Page 52 - 2022/2023 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations

F U R B E AR E R R E G U LA TI O N S
FURBEARER REGULATIONS

FURBEARER/
F U R B E A RER / C O YO T E of signs shall be required at all entrances
COYOTE
from public roads and highways. The
C O YO T E Statewide: open year-round requirement to post signs shall not apply if
COYOTE
the person is trapping on private property,
No daily, season or possession limit.
See General Regulations on page 34 for ad- unless requested by landowner or leasee.
ditional regulations. Signs must have minimum dimensions of
five inches by eight inches and the wording
License Requirements Open statewide year-round, except it shall be “Traps” must be included and be conspicu-
Resident (unless exempt): unlawful to hunt, take or attempt to take coy- ous on the signs and printed in letters at
otes from dark to daylight with the aid of any
• Resident Hunting License artificial light and/or any sight dog. least two inches tall. Persons trapping on
• Resident Fur License (required to take rac- their own property are not subject to this
coon, bobcat, gray/red fox and river otter) Legal Means of Taking requirement.
In addition to a resident hunting license • Permission to trap: No person may trap
and resident fur license (if required), a resi- Firearms or Archery on the inhabited land of another without
dent trapping license is required for all per- first obtaining from the owner or occupant
sons who trap any furbearer, unless exempt. • Daylight only: Any legal firearm or archery thereof a permission to do so.
equipment.
• Nighttime only: Hunters may possess a .22 Public Lands
Nonresident (unless exempt):
caliber rimfire rifle or .22 caliber rimfire pis- Seasons on public lands may vary from state-
• Nonresident Hunting License tol and a light carried on the person while wide seasons. Consult public hunting lands
• Nonresident Fur License (required to take in pursuit of furbearers with hounds dur- special regulations on page 55.
raccoon, bobcat, gray/red fox and river otter) ing the legal, open furbearer season, while
In addition to a nonresident hunting license possessing a valid hunting license, unless
and nonresident fur license (if required), a non- exempt. Hunting, use of any artificial light, Hunter Orange
resident trapping license is required for all thermal or night vision equipment from a For hunter orange requirements, see page 35.
persons who trap any furbearer, unless exempt. public roadway is prohibited.
• Laser sights: Nothing in this section shall Bobcat & River Otter
Season Dates/Bag Limits prevent a person from possessing a .22 caliber
rimfire rifle or pistol with a laser sighting de- Tagging Requirements
BEAVER, NUTRIA, RAC-
B E A V E R , N U T R I A , R A C - vice while hunting or taking furbearers with No bobcat or river otter pelt may be held in
hounds during legal, open furbearer season, possession after 10 working days after the close
COON & STRIPED SKUNK
C O O N & S T R I P E D S K U N K while possessing a valid hunting license. of furbearer season by the taker or buyer, sold,
purchased or bartered within Oklahoma, nor
Traps taken out of Oklahoma, without having first af-
Statewide: open year-round
No daily, season or possession limit. • Legal traps: Box traps and colony traps; fixed a permanent tag to the pelt. This tag shall
smooth-jawed single-spring OR smooth- serve as an export tag. The tag must be affixed
jawed double-spring offset no less than 1/8 by an authorized employee of the Department
B
Y
BOBCAT, BADGER, GRAY inch OR smooth-jawed coil-spring offset no or designated private tagging agent. It is the
A
,
BC
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GR
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B
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G
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,
F O X , R E D F O X , M I N K , less than 1/8-inch foot-hold steel traps with responsibility of the possessor of the bobcat or
FOX, RED FOX, MINK,
an outer diameter jaw spread of no more river otter pelt, not the Department, to ensure
MUSKRAT, OPOSSUM,
M U S K R A T, O P O S S U M , than eight (8) inches for land sets and no that the pelt is legally tagged. No untagged
RIVER OTTER & WEASEL
R I V E R O T T E R & W E A S E L more than eight and 1/2 (8.5) inches for water bobcat or river otter harvested in another state
sets; enclosed trigger traps (dog-proof traps); may be possessed in Oklahoma. Tags are avail-
body-gripping traps for fully submerged sets able from any game warden, wildlife biologist,
Statewide: Dec. 1, 2022 - Feb. 28, 2023 with no more than twelve (12) inches in di- state fish hatchery, Department field office and
ameter on private land only. Any trap not specifically designated private tagging station.
• Bobcat: No daily limit, season limit 20, pos- listed here is illegal. Designated private tagging stations may
session limit 20 per license. • Setting traps: No trap may be set in paths, charge a fee of 75 cents per tag. Bobcat or river ot-
• Gray Fox / Red Fox: Daily combined limit roads, or runways commonly used for recre- ter export tags will not be affixed after March 14.
two, with no more than one red fox. Season ational purposes by persons, dogs, or other
combined limit six, with no more than two domestic animals. Sale of Carcasses
red foxes. • Visiting traps: Traps must be tended once Skinned carcasses or parts of legally ac-
• River Otter: No daily limit, season limit six. each 24-hour period. quired furbearing animals and coyotes (ex-
• Badger, Mink, Muskrat, Opossum, Weasel: • Legal number of traps: Residents trapping cluding the hide/pelt/fur) may be purchased,
No limit. under the general annual resident trapping bartered, traded, sold or offered for sale.
license may use no more than 20 traps. Resi-
S W I F T F O X , S P O T T E D dents possessing a lifetime hunting license or
SWIFT FOX, SPOTTED
a professional trapping license, and nonresi- Buying/Selling of Furs
N
SKUNK & RINGTAIL dent trapping license holders have no limit Persons buying fur in Oklahoma must pos-
S
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K & R
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on the number of traps. sess a current Fur Dealers License. Rules and
• Identification of traps: All traps shall bear the regulations for purchasing fur in Oklahoma
Closed statewide year-round.
The Wildlife Department is name, or customer identification number, of can be given upon request from the Furbearer
partnering with the University the owner of the traps, except for any traps set Biologist. Persons taking pelts during the sea-
of Central Oklahoma to track on property owned or leased by the owner of son shall have 10 working days after the close
spotted skunks in our state. the traps. All traps on Department managed of the season to sell or dispose of the pelts or
If you see a spotted skunk, lands, regardless of species being sought, must notify the Department in writing of intent to
please report the sighting to have the owner’s name, or customer identifica- hold pelts after the 10-day deadline. All pelts
Jerrod Davis, ODWC Furbear- tion number, attached. held after the 10-day deadline must be inven-
er Biologist at jerrod.davis@ • Posting of traps: When smooth-jawed toried on a form provided by an authorized
odwc.ok.gov. double-spring offset no less than 1/8 inch Department employee. All bobcats and river
or smooth-jawed coil-spring offset no less otters must have a permanent tag affixed for the
than 1/8-inch traps are used, the posting current year, prior to being held for later sale.
50 2022-2023 OKLAHOMA FISHING & HUNTING REGULATIONS