Furbearer Hunting And Trapping Seasons Begin In November

Annapolis, Md. (October 28, 2010) — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the opening of the hunting and trapping seasons for several furbearers including coyotes, fishers, gray foxes, opossums, raccoons, red foxes, skunks and weasels. The seasons for these species will open on November 1 west of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River, and November 15 in the remainder of the State.

“Furbearer hunting and trapping are important management tools needed to keep wildlife populations in balance with their environment and human neighbors,” said Harry Spiker, DNR’s Game Mammal Section Leader. “These well-regulated and long-standing pastimes also provide sustainable outdoor recreation and income for thousands of Marylanders each year.”

Trapping season for beaver and river otter opens on December 15 except there is no open season for otter in Garrett and Allegany counties. Muskrat and mink trapping season opens as follows:

• November 15 in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard and Washington counties;
• December 15 in Baltimore, Cecil, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset and Worcester counties; and
• January 1 in the remainder of the State.

New this year, the trapping season closure date for raccoons and opossums now coincides with the closure date for beaver statewide.

Nutria may be hunted or trapped year-round except in some DNR Wildlife Management Areas that have season closures to accommodate persons that have leased the rights to harvest furbearers on those tracts.

Trappers and hunters are reminded that a Furbearer Permit is required for individuals to hunt, trap or chase furbearers. Individuals who wish to trap furbearers must complete the mandatory trapper education course unless they can show they possessed a Furbearer Permit prior to August 1, 2007 or have a Certificate of Trapper Education from Maryland or another state. Information about Maryland’s trapper education program can be found on the DNR website at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/nrp/education/trappered.html.

Complete bag limits, season dates and other hunting, trapping and chasing information can be found online at www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide. The 2010-2011 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping issued with each hunting license contains detailed information on all of Maryland’s hunting, trapping and chasing seasons.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov