Texas trapping regulations are set by the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and cover which species you can take, when you can take them, what traps are legal, and what licenses you need. The commercial season for most fur-bearing animals runs November 1 through March 31, foothold and body-grip traps are limited to that commercial window, and every trap must be checked at least once every 36 hours. Fines start at $25 for minor violations and climb past $4,000 for serious ones, with a state jail felony possible for repeat offenders.
Season Dates by Species
Texas splits furbearer harvest into commercial (trapping to sell pelts or live animals) and recreational (personal use, no sale). Commercial dates depend on the species:
- Raccoons, foxes, skunks, opossums, badgers, mink, muskrats, ring-tailed cats, and otters: November 1 through March 31
- Beaver: October 1 through May 31
- Nutria: year-round (September 1 through August 31)
Recreational harvest runs September 1 through August 31 for every fur-bearing species, with no bag or possession limits.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Seasons and Bag Limits: Fur-Bearing Animals The catch is methods. Foothold and body-grip traps can only be used during the commercial harvest season, so a recreational trapper working outside that window is limited to live or box traps and snares.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Means and Methods: Fur-Bearing Animals
Licenses You Need
A Fur-bearing Animal Trapper’s License is required to take furbearers or their pelts during the commercial season for sale. It costs $19 for Texas residents and $315 for non-residents.3Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. License Requirements: Fur-Bearing Animals Anyone 17 or older has to carry a driver’s license or state ID while trapping. Minors under 17 can trap without buying their own license. Licenses are sold online, at TPWD offices, and through authorized retailers.
To trap on designated public hunting areas, add the Annual Public Hunting Permit at $48.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Permits and Certifications Private-land trapping does not need that permit, but you still carry your trapper’s license.
If you buy pelts from other trappers rather than catching your own, you need a Wholesale Fur Dealer License: $189 for residents, $401 for non-residents.3Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. License Requirements: Fur-Bearing Animals
Landowner Nuisance Exemption
Landowners and their agents can take nuisance fur-bearing animals in any number, by any method, at any time on their own land without a hunting or trapping license. Pelts and carcasses taken this way, though, cannot be kept or possessed by anyone unless that person holds a valid trapper’s license and takes the animal during the lawful open season.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fur-bearing Animal Regulations A rancher can pull a problem beaver out of a stock tank in July, but keeping or selling the pelt without the right license is illegal.
Which Animals Count as Fur-Bearing
TPWD defines fur-bearing animals as a specific list: badgers, beavers, foxes, mink, muskrats, nutria, opossums, otters, raccoons, ring-tailed cats, and skunks.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fur-bearing Animal Regulations Bobcats and coyotes are a common point of confusion. Neither is a furbearer under Texas rules, so neither is subject to furbearer season dates or furbearer license requirements. Coyotes fall under rabies quarantine rules, and bobcats require pelt tagging before interstate transport or sale (more on that below).
Nutria, though listed as a furbearer, are treated as invasive and are open year-round under both commercial and recreational seasons. Feral hogs and armadillos can be trapped as nuisance non-game without a specific trapping license, but transporting and releasing live feral hogs is prohibited.
Protected Species
Trapping any animal listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act or by TPWD is illegal.6U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Section 9: Prohibited Acts In Texas, that includes the ocelot and jaguarundi, among others. TPWD also prohibits taking non-game species classified as state-protected.7Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Threatened, Endangered and Protected Animals If you accidentally catch a protected animal, report it to TPWD right away. Migratory birds carry separate federal protection, and trapping them is a federal offense regardless of intent.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 703 – Taking, Killing, or Possessing Migratory Birds Unlawful
Legal Traps and Methods
TPWD allows foothold traps, body-grip traps, live or box traps, snares, lawful archery equipment, air guns of at least .30 caliber, and arrow guns.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Means and Methods: Fur-Bearing Animals Two placement rules trip up newer trappers:
- Body-grip traps with a diagonal opening larger than 10 inches cannot be set on land or in water less than 6 inches deep.
- Foothold and body-grip traps are prohibited within 400 yards of any school.
