ARCHIVED PUBLICATION
This document is provided for archival purposes only. Archived documents do not reflect current WDFW regulations or policy and may contain factual inaccuracies.
Effective from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023, both dates inclusive.
A trapping license authorizes the lethal harvest of furbearing animals for their hides, pelts, or other resources during the trapping season. Furbearers may not be taken from the wild and held alive for sale or personal use without a special permit pursuant to WAC 220-450-030. Any wildlife trapped for which the season is not open shall be released unharmed. Any wildlife that cannot be released unharmed must be left in the trap, and a WDFW representative must be notified immediately. Lawfully trapped wild animals must be lethally dispatched or immediately released. A firearm may be used to dispatch trapped animals where firearm use is allowed.
People buying a Washington State Trapping License for the first time must pass an exam in safe, humane, and proper trapper techniques. For information on trapper education materials contact the Hunter Education section of the WDFW office in Olympia at 360-902-8111 or see the Trapper Education website.