Can You Kill Raccoons in Wyoming? Laws, Methods, and Your Legal Options

Wyoming gives property owners and residents some of the most permissive predatory animal rules in the country, and raccoons fall squarely into that category. If a raccoon is raiding your chickens, tearing up your attic, or simply showing up where it is not welcome, you have real legal options — including lethal ones — that do not require you to call a government office first.

That said, “permissive” does not mean “anything goes.” Specific rules govern how you can kill or trap raccoons, where you can release them, and when a professional’s involvement becomes the smarter — or legally safer — choice. This guide walks you through everything you need to know under Wyoming law.

Are Raccoons Protected in Wyoming?

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are not protected wildlife in Wyoming. The state classifies them as predatory animals under Wyoming statute, placing them in the same legal category as coyotes, red foxes, jackrabbits, porcupines, skunks, and stray cats.

Wyoming law allows people to kill predatory animals — which include raccoons — without a license. This is a meaningful distinction from states where raccoons are classified as furbearers or game animals that require a hunting or trapping license to take legally.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) does not conduct population surveys to determine the abundance of animals designated as predatory animals, including raccoons. Because the state does not actively manage raccoon populations the way it manages deer or elk, there is no season, no bag limit, and no permit requirement attached to killing one.

Important Note: Wyoming’s predatory animal classification applies to raccoons statewide, but local ordinances — particularly in incorporated cities and towns — can impose additional restrictions on discharging firearms or using certain traps. Always check with your municipality before taking action.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in Wyoming?

Trapping and hunting of predatory animals in Wyoming continues without restriction to number, method, or season, and without requiring a permit. This means you do not need a specific reason — such as a documented livestock attack — to legally kill a raccoon in the state. You can do so year-round.

The most common situations Wyoming residents encounter include raccoons damaging crops or gardens, breaking into chicken coops or outbuildings, denning in attics or crawl spaces, or posing a rabies or distemper risk near pets and children. All of these scenarios allow you to act immediately under state law without obtaining prior authorization from the WGFD.

One important boundary: you must dispatch the animal promptly once you have injured or captured it. The Wyoming Treatment of Predators Working Group drafted language to prohibit prolonged suffering of predators, making it illegal to allow a taken animal to suffer or live unduly before dispatching it. Injuring a raccoon and leaving it in a trap for days, or keeping it alive for entertainment, crosses into legally problematic territory.

If you want to compare how Wyoming’s approach differs from neighboring states, see how raccoon laws work in Colorado or review the rules for killing raccoons in Texas.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in Wyoming

Wyoming law is broad when it comes to methods for taking predatory animals. Crossbows, longbows, shotguns with a maximum gauge of 10 gauge, handguns, rifles, and air guns are permitted hunting weapons in Wyoming. All of these are legal options for dispatching a raccoon, subject to local discharge ordinances.

The use of fully automatic weapons is prohibited while hunting raccoons. Beyond that restriction, most conventional firearms and archery equipment are fair game. Electronic calls are also permitted — electronic calls that imitate the distress sounds of birds or small mammals work especially well when positioned near water.

Night hunting with a handlight is specifically allowed by Wyoming statute. Nothing in the statute prohibits the hunting on foot of raccoon with the aid of a handlight, provided the hunter is accompanied by a raccoon hunting dog and, if hunting on private lands, has the written permission of the landowner or his agent. This is a well-established tradition in Wyoming and many other states where raccoon hunting with dogs at night is a recognized practice.

• Rifles and handguns: Legal for raccoons on private property and most public lands, subject to local discharge rules
• Shotguns (up to 10 gauge): Commonly used and effective at close range
• Air guns: Legal and a quieter option for suburban or semi-rural properties
• Archery equipment: Crossbows and longbows are permitted
• Handlight + dog hunting: Specifically authorized by Wyoming statute for nighttime raccoon hunting on foot
• Fully automatic weapons: Prohibited

It is illegal to discharge a firearm across a Wyoming highway or public road. If your property borders a road, keep this restriction in mind before shooting.

Pro Tip: If you are dealing with a raccoon inside a structure like an attic or crawl space, lethal traps — rather than firearms — are typically the safer and more practical choice. Shooting inside an enclosed space creates serious safety and structural risks.

Trapping Raccoons in Wyoming: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping is another well-established option in Wyoming, and the right to trap is actually written into the Wyoming Constitution. The preservation of Wyoming’s trapping heritage is meaningful, and the right to trap is codified in the Wyoming constitution.

Because raccoons are classified as predatory animals rather than furbearers, they are not subject to the seasonal trapping rules that govern species like beaver, mink, or bobcat. Furbearer trapping season regulations establish hunting or trapping season dates, locations, and limitations for taking furbearing animals such as badger, beaver, bobcat, marten, mink, muskrat, and weasel — raccoons are not on that list. You can trap raccoons year-round without a furbearer trapping license.

However, a few practical rules still apply to anyone setting traps in Wyoming:

1. Trap check frequency: The most common trapping offenses in Wyoming include failing to check traps within 72 hours and failing to properly tag traps and snares. Check your traps regularly — at minimum every 72 hours, and ideally every 24 hours.
2. Trap identification: All traps must be tagged with your identification number. Untagged traps are a citable offense under Wyoming law.
3. State lands: Written permission from the Director of the Office of State Lands and Investments is required prior to trapping on any state lands.
4. Private lands: When hunting or trapping raccoons on private property, you must obtain written permission from the landowner or person in charge.
5. Bait restrictions: No person shall take a game animal, game bird, or game fish and use any part thereof for bait to hunt, trap, or poison any wildlife of Wyoming. Standard food-based baits like marshmallows, cat food, or canned fish are fine; game parts are not.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department manages and regulates furbearer trapping, ensuring trapping activities are safe, efficient, and practical. For predatory animals like raccoons, WGFD oversight is lighter, but the agency is still your best resource for questions about specific trapping situations. Visit the WGFD trapping page for current guidance.

