YOUR STATES TRAPPING LAWS

[Bogmaster]

 Every state has different regulations.What may be a legal set,trap or snare in Minnesota,may not be legal in your state.
 It is in every trappers best interest,to obtain a copy of their trapping laws--and know them,frontwards and backwards.
 If you do not understand a certain law,or have any questions,contact your Department of Natural Resources.Even doing this,you may not get a real answer.In this case,contact your local conservation officer.They are the ones that are enforcing these laws,and many times--interpretation is left to their discretion.
 In our world today,many of our conservation officers have the book learning,but no hands on experience with trapping.For this reason, I am always more than happy to take a conservation officer on my trapline.The more they know about what we do and why we do it--the better off we are.
 

[four coil]

Why can't we set traps closer than 15' to a beaver dam here in Wisconsin? And don't tell me because the DNR says so.
Shawn

[Bogmaster]

 Ask your DNR that question.We can't damage a dam, but we can set on them.
 In WI,who knows a reason, you cannot trap badgers.
 Tom

[fishdaddy]

in w.va no body grips at all on land

[TrapperRay]

You have to be on top of things in Iowa, because sometimes( imagine this) the DNR officer doesn't know the laws! Some will tell you no #14 Victor with teeth are legal,period. Yet when we called the main headquarters and talked with the top brass we found they (#14 Victors) were legal as long as they were set under water. Kinda frustrating when enforcment doesn't know the laws? Later Ray.

[Macthediver]

I think the 15 ft rule in WI may go back to the days when beavers were still considered recovering. For those that don't remember WI beaver season used to be only the month of February. Beaver taken also had to be tag by the DNR before being sold. I think the 15 ft thing was to allow trapping but not totally wipe out the colony. More recently I believe it may have been left in place to try to reduce none target catch of otters???  Anyone else have and ideas on it? I'd really like to know why we still have it too.

Mac

[trap setter]

Here in Ct.we cantnot set any body griping traps on land at all, the 110 is the only trap that can be out of the water but the bottom of the trap must still touch the water, Dec 1 to Jan 31 yu can set soft catch traps with 6 inches of Cain and a spring for yotes on private land with 10 acres or more with written permission,snaring will put you in jail,,,beaver traps may not be set within 10 feet of hut,or a bank hole,fox trapping is very hard no dirt hole, all fox must be caught in water,and if you catch one in your yote sets in DEC, you must let it go..so its not hard to tell its hard to make money in this st with fur,,but i trap for the fun of it and the excitement,,Dave

[imb guide]

here in indiana i think we have the most reasonable trapping laws around. they allow us to set on, in or around dams,huts and muskrat holes. bodygrippers can be set on ground except 330's must be at least half covered with water. all snares are fine as long as they have deer stops. it seems the DNR and the like really have an interest in our trapping rights. i don't know about other states but we can also park and trap any and all water crossings, like railroad bridges,and vehicle bridges.

[TRAPnHUNT]

Here is the link to the Illinois DNR hunting & trapping laws for 2008/2009...  http://dnr.state.il.us/publications/pdf/00000582.pdf

[wild country]

Here in the state of Maine........The northern part, we got hit last year with a trap size limite do to the lynx population being so high.  An inside jaw spread of 5 3/8 is all we can use for land trapping.  So the guys like myself and many others I know who like to trap in the snow are very limited.  I have a many 3-4 coils that are now on the water line.  To gear up with 1 3/4 would take some time.  We are also not alowed to put any conis on the ground, 110 as well so, so much for the martin boxes.  You can set them on a 45 degree tree not bigger then 4".  The limite on fisher was cut, only 10 per trapper, this is a good thing, a bit late in the game but good.  We can snare bear, and beaver.  But the beaver snares have to be under water.  The #14 is still in use, but againe only for beaver. I have seen more lynx this year then deer!  Only 30 miles north east you can trap the lynx (canada) but not the bob cat.  Go figure.........The politics is big in this area as it is in many, so to trap we have to follow the rules.  We might not be able to land trap this year and the vote is up.  we will hear what the judge has to say and it all rides on that.  I'll know on the 15th of OCt...........