It depends on the animal, and for the animals people trap most, the answer is mostly no. The Texas Department of State Health Services says live raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes may not be transported from, to or within Texas, except by a short list of exempt people. For other fur-bearing animals such as opossums, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says relocating one needs the department’s authorization and the release-property owner’s permission. Michael Gerbino of Cypress Critters & Pests removes animals alive and handles them following Texas rules. Call 713-775-8799.
Which animals do Texas rules treat differently?
Texas sorts attic and crawl-space animals into groups with their own rules. Sources are listed at the end.
| Animal | How Texas classes it | What the agency says about moving it |
|---|---|---|
| Raccoon, skunk, fox | Fur-bearing animal under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code | The Department of State Health Services says these may not be transported in Texas under a statewide quarantine, except by exempt people |
| Coyote | Not on the fur-bearer list | Same state health transport ban |
| Opossum | Fur-bearing animal under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code | TPWD says relocation needs department authorization, the release-property owner’s permission and a monthly report |
| Bat | Protected under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code | TPWD says bats may be moved if inside or on a building occupied by people, and discourages exclusion from May 1 to August 15 |
| Gray, fox and red squirrels | Game animal under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code | Not a fur-bearer, so the nuisance fur-bearer rules below do not cover them |
Can I trap a raccoon or an opossum on my own property?
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals on that person’s land without a hunting or trapping license. The same TPWD page says the animal or its pelt may not be kept or possessed. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Code lists raccoons, skunks, opossums and foxes among the fur-bearing animals, so this rule covers the animals homeowners deal with most.
Can I drive a trapped raccoon to a park and let it go?
No. The Texas Department of State Health Services says it is illegal to transport live raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes from, to or within Texas. This is part of the state’s rabies quarantine, which covers the whole state. DSHS says a violation is a Class C misdemeanor.
The rule exempts a short list of people, such as peace officers acting in their official duties. Even an exempt person who moves one of these animals must release it within ten miles of where it was caught, and inside the same county.
What about opossums and other fur-bearers?
Opossums are fur-bearing animals but are not named in the health quarantine. For them, TPWD says nuisance fur-bearers may be captured and relocated only if the person has received authorization from the department and from the owner of the property where the release will happen. TPWD also says a monthly report is required on the number and kind of animals caught and where they were released.
Call 713-775-8799 if you have an animal in a trap right now and are not sure what to do next. Keep your hands and pets away from the cage.
What do the rules say about bats in a house?
TPWD says bats may not be hunted, killed, possessed, bought or sold, but may be moved if they are inside or on a building occupied by people. TPWD also says excluding bats from buildings is discouraged from May 1 to August 15, when young bats cannot fly yet and may be trapped inside. Michael does bat work with one-way devices only, the kind that let bats fly out and not come back in, and he does not do bat exclusion between May 1 and August 15.
So what is the right way to handle an animal in the house?
Driving an animal somewhere else was never the fix, and for the most common attic animals a homeowner may not do it anyway. The fix is closing the way in. Trapping alone leaves the hole open for the next animal, so Michael pairs live trapping with animal exclusion: animals are removed alive and handled following Texas rules, then every entry point is sealed and the damage is repaired.
For details by animal, see raccoon removal, opossum removal and skunk removal.
Have an animal in the attic or under the house? Call or text Michael at 713-775-8799.
Questions people ask about trapping and relocating wildlife in Texas
Do I need a trapping license to catch a raccoon on my land?
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals, which include raccoons, on that person’s land without a hunting or trapping license. TPWD also says the animal may not be kept. Moving a live raccoon anywhere is a separate question, and the state health department says that is not allowed except for exempt people.
Is it against the law to move a skunk across town?
The Texas Department of State Health Services says live skunks, raccoons, foxes and coyotes may not be transported from, to or within Texas, and that a violation is a Class C misdemeanor. Only people the rule exempts may move them, and they must release within ten miles of the capture point and in the same county.
Can I keep a baby raccoon I found in my yard?
TPWD says fur-bearing animals taken as nuisance animals may not be kept or possessed, apart from a narrow exception tied to the legal trapping season. A baby raccoon is also often not abandoned; the mother may be nearby. Leave it alone, keep pets away, and do not handle it. Call Michael if it is in or under your house.
Sources
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Nuisance Fur-Bearing Animals: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/fur-bearing-animal-regulations/nuisance-fur-bearing-animals
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Transport of animals under the rabies quarantine: https://dshs.texas.gov/animal-safety-zoonosis/laws/transport
- 25 Texas Administrative Code Sec. 169.34, Statewide Quarantine: https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/25-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-169-34
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Sec. 71.001, fur-bearing animals: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PW/htm/PW.71.htm#71.001
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Sec. 63.001, game animals, and Sec. 63.101, bats: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PW/htm/PW.63.htm
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Nongame and Other Species: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/nongame-and-other-species/
