Needing to know what your state is for Trapper education. Voluntary or mandatory? Opinions welcome also. Thanks guys and gals!

Missouri is voluntary. The Mo. trappers association holds clinics all over the state as well as our wildlife commission.

WI Is mandatory for first time trappers.

Georgia has no TE in place/use.

To get a trapping license in Ohio you either need to have a trapper ed class or show/sign affidavit you've previously held a license or have taken a trapper ed class in another state.

I personally would like to see a mandatory trapper education.
Unfortunately you can't teach common sense. But educating those without may avoid unforseen problems.
On the same note , I'd like to see it made mandatory to take a dog owners education course. Especially for those desiring to take there dogs on public land. Like I said you can teach common sense.
Unfortunately our society seems to progressively be losing it.

Good info and input. Keep it coming.

ND is voluntary. As said above, you can not teach common sense, but lets make it mandatory? I do not really agree with mandatory hunters ed. More laws/rules won't fix anything. Who will teach mandatory classes? Will there be enough volunteers to have enough classes across the state?

PA you have to complete the education course or show that you’ve had prior licenses. There was very little information about trapping on the online course. I learned more at a little Trapping school the PTA offers for free in September. But even that school still doesn’t allow you to get your license. You still have to take the course.

When I first started trapping back in the 60s,you had to buy a license but no course was needed to get it.Now the trapping course is mandatory to get the license.Those like me who already have a license are grandfathered in and don't need the course.I went to the course any way when I took my two sons that wanted their licenses.

Maine is now mandatory for first time trappers.Anyone under 10 years old has to be accompanied by licenced adult or adult that has held a trapping license.Anyone over 10 can trap alone as long as they have taken the trapping course.If not they have to be accompanied by same adult as under 10 years of age.

NYS DEC instituted mandatory trapper education in 1981/1982.

I was a DEC wildlife technician at the time and was
heavily involved in teaching some of the 1st courses
offered to aspiring 1st time trappers.

It was a good, well thought out program back then.

w

It was the late 90s when I took my boys to the course.It was a very well thought out and worthwile course for first time trappers in my opinion.

MS doesn't have a trapper's ed program.

I would be extremely hesitant to support mandatory trappers ed. I think it can really reduce the number of trappers, and that's the last thing we need. It might work IF you could guarantee a class be offered in every county, but that would be hard to pull off.

When I was a kid, I started trapping at the age of 7. I took the mandatory course at 8 years old. Luckily for me, NY held trappers ed classes in all counties back then, so the trip for me to take it was only 5 minutes. Conversely, when I lived in IL, the nearest trappers ed course (also mandatory) was over 2 hours from where I lived. If that had been the case when I was a kid, there's no way I could have attended. My single mom could barely afford gas to go to work, there was no way she could make a 4 hour round trip for me, if the car would have even made it that far, which was doubtful. So either I would have not trapped, or would have trapped illegally. While many people may think nothing of a 2 hour drive, for some people it's a deal breaker.

I've never been to Wyoming but I assume that all the towns are way spread out with hundreds of miles between them in some places. I don't think mandatory trapper's ed would be a good idea there.

Minnesota is mandatory for people born after 1989 if I am not mistaken.

TN is voluntary but the TFHA and the TWRA conduct trapper training classes in parts of the state each year.

Jeff is correct for MN. The course is online through the MN Trapper’s Association and then a field day is required put on by the Association at no charge. We may not have a class in every. County but usually you can find a class that is closer then where you would drive to register your fur.

Michigan is voluntary

Arkansas doesn’t require a class just buy hunting license and get free trappin license

No trapper Ed program in Kentucky.

Maryland is mandatory.

Great. Keep em coming. Lot of states left to hear from. Thanks everyone!

Va. Is voluntary
The VTA puts on classes to keep it that way.

just an online course for ks. our district started putting on a trappers Ed last yr and was a great turnout

New Mexico is mandatory, its all online

Voluntary in Michigan, as it should be. We don't need more hoops to jump though to simply trap. Our numbers are already struggling.

Lot of info from AFWA.....down under reports, there is a survey of states from 2016 (page 12 or 13 I beleive) that has a lot of the info you are looking for. A few years old, but might still be useful to you..?


https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-inspires/furbearer-management

CT - mandatory.

No clue about Alabama, use to not be mandatory but way the DNR guy run's things here who know's? Laws/regs seem to change each time the wind blows.

Ive got feed back from 20 states. Needing some more please and thankyou!

No mandatory class in Iowa. The ITA and IDNR do put on some beginner training sessions.

To expand on what elsmasho wrote: Pennsylvania has a mandatory Hunter Trapper Education (HTE) course that must be completed before legally obtaining a hunting or furbearer license. The course is a two-day affair or can be taken online for the last several years.

As she mentioned, the trapping portion of the course is cursory at best. At least it was in the five or six I've taken. I take the course along with my kids and grandkids every time one of the becomes old enough to get a hunting/trapping license.

An additional course is required in PA for using cable restraints. I took one with my daughter back when CR's first became legal in this state.

We took our courses at John Epler's shop (Epler Fur Company) and it was a very thorough, hands-on, all-day affair. We both enjoyed it despite it being very cold that day.

Illinois is mandatory, offers an online course. And something I always thought was helpful for what the situations Angela described, was that ITA used to offer a trappers ed. class at their state convention. That way a new trapper could knock out the class, meet with trappers and see actual sets demonstrated. Plus, if I know trappers and trappers associations... walk away with free samples of traps, lures, equipment etc. Our local Fur Takers Chapter 17-I offers a trappers ed. class and has the chapter Fall meet the next day and invites ALL newbies. Driving is a huge limitation as well as fuel costs are for not just kids anymore...throw getting permission in the mix for new trappers and it is VERY TOUGH to get started. Trapping schools like some state associations provide are excellent but require MONEY, people to help and a place to hold the school. It seems no matter how we try to help new trappers we run into obstacles. Just keep trying I guess....

New Jersey is a mandatory in person Trapper Education - separate from Hunter Ed. It was 2 days when I took it, and most still are, but they do sometimes have a 1 day version.

As KYtrapper said, KY doesn't require it but the United Trappers of Kentucky offers some classes that would help a new trapper out but they could be a pretty good drive for some folks and they are only a couple times a year. Based on what KY has done with their hunters education program, I don't really see them ever offering a trappers education program. I think the best avenue for that is through the state associations but I think they need to be more visible to people than what they are in most areas so that people know where to look.

South Dakota does not require it. But we do a trapping course in 10 different county's every year. It was put together by 4-H, Game Fish and Parks and South Dakota State Trappers Association. It is a 3 part class starting with the history of trapping. Then how to use certain kinds of traps. Last is how to put fur up they caught. Classes are limited to 10 kids so they get alot of hands on help. Roughly 100 kids a year go thru the class.

Texas requires a Texas hunter education course for anyone that was born after September 1,1971
Trappers have to have this same education course to trap
Thanks
Bubba Campbell

No mandatory in Nebraska.