Overview: Fur-bearing Animal Regulations
A person who possesses a hunting license may take a fur-bearing animal (furbearer), provided the furbearer (or any part thereof) is not to be sold or exchanged for anything of value. There is no bag or possession limit on furbearers. A trapper’s license is required for the take of furbearers for the sale of pelts and/or carcasses.
Fur-bearing animals include:
- Badger
- Beaver
- Fox
- Mink
- Muskrat
- Nutria
- Opossum
- Raccoon
- Otter
- Skunk
- Ring-tailed cat
Take, Possess or Sale of Furbearers
- Hunter education requirements apply.
- A department-issued CITES tag is required to be attached to all otters taken and possessed in this state. No otters may be taken or collected from a public roadway.
- Furbearers may be hunted at night on private property with the aid of an artificial light.
- No license is required if nuisance furbearers are taken while causing loss or damage to agricultural crops, livestock, poultry, or personal property. However, such animals or their pelts may NOT be possessed or sold.
- There is no closed season for recreational harvest.
- For more information on COMMERCIAL seasons, legal means, and other rules for furbearers and their pelts, consult the Fur-bearing Animal Digest, available at TPWD Law Enforcement offices or calling (800) 792-1112.
Otter Tags
All otters taken in Texas, except nuisance otters, shall be permanently tagged with a department issued federal Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) tag valid for the year in which the otter was taken within 90 days of take. All otter pelts imported into Texas must be accompanied by evidence of lawful take or possession.
CITES tags for otters may be obtained from:
| TPWD Office | Address | Zip | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont | 5550-K Eastex Fwy. | 77708 | (409) 892-8666 |
| Mt. Pleasant | 212 South Johnson | 75456 | (903) 572-7966 |
| Tyler | 3330 South Southwest Loop 323 | 75701 | (903) 534-0388 |
| Lufkin | P.O. Box 266 | 75902 | (936) 632-1311 |
| Rusk | 801 West 6th Street | 75785 | (903) 683-2511 |
Contact Information
For other information concerning hunting and fishing regulations, parks, wildlife or other subjects related to TPWD, call our toll-free number: (800) 792-1112 during regular business hours. At any time of the day, a person may call toll-free (800) 792-GAME (4263) to report a violation of the state's game and fish laws. A reward may be offered to eligible callers who provide information which leads to a conviction.