Furbearers

Beaver and muskrat may be trapped only. There is no hunting season for these species. Beaver and muskrat damage permits allow these species to be controlled outside of the harvest season. To inquire about obtaining a beaver and muskrat damage permit, please contact the nearest Game and Parks office.

Bobcats may be hunted or trapped. All bobcats harvested in Nebraska must be registered and tagged by the Game and Parks within two calendar days of the close of the season and before the pelt is sold. To prepare a carcass for tagging, create a small hole and insert a stick, pencil or similar object between the lower eyelid and the eye so the stick exits behind the upper lip. This will allow the bobcat to be tagged even when frozen. Otherwise, bring a thawed carcass or dried pelt.

Gray foxes may be hunted or trapped. All gray foxes harvested in Nebraska must be registered and tagged by the Game and Parks within two calendar days of the close of the season and before the pelt is sold. To prepare a carcass for tagging, create a small hole and insert a stick, pencil or similar object between the lower eyelid and the eye so the stick exits behind the upper lip. This will allow the fox to be tagged even when frozen. Otherwise, bring a thawed carcass or dried pelt.

Raccoons and opossums may be hunted but not trapped during the early hunt-only season. This season was initiated to provide additional opportunity to harvest these common species in an effort to reduce agricultural damage. Raccoon and opossum may also be hunted and trapped during the primary hunting and trapping seasons.

Otter may be trapped only. The season bag limit is one. Harvest is allowed statewide during the season.

Harvested otters must be officially tagged by Game and Parks within two business days after the close of the season (same as bobcats), with the permittee furnishing the date and location of harvest before attaching the harvest seal.

Any incidental take of a river otter outside of the harvest season, or beyond daily or season bag limits, shall be unlawful unless the animal is immediately released, if viable, or the harvester reports the take within 24 hours and turns the carcass over to Game and Parks.

About otter trapping

Nebraska’s harvest season for river otters follows the guidance of the Game and Parks’ River Otter Management Plan. Harvest will allow the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to learn more about river otter distribution, while still allowing the population to expand.

Striped skunks may be harvested year-round by hunting or trapping.

Bobcat, opossum, raccoon and red fox may be pursued or chased with hounds, but not harvested during the portion of the year when harvest is not allowed. A fur harvest permit is required to pursue these species during the running season.

Unprotected nongame animals, such as coyotes, may be harvested year-round. Their pelts are prime during the primary hunting and trapping season, and that is when most coyotes are trapped and hunted. Electronic predator calls and thermal scopes are allowed when hunting coyotes.

It is unlawful to possess or sell any badger, beaver, bobcat, gray fox, long-tailed weasel, mink, muskrat, opossum, river otter, raccoon, red fox, or skunk without a valid fur harvest permit or other valid permit that allows possession or sale.

It is unlawful to trap furbearing animals unless the traps are checked and the animals removed at least once every calendar day for land sets, and at least once every two calendar days for underwater submersion sets.

• Furbearers may be trapped only with snares, metal-spring traps with smooth jaws or box traps.
  
  
• Body-gripping traps with a jaw-spread larger than 8 inches may not be used unless they are placed under water or at least 6 feet above the ground.
  
  
• During upland game bird seasons, it is unlawful to use snares on any land owned or controlled by Game and Parks, on Open Fields and Waters Program lands, on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waterfowl production areas, on U.S. Forest Service lands or on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land at Harlan County Reservoir unless the snare is set completely under water.
  
  
• It is unlawful to use any bait in plain sight within 30 feet of foothold traps set on dry land. Bait is defined as fish, animal flesh, fur, hide, entrails or feathers.
  
  
• Body-gripping traps with a jaw-spread larger than 5 inches may be used only when placed
  under water or at least 6 feet above the ground in the following areas:
  • Land owned or controlled by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
  • Open Fields and Waters Program lands
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waterfowl production areas
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land at Harlan County Reservoir
  • County road right-of-ways
  • For restrictions on U.S. Forest Service lands, contact the Bessey Ranger District at 308-533-8115.

Traps include snares, steel-jawed spring traps and box traps. It is unlawful to set any trap for furbearers or coyotes, unless such trap has the following information stamped or inscribed legibly onto the trap or onto a metal tag that is securely affixed to the trap:

• the valid driver’s license number of the owner or user or,

• the owner or user’s Nebraska State Identification Card number applied for at Motor Vehicle Operator License Examiner’s offices. Individuals 15 years of age or younger may use the driver’s license or ID card number of a parent or guardian.

• Fur harvesters may hold carcasses and raw pelts of furbearers without a time limit, as long as they have a valid fur harvest permit.
  
  
• All furs shipped by commercial carrier must have a document placed upon the package giving the name of the consignee, the number of his or her fur harvest permit, the date of expiration of the permit, which must be on or after the date of shipment, and a description of the kind and number of each kind of raw fur in the shipment.

Artificial lights may be used only while hunting on foot to take unprotected species, including coyotes and the following furbearers: badger, bobcat, gray fox, long-tailed weasel, mink, Virginia opossum, raccoon, red fox and striped skunk. They may not be used to take any of these species if used from or attached to a vehicle or boat.

During the running seasons, bobcats, cottontail rabbits, raccoons, red foxes and Virginia opossums may be pursued or chased with hounds, but not killed.

It is legal to trap statewide, with the following exceptions and considerations:

• Permission is required to trap on private land.
• Trapping is legal, with landowner permission, in the county road right-of-way, unless restricted in individual counties or portions of individual counties.
• Allowed on state wildlife management areas, unless otherwise posted.
• Prohibited in marshes, lakes or other areas closed by federal, state or local laws or regulations.
• Prohibited on state and historical parks without special written permission.
• Allowed on designated state recreation areas, except within 100 yards of developed facilities, such as picnic areas, campgrounds, boat ramps and parking areas.
• Prohibited on any dryland portion of Branched Oak or Yankee Hill state wildlife management areas before Dec. 15 unless using enclosed dog-proof traps.
• Prohibited within 100 yards of any inhabited dwelling or feedlot and within 200 yards of any passage used by livestock to pass under a highway, road or bridge without permission.