Can You Kill Raccoons in South Dakota? Laws, Trapping Rules, and Legal Methods

Raccoons in South Dakota are not a rare sight. They are found across the state in almost every habitat but are most commonly found along riparian areas or near water bodies where mature trees exist. When one starts raiding your chicken coop, tearing into your trash, or denning in your attic, the question of what you can legally do about it becomes urgent.

The short answer is yes — you can kill raccoons in South Dakota, but the rules depend on whether you are a resident or non-resident, whether you are on your own land, and what method you plan to use. Getting those details wrong can turn a pest problem into a legal one.

This guide breaks down exactly what South Dakota law allows, from shooting and trapping to relocation and hiring a professional, so you can handle a raccoon problem without running afoul of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks regulations.

Are Raccoons Protected in South Dakota?

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are classified as furbearing animals under South Dakota law, not as a fully protected species. As furbearer animals, they are considered beneficial and viable natural resources, and it is legal to trap and kill raccoons in South Dakota. That classification matters because it shapes the entire licensing and season framework around them.

Protected animals in South Dakota include pine marten, black-footed ferret, swift fox, fisher, wolf, and black bear — raccoons are not on that list. You do not need a special endangered species exemption or federal permit to deal with a nuisance raccoon on your property.

The season is open year-round to hunt or trap skunks, opossum, gray fox, red fox, raccoon, and badger under South Dakota Administrative Rule 41:08:01:08.02. That open-season designation gives you more flexibility than most states, though licensing requirements and method restrictions still apply depending on your residency status and location.

Important Note: Raccoons can carry rabies and raccoon roundworm. Always wear gloves when handling a trapped or dead raccoon, and wash thoroughly afterward. Contact your local health department if you suspect a raccoon was rabid.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in South Dakota?

South Dakota law gives you several clear situations where killing a raccoon is lawful. The broadest protection applies when a raccoon is actively damaging your property or attacking livestock. According to South Dakota codified laws, if a raccoon or any wildlife animal causes harm to your yard and kills poultry or livestock, you can shoot it without a license.

Beyond the depredation exception, resident landowners enjoy wide latitude on their own property. A resident of this state is not required to secure a predator/varmint license to hunt, take, or kill a predator/varmint on lands owned or operated by the resident. However, if a resident possesses a resident small game license, a resident youth small game license, a resident big game license, a license to take fur-bearing animals, or a resident turkey license, the resident need not acquire the resident predator/varmint license.

Off your own land, the rules tighten. Except as provided in that section, it is a Class 2 misdemeanor for a resident to hunt, take, or kill raccoons, badgers, or species defined as a predator/varmint without a resident predator/varmint license or in violation of the conditions of the license or the rules of the Game, Fish and Parks Commission. A Class 2 misdemeanor in South Dakota carries real legal consequences, so confirm your licensing situation before hunting raccoons on public or someone else’s private land.

Night hunting is also permitted. You can hunt raccoons in South Dakota at night and day without a license. However, you can hunt raccoons only on your property. If you want to hunt raccoons at night on land you do not own, you need the appropriate license and landowner permission.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in South Dakota

South Dakota does not restrict you to a single method for taking raccoons, but there are rules around what tools you can use and where.

• Firearms: A license to take fur-bearing animals is not required for residents to hunt raccoon, skunk, opossum, badger, jackrabbit, fox, and coyote with firearms. A .22 rifle is a practical choice for raccoons that have been treed by dogs, while a shotgun works well in brushy or close-range situations.
• Shotgun caliber rules: You can use a shotgun with a bullet of fewer than 0.225 inches caliber to shoot or kill a raccoon.
• Night lighting: If you are a landowner, you may use artificial light for hunting raccoons on your land. You cannot use any night-vision tool such as a spotlight or artificial light to trap a raccoon if you have a gun or firearm.
• Motor vehicles: If you have a disabled hunter permit, you can shoot a raccoon in public places while sitting in a stationary motor vehicle. Shooting from a moving vehicle is prohibited.
• Dogs: Resident hunters may use dogs to aid in taking raccoons. Nonresidents may not use dogs to aid in taking raccoon.
• Traps and snares: Body-grip traps, cage traps, and snares are all used for raccoons in South Dakota, subject to the placement restrictions covered in the trapping section below.

