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.
Who needs Trapper Education?
Beginning in 2022, to purchase a Montana resident Class C trapping license, residents must complete a Montana trapper education course or have purchased a trapping license in at least three prior years (in Montana or another state).
Residents must be at least 12 years-old to purchase a Class C trapping license. Youth 6-11 years old, must purchase a Class C-3 trapping license and are exempt from the requirement to take trapper education and are limited to what animals they can trap.
The course consists of an online component, an in-person field day, and written test. This general trapper education course also satisfies the Montana wolf trapper education requirement.
Non-residents are exempt from the trapper education requirement as they cannot purchase a Class C license to trap furbearers. Non-residents who desire to trap wolves must still take the virtual wolf trapper education course (see section on wolf trapper education below).
Get Certified
Online Course + Field Course
The self-paced, online, course is available to anyone 11 years and older. Once the online course is completed, students must attend a required in-person field day. Upon successful completion of both, you are eligible to purchase a Class C trapping license.
Use the promo code MTweR65FJw22 at the end of the online course to cover the cost of the class.
The online course is administered through a third-party vendor, Kalkomey. Please direct any program (online) specific questions to Kalkomey’s customer service department (toll-free).
Kalkomey Customer Support
Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight MDT and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. MDT.
Phone: 1-800-830-2268
Field Days
In-person field days are led by volunteer instructors who are passionate about preserving Montana’s rich trapping tradition, teaching safety, ethics, avoidance of non-target animals, humane methods, and other trapping skills. This course also satisfies the wolf trapper certification requirement.
WOLF TRAPPING EDUCATION
Who needs a Wolf Trapper Education Course?
Wolf trapper education is required for anyone who traps wolves in Montana.
Residents who wish to purchase a trapping license to use to trap wolves are required to either 1) complete the general trapper education course (which integrates wolf trapper education into the curriculum) or 2) complete the stand-alone 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 education 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.
Idaho trappers can present a certificate of completion/certification for the Idaho course issued by Idaho Fish and Game.
Get Certified
The Montana wolf trapper education courses are free and open to individuals age 11 and older.
Certification course topics include:
- Trapping ethics, regulations, equipment, and proper techniques to avoid trapping non-target species
- History of wolves in Montana
- The current status of wolves in the state
- Wolf management and the role of trapping in conservation
- Reporting and registering one’s harvest
Information via FWP: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education/trapping
