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License Requirements and Fees for Taking Furbearers

Hunters taking furbearers with firearms or dogs for sporting purposes must possess hunting licenses or other licenses that include hunting privileges, unless exempt. These licenses do not authorize the sale of furbearing mammals or taking furbearing mammals with live traps or snares.

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

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

Limited season: Otters and bobcats can be live-trapped or taken with firearms and snares from Dec. 1 through March 1. Bobcats can be chased with dogs year-round, but when doing so, possessing firearms is prohibited from March 2 through Nov. 30.

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.

Methods of taking: Furbearers may be taken with firearms, live traps or snares. 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 permit from the FWC executive director.

Raccoon and opossum: Hunting at night with dogs for raccoons and opossums is permitted year-round. Only .22-caliber rimfire firearms (other than .22-magnums) or single-shot .410-gauge shotguns, using shot not larger than size 6 can be used. Firearms may not be loaded until immediately prior to shooting treed or bayed raccoons or opossums. Hunting raccoons or opossums by displaying or using lights from moving vehicles, vessels or animals is prohibited.

Transporting live raccoons: It is illegal to transport wild-trapped live raccoons within, into or from the state, except by FWC permit.

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. When chasing foxes, possessing firearms is prohibited. 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 roadkilled fox mounted by a taxidermist.

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

TRAPPING LICENSE FEES

Resident and Nonresident Statewide Trapping License.................$26.50

Commercial furbearer requirements

Trapping licenses are required to sell the hides and meat of furbearing mammals. One must possess a dealer’s license to engage in the buying and selling of meat from furbearing mammals for commercial purposes.

Bobcat and otter pelts taken for commercial purposes must be tagged with an FWC seal. To obtain furbearer tags, call the furbearer program coordinator at
(850) 627-1773. Persons possessing a valid trapping license can sell tagged or untagged otter and bobcat pelts to licensed fur dealers or agents from Dec. 1 through March 31. Persons with a hunting license can possess one untanned otter and bobcat pelt without having them tagged. Otter and bobcat pelts may not be taken out of Florida unless tagged.

Licensed fur dealers and their agents must tag otter and bobcat pelts with official FWC tags immediately upon receipt. Tags are distributed to dealers upon request. Fur dealers are held accountable for disposition of tags and are required to return unused tags by April 15.