For a comparison of how trapping rules differ in other states, see the rules for trapping raccoons in Minnesota or killing raccoons in Michigan.

Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in Wyoming?

Relocation is an option some Wyoming residents prefer, but it comes with more restrictions than most people expect — and it is not always the humane solution it appears to be.

Relocation is not always legal or advisable, and Wyoming regulations govern where and when you can relocate wildlife. The WGFD’s urban and nuisance wildlife guidance notes that live trapping can be used to relocate an animal to a new area. However, where you release the animal matters significantly.

Many animals do not survive relocation, particularly if moved during breeding season or harsh weather, and release sites must be far enough away to prevent return but suitable for the species’ survival. Wyoming winters are severe across much of the state, and a relocated raccoon dropped into unfamiliar territory without an established den or food source faces serious survival challenges.

From a legal standpoint, transporting the animal off your property and releasing it elsewhere is where most people cross from legal to illegal. Prior to importing, possessing, or transporting live wildlife in Wyoming, a permit is required. If you trap a raccoon and drive it to a state park or national forest to release it, you may be violating state wildlife transport rules without realizing it.

The safest approach: contact your local WGFD regional office before attempting relocation. They can advise on whether a permit is needed for your specific situation and identify any approved release sites in your area. Wyoming has eight regional Game and Fish offices across the state, making it relatively straightforward to get local guidance.

Key Insight: If you are in Cheyenne and dealing with a nuisance raccoon, the WGFD’s urban wildlife page recommends a direct path: if there is a problem with a predatory species such as a raccoon in Cheyenne, contact Animal Control at 635-1453. Other Wyoming cities have similar local animal control services worth calling first.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Wyoming

Wyoming does not operate a formal state-issued Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) licensing program in the same way some eastern states do. However, private pest and wildlife control companies operating in Wyoming must hold a state pest control applicator license through the Wyoming Department of Agriculture when using pesticides or certain control methods.

The wildlife control operator license is a separate, more specialized credential, and WCOs are trained and licensed to trap nuisance animals as a professional service. When hiring a private wildlife removal company in Wyoming, look for operators who hold relevant state or national credentials, carry liability insurance, and are familiar with WGFD regulations on transport and disposal of predatory animals.

Professional help makes particular sense in several scenarios:

• A raccoon has denned inside your attic, crawl space, or wall cavity with young
• You suspect the animal is sick (disoriented behavior, discharge, aggression in daylight)
• You are in an incorporated area where firearm discharge is prohibited
• You want the carcass or trapped animal handled and disposed of without legal risk
• The infestation involves multiple animals or recurring entry points

Unless you have experience, live trapping is one area where professional help makes sense, as the nuances of trap placement, species-specific techniques, and legal requirements are significant. A professional also handles the follow-up exclusion work — sealing entry points — that prevents the next raccoon from moving in.

To find a qualified operator, contact your local WGFD regional office or check with the Wyoming Predatory Animal Management Board for referrals. You can also review how other states handle professional wildlife removal, such as the approach used for raccoon control in Ohio or Pennsylvania’s wildlife operator system.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in Wyoming

Wyoming’s statewide predatory animal rules give you broad authority, but they do not override local municipal codes. Cities, towns, and counties can — and do — impose restrictions that are more limiting than state law, particularly around firearm discharge and trap placement in populated areas.

Here are the most common local restrictions to check before acting:

Restriction Type	Who Sets It	What to Check
Firearm discharge prohibition	City or town ordinance	Most Wyoming municipalities prohibit discharging firearms within city limits
Trap placement rules	City or county ordinance	Some areas require traps to be set back from public trails or sidewalks
Nuisance wildlife complaints	Municipal animal control	Some cities require you to notify animal control before trapping predatory animals
Poison bait restrictions	City, county, or HOA	Rodenticide and poison bait use is often restricted in residential zones
Rabies control zones	Wyoming Department of Health	Rabies control districts may impose special handling rules for trapped animals

The Wyoming Livestock Board, Wyoming Department of Health, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, counties, municipalities, and subdivisions have enacted further rules and regulations pertaining to the possession of wildlife. This layered system means a single call to your city or county government — before you set a trap or discharge a firearm — can save you from an unexpected citation.

If you live in a rural unincorporated area of Wyoming, state law is likely your only constraint, and the rules remain permissive. If you live in Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Gillette, or any other incorporated municipality, check local ordinances first. You can also review how local laws affect raccoon control in other states, including Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland, where municipal rules frequently add significant layers on top of state law.

Wyoming’s approach to raccoons is straightforward at the state level: they are predatory animals, you do not need a license to kill them, and you can act year-round. The complications arise at the edges — how you trap, where you release, what your city allows, and how you handle a sick or injured animal. Staying informed on those details keeps a simple nuisance problem from turning into a legal one. For questions specific to your situation, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is the authoritative source, and their regional offices are well-equipped to give you direct, practical guidance.