Certification is required by new trappers to purchase a trapping license

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks volunteer instructors will host a Trapper Education Field Day on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. at the “new” FWP Havre field office at 21 River Road. This is the only trapper education field day offered in northeast Montana this year, so interested new trappers looking for a field day should make every effort to attend.

To purchase a Montana resident trapping license, residents aged 12 and older must complete a Montana Trapper Education course, unless they have previously purchased a trapping license in at least three prior years in Montana or another state. Non-residents are exempt from the trapper education requirement, as they cannot purchase a license to trap furbearers.

Montana’s Trapper Education program includes online coursework and a mandatory in-person field day taught by dedicated volunteer instructors, where students can learn from these experienced trappers about trapping ethics, avoidance of non-target species, fur management, and safety. This course also includes the mandatory wolf trapper certification for anyone looking to also trap wolves.

Field day participants must complete the online course prior to attending the field day. The online course can be found at https://fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education/trapping, clicking on the “register for online course” and by using the code MTweR65FJw24 the course is free. The online course takes about 5-6 hours to complete.

Students must register for the free field day in advance by visiting the website above and clicking on the button “register for field day.” No walk-in students will be accepted without pre-registration. Students will receive a certificate of completion for the online course, which must be presented at the beginning of the field day to participate.

Parts of the field day may be outside, so please dress accordingly. Some snacks and drinks will be provided, but students should plan on bringing a lunch, and if desired, a small lawn chair.

For more information, visit fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education/trapping. For questions, contact Region 6 communication and education program manager Marc Kloker at 406-228-3704 (office), or 406-942-2974 (cell).