Furbearer Regulations

Furbearer regulations

• Bobcat and otter may be trapped statewide Dec. 1 – March 1. No bag limits.
• Raccoon, opossum, coyote, beaver, skunk and nutria may be trapped statewide year round. No bag limits.
• Minks, Everglades minks, weasels and round-tailed muskrats cannot be taken or possessed.

License requirements

A furbearer trapping license ($26.50) is required:

• When taking or attempting to take furbearing animals using traps or snares.
• To sell the pelts to licensed fur dealers or meat of furbearing animals, whether taken by trap, snare or gun.

Methods of take

Furbearers may be taken with guns (including air guns), live traps, snares (including power snares) and recorded game calls. Live traps and snares must be checked every 24 hours. Hunting raccoons or opossums at night is allowed, but only .22-caliber rimfire firearms (other than .22-magnums) or single-shot .410-gauge shotguns (using shot not larger than size 6) may be used.

Prohibited

The use of steel leg-hold traps, dog-proof raccoon traps and body-grip (conibear) traps is prohibited, except when permitted by FWC. It is illegal to transport wild-trapped live raccoons within, into or from the state, except by FWC permit or authorization. Hunting raccoons or opossums by displaying or using lights from moving vehicles, vessels or animals is prohibited.

Feeding

The intentional placement of feed or garbage in a manner that is likely to create or creates a public nuisance by attracting foxes, coyotes or raccoons is prohibited.

Closed season on fox

Trapping or shooting foxes is prohibited, but foxes may be chased with dogs year round.

Commercial furbearer licensing requirements

A fur dealer and buyer’s license ($100.00) is required to buy or possess any untanned furbearer pelts for commercial purposes, or to solicit business of untanned furbearer pelts by mail or advertising.

Tagging requirements

Bobcat and otter pelts taken for commercial purposes must be tagged with a CITES tag if possessed from April 1 to Nov. 30, sold to a Florida fur buyer or Florida taxidermist, or transported out of state. Licensed fur dealers and buyers and their agents must affix CITES tags to all untagged otter and bobcat pelts immediately upon receipt. CITES tags are also required when transporting pelts of bobcats and otters across state lines. The possession of more than one bobcat or otter pelt is prohibited from April 1 to Nov. 30, unless pelts have been tagged. One may possess a single untagged bobcat or otter pelt, as long as it is not exchanged for commercial purposes or transported across state lines.

CITES tags are distributed to furbearer trapping and fur dealer and buyer license holders upon request. To obtain CITES tags, call 850-488-5878. Fur dealers are held accountable for disposition of tags and are required to return unused tags by April 15.

Falconry

Wildlife management area regulations can differ.