Pro Tip: If you plan to use dogs for a nighttime raccoon hunt on your own property, carry your proof of landowner status or a copy of your lease agreement. Conservation officers may ask to verify your right to hunt the land without a license.

Aerial hunting is specifically prohibited. A resident predator/varmint license allows a resident to take or kill raccoons, badgers, or species defined as a predator/varmint, except by means of aerial hunting or as prohibited by statute or rule.

Trapping Raccoons in South Dakota: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping is one of the most effective ways to deal with a nuisance raccoon, and South Dakota’s rules are relatively favorable for resident landowners. A resident of South Dakota may catch, trap or kill furbearing animals upon land owned or leased by him without obtaining a license to do so, during any period.

For trapping off your own land during the regular furbearer season, a license is required. Non-residents face tighter restrictions on both timing and methods. Nonresidents may take only raccoon, beaver, and muskrat from December 1 through March 15, and bobcats from January 13 through February 15. Mink and weasel may be trapped from December 1 through January 31. Nonresidents may not use dogs to aid in taking raccoon.

Residents trapping without a license between April 1 and August 31 also have that window protected by statute. A license to take fur-bearing animals is not required for residents to trap raccoon, skunk, opossum, badger, jackrabbit, fox, and coyote between April first and August thirty-first.

Trap placement rules are strict near water. Traps — except any live cage trap or live box trap, snares, and traps designed specifically to catch raccoons such as coon cuffs and Egg traps — cannot be placed or set in water or within 30 feet of water from October 1 to the opening of the mink season. Since raccoons frequently travel creek banks and drainage ditches, this restriction matters if you are setting traps in riparian habitat.

Walk-In Area and public hunting land require extra steps. Permission is required from the landowner for trapping on private land leased for public hunting in the Walk-In Area program and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

Once you trap a raccoon, you have two legal options for what to do with it. Except when kept as a pet as provided by GFP rules, a furbearer taken from the wild must either be released or immediately and humanely killed. Holding a live raccoon for an extended period without the proper permit is not allowed.

Trapper Type	License Required?	Season Open?	Dogs Allowed?
Resident landowner (own land)	No	Year-round	Yes
Resident (off own land, April 1–Aug 31)	No	April 1–August 31	Yes
Resident (off own land, outside above window)	Yes — furbearer or predator/varmint license	Year-round (with license)	Yes
Non-resident	Yes — Nonresident Furbearer License	December 1–March 15	No

You may also want to review what animals are legal to keep in South Dakota if you are wondering whether a captured raccoon could be kept rather than killed — the rules around live furbearers as pets are narrow and specific.

Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in South Dakota?

Relocation sounds like the humane middle ground, but it comes with complications in South Dakota. The state does not make it straightforward to simply trap a raccoon and drop it off somewhere else.

Importing or releasing a raccoon to a new location to become a free-roaming wild animal triggers agricultural regulations. Any person desiring to import nondomestic mammals into South Dakota for release to the wild to become free-roaming nondomestic mammals must obtain an entry permit and a certificate of veterinary inspection issued by a licensed veterinarian in the state of origin. The board may permit the entry of such animals after consulting with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and after holding a public hearing. Those requirements are aimed at interstate transport, but they illustrate how seriously the state treats releasing wildlife to new locations.

For in-state relocation, the rules are less clearly codified but the GFP’s own guidance leans toward discouraging it. It is best to leave raccoons in the wild as they also carry diseases and parasites that can harm people and pets. To discourage raccoons from denning in your yard, securely close access to chimneys and under patios. Do not leave food sources outside, such as pet food and garbage.

