Is trapping furbearers in Florida legal?

Answer 1

As always check the FWC website for trapping and hunting regulations in Florida.

A brief description of what they read is.

Furbearer hunting regulations in Florida

Trapping licenses are required to sell furbearing animals and when using live traps or snares in taking them.

Open season: Raccoons, opossums, skunks, nutrias, beavers and coyotes can be live-trapped or taken with snares year-round.

Limited season: Otters and bobcats can be live-trapped or taken with snares from Dec. 1 through March 1.

Possession: Hides and skins of raccoons, opossums, coyotes, skunks, nutrias and beavers may be possessed in any number at any time. Bobcats and otter pelts may be possessed in any number between Dec. 1 and March 1. Possessing more than one bobcat and otter pelt is prohibited from March 2 through Nov. 30, unless they have been tagged with FWC seals.

Live traps and snares must be checked at least every 24 hours. Using or possessing steel or leg-hold traps where wildlife might be found is prohibited, unless authorized by a Steel Trap Permit

Methods of taking: Furbearers may be taken with firearms, live traps or snares and recorded game calls.

Wildlife management areas: Furbearers may not be taken on WMAs unless specifically authorized by area regulations.

Closed season on fox: Trapping or shooting foxes is prohibited. Foxes may not be killed but may be chased with dogs year-round. Foxes or untanned fox pelts may not be possessed, except by permit from the FWC executive director. A permit is not required when getting a road-killed fox mounted by a taxidermist.

Prohibited: Minks, Everglades minks, weasels and roundtailed muskrats cannot be taken or possessed. Everglades minks reside in Miami-Dade, Monroe, Collier and Hendry counties.

Answer 2

Yes, trapping furbearers in Florida is legal with the proper permits and licenses. Trappers must adhere to regulations set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which includes designated trapping seasons and methods. It is important to familiarize oneself with these regulations before engaging in trapping activities.