Furbearers

NMDGF offers 3 different furbearer education courses: the comprehensive furbearer trapping and hunting New Mexico Trapper Education Course, the New Mexico-specific New Mexico Furbearer Law and Species Identification Course, and the furbearer hunting-specific New Mexico Furbearer Hunting Course. How do you know which course you are required to take?

• If you plan on trapping and have never taken a trapper education course, you are required to take only the New Mexico Trapper Education Course.
• If you plan on trapping and have already completed a trapper education course offered through a different venue, you are required to take only the New Mexico Furbearer Law and Species ID Course.
• If you plan on only hunting furbearers (you will not be setting traps or snares), you are required to complete any one of the 3 furbearer education courses

Please see additional information below. Trapper license purchases may be restricted if education requirements are not met.

NMDGF, with assistance from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), has developed an online trapper education course. This course satisfies all of the education requirements for setting traps or snares for furbearers in New Mexico, and hunting furbearers in New Mexico. Upon successfully completing this course, participants will receive a Course Completion Certificate. This certificate should be saved and/or printed, and provided to the Department in person or by email to verify successful completion of the course.

The New Mexico Trapper Education Course can be found on AFWA’s Conservation Learning website here: https://conservationlearning.org . Students will create an account, and choose the New Mexico Trapper Education Course.

Completion of a trapper education program provided by a state wildlife agency outside of New Mexico will partially satisfy the education requirements needed to set a trap or snare in New Mexico. Completion of a trapper education course through another entity, such as AFWA’s “North American Basic Trapper Course” or the Fur Takers of America’s “Trapper College”, may also partially satisfy the education requirements; contact the NMDGF Trapper Education Program at 505-476-8038 to confirm.

Anyone who has completed a trapper education course in another state will need to:

1. Provide proof of completion of the course either in person or by email. When purchasing their New Mexico Trapper License, they will need to enter their Trapper Education number from their certificate provided by that state.
2. Complete the New Mexico Furbearer Laws and Species Identification course (click here). A required quiz on these course materials can be found using the NMDGF Online Licensing website.

Every person hunting furbearers (not setting traps or snares) must successfully complete any one of the 3 furbearer education courses listed above. The New Mexico Furbearer Hunting Course is an abbreviated version of the New Mexico Furbearer Law and Species Identification Course, covering only the information that applies to hunting furbearers. If you have not yet taken any of the 3 furbearer education courses, completion of the New Mexico Furbearer Hunting Course will satisfy the furbearer education requirement. The New Mexico Furbearer Hunting Course does not cover trapping and does not satisfy the requirements to set traps or snares in New Mexico. If you anticipate that you may set traps or snares in New Mexico, it is advised that you take the New Mexico Trapper Education Course because you are required to take this course prior to setting a trap or a snare.

Click here for the New Mexico Furbearer Hunting Course.

You are required to successfully pass a quiz on these materials, which can be found using the NMDGF Online Licensing website.