Trapper Education field day at Miles City's FWP office Sept. 7

MILES CITY – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7 will host an in-person Trapper Education field day in Miles City on Saturday, Sept. 7 at the FWP headquarters shop from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

To be able to purchase a Montana resident Class C trapping license, people must first complete Trapper Education, unless they have purchased a trapping license in Montana or another state in at least three previous years. Trapper Education requires an online course, an in-person field day, and a written test.

Trapper Education courses cover basic information and skills related to the safe handling of traps and trapping equipment as well as basic instruction in wildlife management, game identification, trapper ethics, and Montana trapping laws and regulations. This general trapper education course also satisfies the Montana wolf trapper education requirement (see details below).

The Trapper Education online course can be found on FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov under Education. Use the promo code MTweR65FJw24 to cover the cost of the class. Trapper Education field days can be found on the same website.

Residents must be at least 12 years old to purchase a Class C trapping license. Youths ages 6-11 must purchase a C-3 trapping license and are exempt from the requirement to take Trapper Education and are limited to what animals they can trap.

Participants in the Miles City Trapper Education field day should arrive 15 minutes early to check in and bring their certificate of completion from the online course. They should also bring a lunch. Please dress for conditions, as portions of the course will be held outdoors. This may be the only field day offered in southeast Montana this year.

Wolf trapper certification is required for anyone who traps wolves in Montana. Residents who wish to purchase a trapping license to trap wolves are required to either complete the general Trapper Education course (which integrates Wolf Trapper Education into the curriculum), or complete the stand-alone virtual Wolf Trapper Education course if they have also purchased trapping licenses for three seasons prior to 2022 (and are therefore exempt from the general Trapper Ed requirement). Non-residents must complete a one-time Montana or Idaho Wolf Trapper Education course. All Montana Wolf Trapper Education courses are free, virtual-only courses and open to residents and non-residents.