Nationally, the picture is similarly complicated. Most states do not allow private individuals to trap and relocate raccoons without a permit or license. Self-relocation by a homeowner, without professional assistance, is one of the most commonly illegal approaches to raccoon removal. South Dakota’s GFP has not published a clear permit pathway for private citizens to relocate raccoons to a different property, which means killing or on-site release are the safer legal choices if you trap one yourself.

Key Insight: If you want to explore relocation as an option, call South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks at (605) 223-7660 before you trap anything. Getting verbal or written guidance from a GFP officer protects you legally and ensures you are not inadvertently violating disease-control rules.

For related wildlife rules in neighboring states, see our coverage of roadkill laws in North Dakota and roadkill laws in South Dakota for broader context on how the region handles wildlife carcasses and removal.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in South Dakota

If you would rather not deal with trapping and disposal yourself, hiring a professional is a practical option. Licensed wildlife control operators (WCOs) are trained to handle nuisance animals legally and efficiently, and they carry the permits and equipment to do the job properly.

The wildlife control operator (WCO) license is a separate, more specialized credential. WCOs are trained and licensed to trap nuisance animals as a professional service. This matters in situations where the legal path for a private citizen is ambiguous — a licensed operator already has the authorization to trap, kill, or handle the animal under their professional permit.

South Dakota GFP maintains contact information for licensed operators and can direct you to someone in your area. You can reach the department at (605) 223-7660 or visit gfp.sd.gov/trapping for current trapping regulations and resources.

Hiring a professional makes the most sense in these situations:

1. A raccoon has denned inside your attic, crawl space, or chimney and you need the animal removed and the entry point sealed.
2. You suspect the raccoon may be sick or rabid and do not want to handle it yourself.
3. You are a non-resident and lack the license to trap legally on your own.
4. The infestation involves multiple animals or a mother with kits, which complicates removal timing.
5. Local ordinances in your city or town restrict what private citizens can do.

South Dakota has very few licensed wildlife rehabilitators, making it even more important that wild animals are left where you found them when they are not actively causing damage. If you find an injured or orphaned raccoon kit rather than a nuisance adult, contact GFP rather than attempting to rehabilitate it yourself.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in South Dakota

State law sets the floor for raccoon control, but cities and counties in South Dakota can layer additional restrictions on top of it. Local governments may enforce ordinances for animals that create public nuisances. What is legal on a rural farm in Haakon County may not be permitted in a Sioux Falls neighborhood.

Common local restrictions include:

• Firearm discharge bans: Most incorporated municipalities prohibit discharging firearms within city limits, which effectively removes shooting as an option for urban raccoon problems regardless of what state law allows.
• Trap placement rules: Some cities regulate where traps can be set on residential properties, particularly near sidewalks, alleys, or shared fences.
• Nuisance animal ordinances: Cities may define raccoons as nuisance animals and require you to notify animal control before trapping, or mandate that a licensed professional handle the removal.
• Carcass disposal rules: Local health departments may have rules about how and where a killed raccoon must be disposed of, separate from GFP regulations.

Before you set a trap or reach for a firearm in a residential area, call your city or county government to ask whether any local ordinances apply. Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, and other larger South Dakota cities are the most likely to have additional layers of regulation beyond state law.

Understanding the full scope of South Dakota wildlife rules helps you stay compliant across situations. Our guides on rooster crowing laws in South Dakota, pit bull laws in South Dakota, and goat ownership laws in South Dakota cover how the state handles other animal-related regulations that often intersect with local ordinances.

When in doubt, a quick call to your local GFP conservation officer is the fastest way to get a clear answer for your specific address and situation. Conservation officers can confirm what is permitted on your property and point you toward the right license or professional if needed. You can also check the South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook published by GFP for the most current season dates and method rules before you act.