Cage and live traps are the most forgiving option for beginners and are commonly used for raccoons, skunks, and opossums. They need enough space and ventilation to prevent stress and overheating in warm weather.
The 36-Hour Check Rule
Every trap type in Texas has to be inspected at least once every 36 hours, and any animal found has to be removed. The rule applies equally to footholds, body-grips, snares, and live or box traps.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Means and Methods: Fur-Bearing Animals Missed checks are among the most commonly cited violations.
Where You Can Set Traps
Private Land
You need the landowner’s permission to trap on private property. Setting traps on someone else’s land without consent is criminal trespass under Texas Penal Code Section 30.05, generally a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.9State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Title 7, Chapter 30 – Criminal Trespass Written permission is not legally required, but putting it on paper settles any later argument over which species, which part of the property, and how long the arrangement lasts.
Public Land
Public-land trapping requires the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit on top of your trapper’s license.10Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Annual Public Hunting Permit / Walk-in Hunts Not every public hunting area allows trapping, so check the specific area’s regulations before you set anything.
Transporting and Selling Pelts
Bobcat CITES Tags
Bobcat pelts and carcasses leaving Texas have to carry a CITES tag (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). To request tags, email TPWD at wpoffice@tpwd.texas.gov and allow two to four weeks for delivery. Anyone other than a licensed dealer who ships or sells bobcat pelts out of state must submit an Out-of-State Shipping or Selling Report within 20 days of shipping.11Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Bobcat CITES Tag FAQ Mounted bobcats do not need tagging. Missing the tags or the deadline can draw both state and federal enforcement.
Live Animal Transport
Texas law restricts possession of live game animals to purposes authorized by the Parks and Wildlife Code.12State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.002 – Possession of Live Game Animals You cannot release live-trapped animals onto public land without TPWD authorization.
The Lacey Act and Interstate Moves
Moving wildlife or pelts across state lines pulls in the federal Lacey Act. Knowingly transporting or selling wildlife taken in violation of state law can bring criminal penalties of up to $20,000 in fines and five years in prison per violation. If you did not know but should have known the animals were taken illegally, civil penalties can reach $10,000 per violation.13GovInfo. 16 USC Chapter 53 – Control of Illegally Taken Fish and Wildlife Keep your licenses current, tag your bobcat pelts, and document where and when every animal was taken.
Penalties for Violations
Most trapping violations fall under the Parks and Wildlife Code as misdemeanors:14Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Laws, Penalties and Restitution
- Class C misdemeanor: $25 to $500 fine. Covers offenses like trapping without a valid license.
- Class B misdemeanor: $200 to $2,000 fine. Applies to more significant regulatory violations.
- Class A misdemeanor: $500 to $4,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. Can apply to violations involving protected species or repeated noncompliance.
A third or subsequent violation can be charged as a state jail felony under Texas Penal Code Section 12.35, carrying 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and fines up to $10,000.15State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Title 3, Chapter 12 – Punishments TPWD can suspend or revoke your hunting and trapping licenses, and equipment used in the offense, including traps and vehicles, can be seized. Federal violations stack on top: an Endangered Species Act case for a protected catch, or Lacey Act exposure for moving illegally taken wildlife across state lines.13GovInfo. 16 USC Chapter 53 – Control of Illegally Taken Fish and Wildlife
Handling Safety
Handling wild furbearers exposes you to zoonotic disease, and the risk peaks during skinning and processing. Raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats are rabies reservoir species in Texas. Pre-exposure vaccination is available and worth discussing with a doctor if you trap regularly, though it does not replace post-exposure treatment after a bite or scratch.
Tularemia, sometimes called rabbit fever or water-rat trappers’ disease, spreads through direct skin contact with infected tissue or blood. Symptoms include high fever, chills, fatigue, skin ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes. Wear heavy waterproof gloves when handling trapped animals and when skinning. Eye protection cuts splash exposure. Wash hands and forearms with soap and water after every session, and disinfect cutting tools between animals. If you develop fever, skin lesions, or swollen glands within two weeks of handling wildlife, see a doctor and mention your trapping.