The Fish and Wildlife Commission proposed and approved a change to the Montana trapping regulations this month that removes trap setback requirements on most roads that are closed to vehicles seasonally in Ravalli County.

Specifically, the amendment removes setback requirements (or the minimum distance a ground set trap or snare must be placed from a road to be a legal set) from most roads in Ravalli County that are seasonally closed to motor vehicles, including off-highway vehicles, during the trapping season. Some of these roads may be open to snowmobiles but are included in the amendment because they are seasonally closed to all other motorized use.

Previously in Ravalli County, all roads and hiking trails designated by administrative signs or numbers and open to vehicle use for all or part of the year were subject to a 50-foot setback for ground set traps and snares for furbearers, predators, and nongame and 150 feet for wolves. This is the standard trap setback regulation throughout most of state, although there are other exceptions. For details, see the Montana Wolf, Furbearer and Trapping Regulations.

There are a few places in Ravalli County with seasonal road closures where the standard setbacks of 50 feet from a numbered or signed road or trail for furbearers and 150 feet for wolves will still be retained:

• Forest Service Road #429 (Lost Horse Creek)
• Forest Service Road #468 (Nez Perce Pass Road)
• State Highway #38 (Skalkaho Pass)
• Forest Service Road #75 (Skalkaho/Rye)

There are no changes to existing hiking trail trap setback requirements or areas that are closed to certain types of trapping in the county, including portions of Lake Como Ski area and Bass Creek Recreation Area.

Trapping season for bobcats runs from Dec. 1-Feb. 15, and the season for wolves is Jan. 1-Feb. 15, 2025 in Ravalli County. Predator (such as coyote) and nongame trapping (such as raccoon) do not have established season dates and may occur year-round.

Review existing setback requirements, season dates and other regulations in the Montana Wolf, Furbearer and Trapping Regulations. To learn more about how to remove your dog from a trap if it is accidentally caught, please visit Pet First Aid CPR Training - Montana K9 SAFETY.