Make the most of Nebraska’s fur harvesting opportunities

Nebraska has untapped potential for harvesting furbearers and coyotes throughout the state. It has long seasons and abundant opportunities to make great memories outdoors.

Furbearing animals are common in Nebraska, and most are found statewide. Regulated harvest of these mammals provides an excellent outdoor opportunity and is an important management tool to reduce problems they can cause people and property.

There are other reasons to trap or hunt furbearers this fall.

Here are just a few:

Expand your wildlife knowledge and accept the challenge — When trapping furbearers, take up the challenge of learning a critter so well you can get it to step on the exact spot you set your trap.

More time outdoors — Extend your time in the woods beyond deer season. Once you’ve harvested your deer or bagged your turkey, pursuing furbearers provides additional opportunities to be outdoors setting and checking traps.

Opportunity and access — There are many private landowners wanting to reduce the furbearer population on their property. By helping these landowners, a fur harvester also could gain access to hunt other game on their property.

Hunting and trapping seasons typically are designed to allow furbearer harvest during the fall and winter, when the pelts are prime. This gives hunters an opportunity to earn extra income, play a role in wildlife management and enjoy time outdoors.

Nebraska has three furbearers that may only be trapped – muskrats, beavers and river otters. Raccoons and opossums have an early hunting-only season. Those two species, along with bobcats, badgers, mink, long-tailed weasels, red fox, gray fox and striped skunks, also have seasons where they may be hunted or trapped.

Hunting and trapping are permitted statewide, except where closed by federal, state or local laws or regulations. Hunters and trappers must get permission before hunting or trapping on private land that is not part of a public access program.

River otters have a season bag limit of one for each harvester with no overall limit. For other furbearers, there is no bag limit for Nebraska residents.

For residents ages 16 and older, a fur harvest permit and habitat stamp are required to hunt or trap furbearers in Nebraska; no permit is needed for residents to harvest coyotes.

Residents may buy fur harvest permits at OutdoorNebraska.gov, but nonresident permits only may be purchased at Nebraska Game and Parks’ Lincoln office. Call 402-471-5457.

Find more information on furbearer hunting and trapping in the Nebraska Small Game and Waterfowl Guide. It is available wherever permits are sold or online at OutdoorNebraska.gov. Search for “Guides.”

The 2026-2027 Nebraska furbearer seasons are:

Trapping

Muskrat and beaver – Nov. 1, 2026-March 31, 2027

River otter – Nov. 1, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027

Hunting

Raccoon, Virginia opossum – Sept. 1-Oct. 31, 2026

Hunting and trapping

Badger, mink, long-tailed weasel, raccoon, Virginia opossum, red fox, gray fox – Nov. 1, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027

Bobcat – Dec. 1, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027

Striped skunk – year-round

Coyote – year-round