trapping laws
2010-2011 Trapping Seasons
All trapping devices must be clearly marked with the owner's name. All traps must be inspected every 36 hours or less and animals removed. When trapping on another's property, the trapper must carry on his or her person written permission from the landowner, and make a written report to the owner of any domestic animal caught and pay damages for those animals.
*Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags in order to be exported from the U. S. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.
**Exceptions to the statewide fox season are:
Leg-hold traps with an outside measure of jaw spread that is 9 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, are legal for all furbearer species during the legal trapping season.
Instant-Kill Traps | Species | Opens | Closes | Bag Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver | Year Round | No Limit | |
| Coyote | Year Round | No Limit | |
| Groundhog | Year Round | No Limit | |
| Nutria | Year Round | No Limit | |
| Bobcat* | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | 1 per day |
| Fox** | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Mink | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Muskrat | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Opossum | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Otter*** | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Raccoon | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Spotted Skunk | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Striped Skunk | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
| Weasel | Nov. 19 | Feb. 28 | No Limit |
*Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags in order to be exported from the U. S. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.
**Exceptions to the statewide fox season are:
- Benton - unlawful to take or kill red foxes
- Dyer, Lauderdale, Smith, and Wilson - open year round to hunting and trapping red and gray foxes
- Greene and Washington - unlawful to take or kill red and gray foxes
Legal Traps & Specific Regulations
Leg Hold Traps Leg-hold traps with an outside measure of jaw spread that is 9 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, are legal for all furbearer species during the legal trapping season. Square instant-kill traps that have an exterior jaw measurement 16 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, and circular instant kill traps that have an exterior measurement 12 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, are legal for all furbearer species during the legal trapping season. Instant kill traps are considered steel jawed traps and their use is restricted to that allowed for steel jawed traps.
Live Traps
-Those traps that act as a cage after capture. Steel Cable Snares
These have a minimum cable diameter of 5/64 inch and maximum cable diameter of 3/32 inch. Spring activated snares, except Collarum snares, are prohibited.
Cushion-Hold Traps Woodstream Soft-Catch, Butera Cushion Catch traps, Cushion Catch #33, J. C. Conner Coyote "Jake" Trap, Duke Rubber Jaw trap and any legal sized offset jawed traps equipped with "Humane Hold" universal pads by K. G. Enterprises, or Sudden Valley Supply meet the definition of a cushion-hold trap. These traps are the only steel traps legal for trapping in the open and on top of the ground, provided that the trapper has specific written permission from the landowner to use the trap.
Species Specific TrapsEgg traps, Coon Cuffs, Lil' Grizz Getrz, Pos-z-loc, Cooncatcher, and Duffer's Raccoon traps are legal for furbearers during the legal trapping season.
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