Title 20
Fish and Wildlife

Chapter 16
Furbearing Animals

§ 20-16-1. Furbearers protected. [Effective until January 15, 2025.]

(a) No person shall hunt, pursue, shoot, or trap, or attempt so to do, the following furbearing mammals in this state, except in accordance with rules and regulations governing seasons, bag limits, and methods of taking adopted by the director pursuant to § 20-1-12.

(b) For the purposes of this chapter, “furbearers” shall be considered to include:

(1) Carnivores (Order Carnivora):

(i) Family Canidae, genus Canis (coyote); genus Urocyon (gray fox); genus Vulpes (red fox).

(ii) Family Procyonidae, genus Procyon (raccoon).

(iii) Family Mustelidae, genus Martes (fisher); genus Mustela, M. erminea (ermine), M. frenata (longtailed weasel), M. vison (mink); genus Mephitis (striped skunk); genus Lutra (river otter).

(iv) Family Felidae, genus Lynx (bobcat).

(2) Rodents (Order Rodentia):

(i) Family Castoridae, genus Castor (beaver).

(ii) Family Sciuridae, genus Sciurus (gray squirrel).

(iii) Family Cricetidae, genus Ondatra (muskrat).

(3) Marsupials (Order Marsupialia): Family Didelphidae, genus Didelphis (opossum).

(4) Rabbits and hares (Order Lagomorpha): Family Leporidae, genus Sylvilagus (Eastern and New England cottontail); genus Lepus (snowshoe hare).

(c) The department of environmental management shall promulgate, by rule, a list of “furbearers” for the purpose of this chapter.

§ 20-16-1. Furbearers protected. [Effective January 15, 2025.]

(a) No person shall hunt, pursue, shoot, or trap, or attempt so to do, the following furbearing mammals in this state, except in accordance with rules and regulations governing seasons, bag limits, and methods of taking adopted by the director pursuant to § 20-1-12.

(b) [Deleted by P.L. 2024, ch. 187, § 2 and P.L. 2024, ch. 188, § 2.]

(c) The department of environmental management shall promulgate, by rule, a list of “furbearers” for the purpose of this chapter.