Before you go trapping, it's important to know what's out there to trap! The Louisiana Outback has 14 furbearers. They are, in no particular order: beaver, common muskrat, nutria, coyote, red fox, grey fox, northern raccoon, North American mink, spotted skunk, striped skunk, Nearctic river otter, bobcat and Virginia opossum.
At one time, Louisiana was the leading producer of mink and muskrat fur pelts in North America. Fur prices have dropped in recent years, making the time and effort required for trapping less productive and less lucrative. Many coastal resource users have been forced to seek employment in the oil and gas industry and elsewhere and it is questionable whether they will ever return to trapping. During the 2001-2002 trapping season, fewer than 1,000 trapping licenses were sold statewide.
Louisiana's history of trapping furbearers and alligators has played an important role in the state's culture and economy. New Orleans in the 1720s was a major trading center on the Mississippi River and, as such, was hub for the fur trade. As muskrat trapping flourished in coastal Louisiana during the early 1900s, the fur industry started to grow. In fact, by 1912, trapping was so widespread in Louisiana that the legislature imposed trapping season dates and required trappers to be licensed.
In the late 1940s, the most abundant fur produced in Louisiana was muskrat. However, that changed only a decade later when nutria surpassed muskrat both in numbers trapped and in pelt value. (More)
Trapping Handbook
Every year, the Louisiana trapping season begins on November 20 and runs through March 31. These dates have been set permanently for future years by the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries Commission. A current trapping license is required to set traps. The license must be in the trapper's possession while trapping or selling fur or meat.
For more information on trapping guidelines, you can download the full handbook as a PDF here.
The Fourteen Furbearers of Louisiana
At one time, Louisiana was the leading producer of mink and muskrat fur pelts in North America. Fur prices have dropped in recent years, making the time and effort required for trapping less productive and less lucrative. Many coastal resource users have been forced to seek employment in the oil and gas industry and elsewhere and it is questionable whether they will ever return to trapping. During the 2001-2002 trapping season, fewer than 1,000 trapping licenses were sold statewide.
Trapping Handbook