Badger

Species Description

Badgers are heavy-bodied, medium-sized mammals with a broad head, short neck, short legs and a short bushy tail. The ears are low and rounded. The claws, generally gray with a slight yellowish tinge, on the front feet are very long. The brown face is marked with a white stripe, white patches and vertical black bars. Males and females look alike, although males are heavier.

Topic Category
Hunting / Fishing Guide
Seasons
Regulations
Biological Information
Title
Seasons
Badger

Badger crawls through grass

Season Not Open
  • November 15, 2023 - January 31, 2024

Daily limit: Any number
Possession limit: Any number

Special Provision for Firearms Deer Season: During the November portion and Antlerless portion in open counties, furbearer hunters must also possess an unfilled firearms deer hunting permit if hunting during daylight hours.

Small Game Hunting and Fishing Permit, Small Game Hunting Permit, Resident Trapping Permit, Nonresident Furbearer Hunting and Trapping Permit, Nonresident Daily Small Game Permit, Military Reduced Cost Permit, Lifetime Conservation Partner (Hunting and Fishing) Permit (residents only), Lifetime Small Game Hunting Permit (residents only)

Furbearers: Hunting: Allowed Methods

Methods

Pistols, revolvers, and rifles propelling a single projectile at one discharge

Firearms powered by spring, air, or compressed gas

Shotguns not larger than 10 gauge with magazine cut off or plugged to reduce the capacity to not more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.

Bows, including longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows.

Crossbows

Atlatls

Slingshots

Dogs may be used (Dogs may not be used during daylight hours of elk season, from Nov. 1 through the end of November portion statewide, the antlerless portion, and CWD portion in open areas.)

Electronic calls or electronically activated calls may be used.

Additional Info

During spring turkey season, coyotes may be taken only during legal shooting hours for turkey hunting, using only methods allowed for spring turkey hunting, and hunters must have an unfilled spring turkey hunting permit and either a Resident Small Game Hunting Permit or a Nonresident Furbearer Hunting and Trapping Permit.

During the November portion statewide and the antlerless and CWD portions in open counties, furbearers may be hunted within the established furbearer hunting season during daylight hours using any legal deer hunting method. Hunters must have an unfilled firearms deer hunting permit and either a Resident Small Game Hunting Permit or a Nonresident Furbearer Hunting and Trapping Permit.

Additional Allowed Methods For Coyotes (Feb. 1 - March 31)

During this time the below equipment is allowed in conjunction with other legal hunting methods to pursue and take coyotes.

  • Artificial light
  • Night vision equipment
  • Infrared or thermal imagery equipment

Furbearers: Hunting: Prohibited Methods

Methods

Arrows containing any drug, poison, chemical, or explosive

Poisons, tranquilizing drugs, chemicals, or explosives

Motor driven conveyances may not be used to take, drive, or molest wildlife

Artificial lights to search for, harass, or disturb wildlife (see special allowed methods for coyote)

You may not take wildlife from or across a public roadway with a firearm, bow, or crossbow

Additional Info

Night Vision or Thermal Imagery

You may not possess night vision or thermal imagery equipment while carrying a firearm, bow, or other implement used to take wildlife, except

  • Landowners may use on their property to kill feral swine.
  • Hunting coyotes from Feb 1. through March 31

Additional Prohibited Methods (Date Specific)

Furbearers cannot be chased, pursued, or taken with the aid of dogs

  • during the daylight hours of Elk Season in open counties
  • during the daylight hours Nov 1 through the end of the main November portion of Deer Season
  • during the daylight hours of the Antlerless portion of Deer Season in open counties
  • during the daylight hours of the CWD portion of Deer Season in open counties

 

 

 

Furbearers: Trapping: Allowed Methods

Methods

Traps must have smooth or rubber jaws only

Foot-hold trap

Conibear or other killing-type trap

Foot-enclosing trap

Cage-type trap

Colony traps with openings no greater than 6 inches in height and 6 inches wide

Cable restraint devices

Snares set underwater, have a loop 15 inches or less in diameter when set, have a stop device that prevents snare from closing to less than 2 1/2 inches in diameter, made with cable that is between 5/64 inch and 1/8 inch in diameter, and have a mechanical lock and anchor swivel.

From March 1 through April 14 only foot-hold traps, foot-enclosing traps, and cage-type traps may be used to trap coyote, opossum, raccoon, and striped skunk.

From August 1 through October 15 only foot-enclosing traps and cage-type traps may be used to trap opossum, raccoon,

Additional Info

Within communities having 10,000 or more inhabitants, only cage-type or foot-enclosing traps, may be set within 150 feet of any residence or occupied building.

Furbearers: Trapping: Prohibited Methods

Methods

Dogs may not be used for aquatic furbearers (beaver, muskrat, mink, otter) 

Snares on land

Pitfalls

Deadfalls

Nets

Traps may not be set in paths made or used by people or domestic animals.

Killing-type traps may not be set along public roadways.

Traps may not be placed or set before midnight of the first day of the applicable trapping season and must be removed by midnight of the last day of the applicable trapping season.

Additional Info