Furbearer Hunting and Trapping
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Description
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Season Dates
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Limits
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Furbearer Hunting
Badger, beaver, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, nutria, opossum, raccoon, river otter, spotted skunk, striped skunk and weasel are regulated as furbearers.
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Gray Fox, Red Fox, Mink and
Striped Skunk
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Statewide: sunrise, September 1, 2009-sunset, February 28, 2010. Day hunting only.
Foxes may be taken during daylight hours with a method legal for that season and zone during the fox hunting season. Foxes may also be taken during daylight hours with firearms no larger than .30 caliber.
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Limit: 2 per day;
No bag limit for striped skunk
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Opossum
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Statewide: sunrise, September 1, 2009-sunset, February 28, 2010. Day or night hunting; dogs are required for hunting at night. |
Limit: 2 per day
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Bobcat
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Statewide: sunrise, October 1, 2009-sunset, February 28, 2010. Dogs allowed to hunt bobcats during the day. Dogs required to hunt bobcats at night.
Statewide: first day of spring turkey season through June 13, 2010. Day hunting only. No dogs allowed.
Dogs are not allowed in deer zones where a firearms deer season is in progress that prohibits the use of dogs.
During youth turkey hunts, only youths may take bobcats.
Bobcats may be taken during daylight hours with archery equipment, firearms no larger than .30 caliber or shotguns with shot no larger than T shot. Refer to Page 70 for hunting equipment legal on WMAs. Bobcats may also be taken during daylight hours of any open deer, bear, spring turkey or spring squirrel season with hunting equipment legal for that season.
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Limit: 2 per day
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Coyote
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Statewide: sunrise, July 1, 2009-sunset, February 28, 2010. Dogs allowed to hunt coyote during the day. Coyote may not be hunted at night.
Statewide: first day of spring turkey season through June 13. Day hunting only – No dogs allowed.
No bag limit on coyote. Dogs are not allowed in deer zones where a firearms deer season is in progress that prohibits the use of dogs. During youth turkey hunts, only youths may take coyotes.
Coyote may also be taken during daylight hours with archery equipment, firearms no larger than .30 caliber or shotguns with shot no larger than T shot. Refer to Page 70 for hunting equipment legal on WMAs. Coyotes may be taken during daylight hours of any open deer, bear, spring turkey or spring squirrel season with hunting equipment legal for that season.
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No bag limit
on coyote.
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River Otter
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Statewide: sunrise, November 14, 2009-sunset, February 28, 2010.
Day hunting only |
Limit: 2 per day
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Raccoon |
Statewide: sunset, July 1-sunrise, August 31, 2009.
Night hunting only. Dogs required, limit one.
Statewide: sunrise, September 1, 2009-sunset, March 31, 2010. Day or night hunting. Dogs are required for hunting at night. Bag limit is two per day from Sept. 1-Nov. 14 and no limit from Nov. 15-March 31.
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Limit: 1 per day
Bag limit is 2 per day from
Sept. 1-Nov. 14;
no bag limit from Nov. 15-March 31.
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Muskrat, Nutria and
Beaver |
Statewide: sunrise, September 1, 2009-sunset, March 31, 2010.
Day hunting only.
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No bag limit.
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Badger, Spotted Skunk and Weasel
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Statewide hunting: closed.
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Furbearer Trapping
Badger, beaver, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, nutria, opossum, raccoon, river otter, spotted skunk, striped skunk and weasel are regulated as furbearers.
| 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 http://www.agfc.com/trapperpermit/ or by calling (800) 364-GAME, ext. 6359. |
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Furbearer Trapping
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Statewide: sunrise, November 14, 2009-sunset, February 21, 2010.
Excludes coyote, beaver, muskrat, and nutria.
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No bag limit.
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Coyote
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Statewide: sunrise, August 1, 2009-sunset, March 31, 2010.
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No bag limit.
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Beaver, Muskrat and Nutria
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Statewide: sunrise November 14, 2009-sunset March 31, 2010.
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No bag limit.
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Checking Requirements
Nondrowning sets with foothold traps, snares and box traps must be checked daily. Kill traps must be checked at least every 72 hours.
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 or rubber padded 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 may be used for land-sets and water-sets.
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 unless they are an Arkansas resident purchasing tanned pelts, taxidermy mounts or whole carcasses of legally taken furbearers for personal use. The Fur Dealer Report must be made available for inspection by AGFC employees and be submitted to the AGFC by May 5.