1. A person shall not use or attempt to use colony traps in taking, capturing, trapping, or killing any game or fur-bearing animals except muskrats as determined by rule of the commission. Box traps capable of capturing more than one game or fur-bearing animal at each setting are prohibited. A valid hunting license is required for box trapping cottontail rabbits and squirrels. All traps and snares used for the taking of fur-bearing animals shall have a metal tag attached plainly labeled with the user’s name and address. All traps and snares, except those which are placed entirely under water, shall be checked at least once every twenty-four hours. Officers appointed by the department may confiscate such traps and snares found in use that are not properly labeled or checked.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 481A.92

  • Commission: means the natural resource commission. See Iowa Code 481A.1
  • Department: means the department of natural resources. See Iowa Code 481A.1
  • Fur-bearing animals: means the following which are declared to be fur-bearing animals for the purpose of regulation and protection under the Code: beaver, badger, mink, otter, muskrat, raccoon, skunk, opossum, spotted skunk or civet cat, weasel, coyote, bobcat, wolf, groundhog, red fox, and gray fox. See Iowa Code 481A.1
  • Game: means all of the animals specified in this subsection except those designated as not protected, and includes the heads, skins, and any other parts, and the nests and eggs of birds and their plumage. See Iowa Code 481A.1
  • Person: shall mean any person, firm, partnership, or corporation. See Iowa Code 481A.1
  • road: include public bridges, and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" "common road" and "state road". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Use: means to operate, navigate, or employ a vessel. See Iowa Code 462A.2
 2. Except as otherwise provided, a person shall not use chemicals, explosives, smoking devices, mechanical ferrets, wire, tool, instrument, or water to remove fur-bearing animals from their dens. Humane traps, or traps designed to kill instantly, with a jaw spread, as originally manufactured, exceeding eight inches are unlawful to use except when placed entirely under water.
 3. Conibear type traps and snares shall not be set on the right-of-way of a public road within two hundred yards of the entry to a private drive serving a residence without the permission of the occupant.
 4. A snare when set shall not have a loop larger than eight inches in horizontal measurement except for a snare set with at least one-half of the loop under water. A snare set on private land other than roadsides within thirty yards of a pond, lake, creek, drainage ditch, stream, or river shall not have a loop larger than eleven inches in horizontal measurement.
 5. All snares shall have a functional deer lock which will not allow the snare loop to close smaller than two and one-half inches in diameter.
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