Furbearer Trapping Seasons
General Regulations
Residents under 16 years of age do not need a license to trap when accompanied by any person 18 years of age or older who possesses a valid state or county license to trap. Trappers using box traps for rabbits do not need a license, but permission of the landowner is necessary. County residents 65 years of age and over do not need a license to trap on private property in county of residence. National Forest lands will be open during the regular trapping seasons. Trappers must visit all traps once each day to remove all animals caught therein. Check local ordinances before trapping near highways.
Trapping on Department-owned or controlled lands and waters is allowed under the regulations of the Board unless prohibited by posted rules. The posted rules may require written authorization to trap on some areas or may specify other restrictions.
It is lawful to set traps in water from December 1 through the last day of February, both dates inclusive, and at anytime within the incorporated limits of any city or town in the Commonwealth and in the counties of Arlington, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Henrico, James City, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Roanoke and York, except as otherwise specifically provided by department permit or by local ordinances.
Any person setting or in possession of a steel foothold or body gripping trap or snare shall have it marked by means of a nonferrous metal tag bearing his name and address or a permanent identification number issued by the Department. This requirement shall not apply to landowners on their own land, nor to a bonafide tenant or lessee within the bounds of land rented or leased by him, nor to anyone transporting any such trap from its place of purchase.
The use of body gripping traps with a jaw spread in excess of 7 ½ inches is prohibited except when such traps are at least half submerged by water.
It is unlawful to set above the ground any steel foothold trap with teeth set upon the jaws or with a maximum inside jaw spread exceeding 6 ½ inches measured perpendicular to the hinges.
It is unlawful to set above the ground any body gripping trap with a jaw spread in excess of 5 inches when using any bait, lure or scent. However, baited body gripping traps with a jaw spread between 5 and 6 ½ inches may be used within an enclosure with openings no greater than 60 square inches and the trap trigger recessed at least 12 inches from all openings (see diagram below). Traps must be staked to prevent enclosures from turning over and may only be used on private lands with written permission of the landowner.
No deadfalls traps may be used. Snares set on land must have loops less than 12 inches in diameter with the top of the snare loop no more than 12 inches above the ground. Land snares may only be used with written permission of the landowner.
It is unlawful to willfully molest, damage, or remove any trap, or any lawfully caught bird or animal from or in any way disturb traps or snares legally set by another person.
No trapping of furbearing animals within 300 yards of First Landing/Seashore State Park and the Virginia Marine Science Museum in the City of Virginia Beach.
No trapping within 50 feet of a highway in Clarke, Fauquier, and Loudoun counties.
It is unlawful to shoot a rifle or pistol at wild birds or animals on or over public inland waters; however a licensed trapper may shoot a .22 caliber rimfire rifle or pistol on or over public inland waters for the purpose of dispatching a trapped animal.
Permanent Identification Number For Trap Tags
Trappers now have the option of using a permanent identification number on their trap tags instead of their name and address. The Department will assign a unique number to interested trappers for permanent use. To obtain a trapper ID number, contact your nearest Department Office for instructions. Please remember that this method of tag marking is OPTIONAL and that you may continue to use tags with your name and address, if you prefer.
Trapping Seasons
There is a continuous open season to trap beaver, muskrat, opossum and raccoon within the incorporated limits of any city or town in the Commonwealth, and in the counties of Arlington, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Henrico, James City, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Roanoke and York.
When beavers are damaging crops or lands, the owner of the premises, his agent, or tenant, may kill the animals or have them killed. This includes shooting, except in areas where the discharge of firearms is prohibited.
Beaver
December 1-February 28
Bobcat
November 15-February 28
Bag limit: The season bag limit shall be 12 bobcats in the aggregate, taken by hunting and trapping combined.
All trapped bobcats must be reported within 24 hours through the Department's electronic harvest reporting system. A CITES tag may also be required for some bobcats. Click here for details regarding bobcat checking and tagging procedures.
Coyote
Continuous open season.
Fox
November 15-February 28
Fox trapping is prohibited in Clarke (except on G. Richard Thompson WMA), Fauquier (except on Chester F. Phelps WMAand G. Richard Thompson WMA), Loudoun, and Rappahannock counties.
Mink
December 1-February 28
Muskrat
December 1-February 28
Nutria
Continuous open season.
Opossum
November 15-February 28
Rabbit
May be taken with box traps from October 15-January 31 provided no traps shall be set on the lands of another without written permission of the landowner.
Raccoon
November 15-February 28
Skunk
Continuous open season for striped skunk. Continuous closed season for taking spotted skunk and the pelts of spotted skunk may not be sold.
Weasel
December 1-February 28
Otter
December 1-February 28
In all counties east of the Blue Ridge and in the counties of Augusta, Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Rockbridge and Wythe.
Bag Limit
The season bag limit shall be 2 otters in counties west of the Blue Ridge where otter trapping is permitted. There is no season bag limit in counties east of the Blue Ridge.
Mandatory Check-in Requirements
The entire skinned carcass of all otters trapped in counties west of the Blue Ridge where trapping is permitted must be presented to an agent of the Department within 3 days of capture. For more information on submitting otter carcasses contact your nearest regional office.
CITES Tagging Requirement For Otter
Otter pelts that are sold, traded, transported out of state, or shipped out of state must also have a CITES tag affixed to each animal. No CITES tag is needed to have an otter mounted by a Virginia taxidermist. To obtain a CITES tag, contact your local Conservation Police Officer or the nearest Department regional office. All otter pelts required to have a CITES tag must have them affixed by April 1.
