Protect Science-Based Trapping in Florida

Protect Science-Based Trapping in Florida — Speak Up Today

Florida’s trapping program is universally recognized for balancing animal welfare, public safety, and property protection. Now the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proposing a 2025 rule package that would ban proven tools, pile on new permits and courses, and ignore the very science that has kept our furbearer management successful for decades.

If these concepts move forward unchecked, landowners, wildlife professionals, and everyday citizens will lose critical options for safeguarding livestock, sea-turtle nests, and backyard flocks—while predators and nuisance species grow unchecked.

What’s at Stake

  • Sweeping red tape — mandatory permits, logs, and up to six online courses for anyone setting more than one cage trap.

  • Tool bans & size limits — snares gone, dog-proof raccoon traps restricted, and foothold traps capped so small they no longer work for beaver or coyotes.

  • Rules that defy best practices — proposals contradict AFWA’s peer-reviewed Best Management Practices and Florida’s own track record of success.

  • Higher costs & less conservation — replacing legal gear and modifying fences will hit wallets hard while reducing effective wildlife control.

Your Voice Matters

FWC is listening right now—and numbers count. Use our one-click form to send a respectful, customized message urging Commissioners to keep Florida’s trapping rules practical, enforceable, and grounded in science.

Talking Points to Include

  1. Follow AFWA Best Management Practices instead of emotional restrictions.

  2. Keep the two-cage exemption and simplify training to a single comprehensive course.

  3. Allow proven tools—retain snares, dog-proof traps, and footholds up to 6.5″ (8.5″ for beaver).

  4. Protect private-property rights so homeowners and ranchers can responsibly manage nuisance wildlife.

Spread the Word

Share this alert with fellow sportsmen, farmers, and conservation-minded Floridians. 

The public comment window is short—make sure your voice is heard before restrictive rules become law.

Your email below will go to all 7 FWC commissioners. 

 

 

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