Regulations
Furbearer Hunting Methods: Unless otherwise specified, furbearers may be taken with archery equipment, firearms no larger than .22 caliber rimfire or shotguns with shot no larger than T shot. Bobcats, opossums and raccoons may be taken at night when treed by dogs.
Foothold Traps: Foothold traps must be smooth jawed. Foothold traps on land must have a jaw spread no greater than 6 inches. Foothold traps with a jaw spread greater than 5 inches must have offset jaws. For water sets, traps may have a jaw spread up to 8½ inches. Traps are measured from the inside edge at the dog.
Conibear-type Traps: For land sets, the maximum jaw spread for Conibear-type traps is 6 inches. For water sets, the maximum jaw spread is 10 inches.
Box Traps: Box traps no larger than 8 inches wide and 10 inches high may be used for trapping rabbits. Individuals may use no more than eight rabbit traps. Wood or wire traps may not be used to take game birds. Licensed fur takers may use box traps of any size during furbearer season.
Snares: Leg snares are prohibited. Snares are allowed in water sets. Snares are allowed on land, but land snares set farther than 20 feet from a permanent body of water must have a functional “deer lock” that prevents them closing smaller than 2½ inches. Land snares must have a single-piece lock and must be braided cable with a loop no larger than 12 inches in diameter (from side-to-side) and the bottom of the loop no higher than 10 inches from the ground. No snare may be set or maintained in a public road right-of-way or touch any fence when fully extended.
Bait: Animal matter may not be used as bait within 20 feet of a trap set unless it is covered. Bait must be covered in such a way as to withstand wave action, wind action or other normal environmental conditions that could cause it to become visible.
Identification: Traps, including snares, must have the trapper’s name and address, his vehicle operator’s license number or his vehicle license number.
Pelts: Untanned pelts must belong to species of furbearers that have an open season in Arkansas. Shipments of untanned green pelts originating in Arkansas must display the name, address and license number of shipper, date of shipment and the words “Fur Pelts.”
Bobcat and river otter pelts must be tagged by an AGFC employee before being shipped out of state. Possession of untagged river otter pelts from April 1 to the beginning of the river otter hunting season is not allowed except for those taken with a depredation permit.
Fur Dealers: Anyone purchasing furbearer pelts or carcasses is required to have a fur dealer permit and to fill out the AGFC Fur Dealer Report daily. This report must be made available for inspection by AGFC employees and be submitted to the AGFC by May 5.
Licenses
It shall be unlawful for any resident 16 years of age or older to trap or attempt to trap any furbearing animals without first obtaining a current Resident Trapper Permit in addition to a hunting license. Permits are valid during open seasons for the year period July 1-June 30 and may be ordered from www.agfc.com or by calling (800) 364-GAME, ext. 6359.
Which commercial or wildlife-related activities require a license or permit? Resident Fur Dealer ($50), Nonresident Fur Dealer ($200), Resident Trappers Permit (Free) and Nonresident Trapper’s Permit ($125).
Fur Dealers
Anyone purchasing furbearer pelts or carcasses must have a Commission Furdealer License. Reports must be filled out daily and this report must be made available for inspection by AGFC employees and be submitted to the Commission by May 5.
Persons purchasing furbearer carcasses in order to mount them (for later sale or personal possession) must also possess a furdealer license.
Click here to view a list of Fur Dealers.
Foxpens
No permit is required to operate a fenced facility where fox and coyote are chased for pleasure. However, if any other wildlife are hunted within the fenced area it is necessary to obtain a Commission Wildlife Hunting Resort Permit.
Live fox and coyote that are legally trapped alive in Arkansas may be sold to foxpen operators by those holding Commission Live Fox and Coyote permits. These permits can be obtained from the Commission Licensing Division in Little Rock at 800-364-4263.
A Commission Wildlife Importation Permit is necessary to bring any wildlife, including fox and coyote, into Arkansas.
It is illegal for those with Commission Wildlife Importation Permits or anyone else to bring live coyotes into Arkansas that originate from or have lived in Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Canada.
It is illegal for those with Commission Wildlife Importation Permits or anyone else to bring live fox into Arkansas that originate from or have lived in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Canada.
It is illegal to bring any raccoons into Arkansas.
Nuisance Animals
Beaver, coyote, muskrat, nutria, striped skunk and nongame wildlife other than migratory birds and endangered species that are causing damage to property may be taken during daylight hours or trapped the entire year. Rodenticides may be used to control mice and rats. English sparrows, blackbirds, starlings and crows committing damage to agriculture crops and personal property may be taken without a permit.
A Depredation Permit is required to trap nuisance game animals other than beaver, muskrat, nutria, coyote and striped skunk outside of the trapping season. A Depredation Permit is required to shoot any nuisance wildlife at night. Landowners or their designees with Depredation Permits may use any trapping method legal for use in the fur-trapping season. Conibear or comparable body-gripping traps with jaw spreads of up to 10 inches may be used inside buildings. Cage-style live traps may be used. Traps set in the outdoors must be marked in accordance with Code 10.07. Firearms may be used at day or night if specifically approved by the Commission employee issuing the Depredation Permit. Depredation Permits may be obtained from Commission Wildlife Officers or Wildlife Biologists. Please contact your nearest Regional office for more information.
Live traps: Nuisance animals may also be removed by landowners (or their designees) at any time without a Depredation Permit with the use of live traps. Trapping in towns must be in compliance with municipal ordinances. Live-trapped wildlife must be released unharmed outside the municipality ’s boundaries within 24 hours except nuisance furbearers are not required to be released alive. Live traps must have the trapper ’s name and address or his vehicle operator ’s license number or the current vehicle license number registered to the trap user.
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