demonstration of the declaration of entry, pelt ownership and proof of legal take and marking is required of anyone receiving bobcat pelts from out-of-state upon the request of the department. The provisions of subsections (a), (b) and (c) shall not apply to raw bobcat pelts, or parts thereof, which were not taken in California.

New first paragraph and amendment of Note filed 6-2-99; operative 6-2-99.