This Information expires July 1, 2009
The Commercial Fur Harvest Brochure 2008-2009 is in the Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. Adobe® Reader® is required to open the files and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.
Fur Harvest Statues
This brochure contains a summary of the state statutes regarding the commercial harvest of furbearers. Applicable statutes are listed in parentheses at the end of each section of this brochure. Copies of actual statutes of the S.C. Code of Laws are available online at www.scstatehouse.net or by writing: Furbearer Program, S.C. Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202.
Furbearers which may be commercially harvested
The following species are legally classified as furbearers and may be taken by hunting or trapping during the open season: bobcat, red fox, gray fox, opossum, raccoon, otter, mink, weasel, striped skunk, spotted skunk, muskrat and beaver. The pelts of these animals along with coyotes may be sold in S.C. (50-11-110, 50-11-2400)
License
Anyone who takes a furbearing animal, by any means, for sale, trade, exchange or barter, anyone who traps, and/or anyone who possesses more than 5 furbearing animals or raw or green pelts must have the following licenses:
- a valid state hunting license (regardless of age) and
- a Commercial Fur Harvesters License ($25 for resident, $200 for nonresidents.)
These licenses shall be carried while involved in fur taking activities. A youth (under 16) is not required to be licensed in order to assist a licensed fur harvester so long as the youth is in the presence of the licensed fur harvester and the youth does not sell, trade, exchange, or barter any furbearing animals taken under the authority of the licensed fur harvester.
Anyone who purchases any whole furbearing animal, raw or green furs, pelts or hides is required to have a Fur Buyer’s License ($100.00 for residents, $200 for nonresidents).
Exemptions from Fur Buyer’s License:
- a person who acquires not more than five furs, pelts, hides, or whole animals for his own personal use during one season and not for barter, exchange, or sale;
- a person licensed as a fur processor ($500);
- a taxidermist who possesses a fur, pelt, hide, or whole furbearing animal legally owned by another person which he is holding temporarily solely for the purposes of processing;
- a person acquiring furbearing animal carcasses without hides;
- an owner or enclosure operator of a permitted fox and coyote hunting enclosure who purchases live foxes or coyotes for release into the enclosure. (50-11-2420, 50-11-2470, 50-11-2480) To purchase your Commercial Fur Harvest License contact the DNR licensing office at 803-734-3833.
Seasons
It is lawful to commercially trap furbearing animals from January 1 to March 1 of each year with a valid Commercial Fur Harvesters License. Furbearer hunting seasons vary by game zone and are printed in the annual SCDNR Rules and Regulations brochure. Coyotes & beaver may be hunted during daylight hours year round on private lands.
Raccoons, opossums, foxes, coyotes, mink and skunk may be hunted at night; however, they may not be hunted with artificial lights except when treed or cornered with dogs and no buckshot or any shot larger than #4, or any rifle ammunition larger than a twenty-two rim fire may be used. (50-11-120, 50-11-710, 50-11-2540
Depredation Permits
Depredation permits may be issued by the SCDNR for the taking of nuisance furbearing animals at any time of year. Animals captured under a depredation permit may not be relocated, sold, traded, exchanged, or bartered.
A depredation permit is not required by the property owner or his or her designee when capturing furbearing animals or squirrels within one-hundred yards of the owner’s home when the animals are causing damage to the owner’s property. Animals captured under this exception may not be relocated and must be released or destroyed. (50-11-2570)
Legal Traps
The following traps are legal statewide:
- Foothold traps with an inside jaw spread of 5 3/4" or smaller on land and 6 1/2" or smaller for water sets. Inside jaw spread is measured at the widest point perpendicular to the pivot points (jaw hinges) when the trap is in the set position (see illustration to the right).
- Enclosed foothold traps such as "Egg", "Duffer", "Coon-cuff", and similarly designed dog-proof style traps designed for raccoons.
- Body gripping traps of the Conibear type in water or slide sets only. No bait or scents are allowed to be used with body-gripping traps.
- Snares may be used in water sets only.
- Live traps.
All other traps are unlawful.
All traps must have an identification tag bearing the owner’s name and address. (50-11-2460)
Trapper’s Responsibility
A person may trap on lands that he owns, or on lands owned by others provided the trapper has written permission from the landowner. The written permission must be carried on the trapper’s person while engaged in trapping activities.
There is no trapping on Wildlife Management Area lands or Heritage Preserves.
All traps must be checked at least once daily. It is illegal to visit traps at night. No one, except the owner of the trap, may remove any legally trapped animal from the trap.
No trap may be set in the open, or in paths commonly used by persons or domestic animals.
Any person shipping or transporting raw furs, pelts, hides or whole animals out of this state must obtain a permit from the SCDNR. A conservation officer should be notified at least 48 hours prior to the need of a shipping permit in order to inspect the package and issue the permit. A list of Law Enforcement offices can be found on the back of this brochure. (50-11-2430, 50-11-2440, 50-11- 2445, 50-11-2500, 50-11-2550)
Special Tagging Requirement for Bobcat and Otter
Any person required to have a commercial fur license who takes any bobcat or otter must tag the fur, pelt, hide, or whole animal before it is sold, shipped, transferred to any person or business, or transported out of the state, if required by the Federal Government in order to comply with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
A commercial fur licensee must apply to the Department before CITES tags can be issued. There is no fee for each individual tag, but the Department must charge a processing fee of $3.00 for each order. No more than 10 tags may be ordered at any one time. Bobcat and Otter tags may only be ordered from November 1st - April 30th.
The tags must be securely attached and may not be removed until the time of processing. These CITES tags are nontransferable and may not be altered in any manner. The Department may limit the number of tags issued for each species and the area in which they may be used. Furbearing animals to be sold as live animals are not required to be tagged. (50-11-2510)
Fur Harvest Reporting Requirement
Live foxes or coyotes may only be sold or transferred to an owner or listed operator of a permitted enclosure by the trapper who took the animal.
A trapper shall maintain accurate records on a daily basis of all live fox and coyote sales, purchases or transfers on forms provided by the Department.
These forms must be retained and made available for reasonable inquiry by Department employees.
Any person taking furbearing animals for commercial purposes shall file all daily transactions and an annual report of their harvest with the SCDNR by April 15th of each year, using forms provided by the Department. In addition, any trapper who sells or transfers live foxes or coyotes shall submit all daily records of these transactions by April 15th of each year.
Failure to report by April 15th, upon 2nd offense, shall render the violator ineligible for a fur license the following year in addition to fines for each offense. (50-11-2450, 50-11-2620, 50-11-2630, 50-11-2650)
Fur Buyers Reporting Requirement
Fur buyers shall keep a daily register of furs purchased on forms provided by the Department. No later than the 10th day of each month the fur buyer shall furnish SCDNR all daily register sheets from the previous month.
Failure to report will result in the loss of buying privileges for 1 year in addition to the prescribed penalties. (50-11-2490, 50-11-2560).
Importation of Wildlife
It is unlawful to bring, import or cause to have imported a live coyote or fox into the state. It is also unlawful to release a coyote or fox into the state except as authorized.
It is unlawful to import any other furbearers into this state without a permit first being issued by the Department. (50-11-1765, 50-11-2605, 50-11-2640, 50-16-20)
Law Enforcement Offices
Charleston (843) 953-9307
Clemson (864) 654-8266
Columbia (803) 734-4002
Florence (843) 661-4766
Reward up to $500.00 cash for information leading to the arrest of violators of game and fish laws of South Carolina.
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