California
Predators & Furbearers.

A clear guide to California coyote and legal furbearer hunting, protected predator status, and trapping as potential other opportunity.

Official predators & furbearers page ↗

01 / Overview

Start with the shape of the hunt.

California separates nongame mammals, furbearers, protected species, depredation actions, and trapping under different laws. Coyote and some nongame mammals can provide legal hunting opportunity, while raccoon and other furbearers follow current seasons and limits.

Bobcat hunting and trapping have been prohibited statewide since 2020. Mountain lions are specially protected and do not have a sport-hunting season. Gray wolves are protected under state and federal law.

Trapping is presented here only as potential other opportunity because it requires separate education, licensing, legal-method, species, property, and reporting research beyond an ordinary hunting license.

02 / Opportunity

Is this a good state for this hunt?

Coyote hunting can be available without a limited-entry tag, but a license, nonlead ammunition, local discharge rules, legal methods, access, and safe backstops still matter.

Furbearer seasons and limits are species-specific, and the legal status of bobcat, mountain lion, and wolf makes positive identification essential.

A beginner should choose one huntable species and verify the current CDFW table instead of treating every predator or fur-bearing mammal as legal.

03 / Tags

How the system fits together.

Name the exact species

Confirm whether it is nongame, furbearer, game, protected, threatened, or endangered, then read the current license, season, limit, method, and possession rule.

Bobcats are closed

CDFW states that bobcat hunting and trapping are prohibited except narrow actions specifically authorized by law.

Mountain lions and wolves are protected

Neither is a California sport-hunting opportunity. Follow official conflict and sighting guidance rather than acting on another state’s rules.

Trapping is separate

Potential trapping opportunity requires the current trapper education, license, species season, legal equipment, property permission, inspection, and reporting system.

04 / Planning strategy

Begin with legal status, then habitat.

Choose one huntable species, confirm its current classification and license rule, and identify a parcel where access and firearm discharge are legal.

Practice coyote, dog, bobcat, mountain lion, and wolf identification before using calls in country where several may appear.

If trapping interests you, begin with CDFW’s current trapping information and treat it as a separate potential opportunity, not an extension of a hunting license.

05 / Seasons

Learn the categories. Check the dates.

California publishes current nongame and furbearer seasons, areas, limits, and closed species through CDFW and the Mammal Hunting Regulations.

Use the current trapping regulations for any separate trapper education, license, legal device, inspection, property, possession, and report requirement.

Open the current official digest ↗

06 / Habitat

Where they live.

Desert and shrub country

Coyotes use washes, edges, prey, water, roads, and human food sources where safe shooting and local rules control the plan.

Forest and foothill edge

Coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, and mountain lions can overlap, making identity and legal status more important than a quick shot.

Riparian and developed edge

Raccoons and other furbearers use water and human food sources where property permission, pets, buildings, and public safety narrow opportunity.

07 / Methods

Match the method to the exact hunt.

Calling where legal

Use positive identification, a safe backstop, nonlead ammunition where required, and restraint around roads, homes, pets, livestock, and other hunters.

Tracking and observation

Learn tracks, scat, prey, travel, and protected look-alikes before carrying a firearm.

Potential other opportunity: trapping

Research the current California trapper system separately before buying equipment or selecting a property.

Current legal methods, ammunition rules, and hunt-specific restrictions come from CDFW and the applicable land manager.

08 / Beginner strategy

If I wanted to start, what would I actually do?

01
Read the official species page
Start with CDFW’s current predators & furbearers page. Write down the license items, validations, applications, dates, limits, and reporting duties that apply to the exact hunt.
Official resource ↗
02
Confirm how the opportunity works
Determine whether the hunt uses a tag, drawing, reservation, validation, special permit, or general opportunity. Never assume one species works like another.
03
Prove legal access
Identify the parcel, managing agency, entry route, closures, boundary, and any check-station or property procedure before treating it as a hunt plan.
04
Scout the useful details
Record exact species evidence, protected look-alikes, prey, travel, roads, homes, pets, livestock, property boundaries, local discharge rules, safe backstops, and nonlead requirements.
05
Practice the complete field sequence
Practice positive identification, safe setup, backstop judgment, range restraint, recovery, pelt and evidence care, possession, and any required report.
06
Run a final current-information check
Recheck CDFW regulations, land-manager notices, fire or weather closures, required documents, equipment, and reporting instructions immediately before the hunt.