With the cat prices out west, I’m sure the out of staters will be flocking out west to get some of that big cat money. It’s the modern day gold rush. With that being said, what are some good tips for anyone wanting to try out of state trapping. I’ve never done it personally but I’d like to know where you even start. Obviously you need a place to trap, that’s the most important thing. Do you just go out where you’d like to trap and start knocking on doors? Is there a lot of public state land in the west?

There is a lot of public land. Nevada is like 85% public land. Utah like 60%. Most of the states out west are at least 30%

Teddy, check the state's DNR trapping laws that'll help out with some basics. Housing, permission, etc... are the stumbling blocks. IF you can find landowners that will pay you to trap predators or problem critters while you are targeting 'cats...so much the better.

Gear restrictions, land, housing, and fur handling. Its all fun and games skinning off a tree or the back of a truck until its blowing 30 mph and snowing or raining. A plan for hides and carcasses.
I have been fortunate to start with some paying beaver jobs that ultimately spread by word of mouth to other landowners. I use one property as kinda a home base where I can unload gear and I had a small freezer delivered there from Lowes that I use while I am there and they use for the rest of the year. I try to be usefull as most landowners think they have issues with either beaver, coons, feral dogs, or coyotes - whatever they are concerned with will be my main focus on that property with the understanding that I will also be going after the other furbearers on that property. The first year started with 1 private job and a little public with most of the costs for license, gas, food, housing coming out of my wallet. Every year after has been more private than I can cover and all expenses covered with most owners throwing extra in my truck when I stop to show them the daily catches.
If I was heading to a new area, I would start looking/contacting landowners either from ONx or often the local DNR will have some leads on landowners with critter problems.
Good luck

Good info right there!

NM is not it illegal to trap public land.

Oh and NM is over 90% public land.

Check state regs for non-resident trapping.

Non-residents cannot trap cats in WY unless the state you live in reciprocates.

Depending on what you consider the west there are rules
Wyoming is reciprocal
Colorado is cages only
Utah equipment limitations and limited tags
Nevada No Non-residents
New Mexico, no public land trapping
Arizona cages only on public
Oregon limited take on good cats
Washington cages only

South-North Dakota and Montana would be your best options. Parts of Texas have great cats, if you choose to make it happen be prepared things change fast out here!

NM is 45% public land. Approximately 44% is private and the remainder is tribal land. Some of the reservations also allow trapping. A good coyote trapper can usually find some private ranches to work on.

A large portion of private you’re talking about is 5 -20 acres and large metropolitan areas. When you get into where the country looks like trapping country. It’s 90% public.

How does one go about the gaining permission in the big wide open west? I’ll be going out to Montana this fall to visit, ive never been out there. Around here the farms are within miles of each other so its easy to go around knocking on doors

Obviously, some folks don't want out of staters trying to trap in NM. I've trapped private ranches in NM ranging from 30,000 to 70,000 acres in size and some private ranches are over 500 square miles. As a former USDA trapper and federal biologist in NM I am fully aware of the actual land status in rural areas of NM. Some folks obviously don't get out of the urban areas. Biggest private ranches in NM are in the eastern half of the state especially in the NE but some of those 500 square mile ranches can be found in central and southwest NM. Our out of state license does go to $500 starting the first of April. NM totals 77 million acres of land total with 13 million BLM, 9 million USFS, and 9 million NM state trust land of that. DOD, NPS, USFWS, and NMDOW add a few million more acres. I guess we know why rural landowners like ourselves and our neighbors continue to have so many trespass problems with some folks claiming it's 90% public out here.

No non-resident cat trapping in ND.

SD has a super late, short season, and now has a quota on some of the best public land areas.

Parts of Montana are on individual quotas.

You maty find access hard on private lands, many already have trappers on their ranches and if not prefer residents.
Lots of public land to trap that is great, don't worry about private.

In Wyoming state trust lands are iffy, you need permission from the state land board supposedly. They contact the leasee I believe before they give access.
BLM and NF lands are open for trapping.

I just want to come to Wyoming and trap badgers.

Were ever you decide to go get online and buy some plat maps for those areas. It will give you what's private and what's public and will give you the landowners name and address. Don't start without one. A Delorme Gazetteer would also be of some help.

If you want to trap badgers go to ND they have some good-looking badgers and they have a good population. And while your trapping badgers you can trap rats and coyotes and skunks. It's a no brainer.

Keep in mind in Montana each of the 7 regions has a different quota for bobcats. Regional quota and trapping can close at any time. Also, be prepared for big snow drifts (if trapping east of the Divide) that may make access tough or impossible once you get a line out. As for gaining permission, I'm sure you could get some by knocking on doors and let ranchers know you would be willing to run a heavy coyote line on their property, if you could get permission to also trap cats. Like others said, however, many of the ranchers already have trappers on their properties and they may be somewhat leery of out of state plates rolling up asking to trap. Not saying this is the case with all of them. There's also plentiful national forest and BLM in western Montana with good cat populations. There again, you run the risk of stepping on the toes of local trappers who may have been trapping those areas for years.