Can You Kill Raccoons in Vermont? What State Law Actually Allows

Raccoons are one of Vermont’s most adaptable and widespread furbearers, turning up in cornfields near the Connecticut River, suburban backyards in Burlington, and wooded hillsides across the Northeast Kingdom. When one starts raiding your chicken coop or tearing apart your garbage cans, the question of what you can legally do about it becomes urgent fast.

Vermont law does allow you to kill raccoons — but only under specific conditions, using approved methods, and in many cases only with the right license. Getting those details wrong can mean fines, license revocation, or worse. This guide walks through everything Vermont property owners and hunters need to know about raccoon control under current state regulations.

Are Raccoons Protected in Vermont?

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are not protected under federal endangered species law, but they are regulated by the state of Vermont as a furbearer. Under Vermont Fish and Wildlife regulations, raccoons are classified as a fur-bearing animal alongside beaver, otter, marten, mink, fisher, fox, skunk, coyote, bobcat, weasel, opossum, lynx, wolf, and muskrat, pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 4001.

That classification matters because it means raccoons fall under the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board’s authority to set seasons, methods, and licensing requirements. You cannot simply shoot or trap one whenever you feel like it — the state controls when and how taking a raccoon is lawful.

It is legal to hunt raccoons in Vermont with a hunting license. However, hunting outside of the open season, using unlawful methods, or taking a raccoon without the required license are all violations of state law. Vermont also classifies raccoons as a “rabies vector species,” which adds an additional layer of public health considerations to any control activity.

Important Note: Vermont’s furbearer regulations were updated in 2024 following a legislative mandate to modernize trapping standards. Always verify current season dates and trap requirements directly with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department before taking any action.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in Vermont?

There are two primary legal windows for killing raccoons in Vermont: during the regulated hunting and trapping seasons, and under the state’s property protection statute outside of those seasons.

After getting a hunting license, you can hunt raccoons from October 8 to December 31. For trapping, the season for raccoon (along with mink, skunk, fox, coyote, opossum, and weasel) runs October 25 through December 31. These dates apply to the 2025–2026 season as reported by current regulatory sources — always confirm with Vermont Fish & Wildlife for the most current schedule.

Outside of the open season, Vermont’s property protection statute provides a separate pathway. Vermont statute 10 V.S.A. § 4828 allows property owners and their agents to kill animals in order to protect property. This provision has historically been interpreted broadly, and trapping and killing has continued throughout the year under this statute, which some critics argue essentially allows a year-round open season on foxes, raccoons, bobcats, and other wildlife that may be considered a nuisance.

If you are dealing with a raccoon actively damaging crops, livestock, or structures, you have more flexibility under § 4828 than a hunter operating purely for sport. That said, the statute does not give you unlimited authority — using illegal methods or trapping without proper identification tags can still result in violations.

Pro Tip: If you are a Vermont resident hunting on your own land, you can hunt raccoons on your own land without a hunting license. Non-residents and anyone hunting on property they do not own must have a valid hunting license.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in Vermont

Vermont is specific about which firearms and methods are lawful during raccoon hunting season. Using the wrong caliber or technique is a violation even if you have a valid license.

A person shooting raccoons during the raccoon hunting season shall use a 0.22 caliber rimfire firearm or a shotgun with #2 shot or smaller. Larger calibers are not permitted for raccoon hunting. A light may be used to illuminate and shoot a raccoon once treed by a dog, or dogs, during the raccoon hunting season. This is the only context in which artificial lighting is legal for raccoon hunting — you cannot use a laser light for hunting raccoons in Vermont.

For raccoons caught in traps, the dispatch method is also regulated. Animals in traps must be dispatched upon discovery by shooting (rifle, handgun, muzzleloader, or arrow) or carbon dioxide chamber. This rule eliminates drowning as a legal dispatch method, a practice that drew significant public criticism and was condemned by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Method	Legal Status	Conditions
.22 caliber rimfire firearm	Legal	During hunting season only
Shotgun with #2 shot or smaller	Legal	During hunting season only
Carbon dioxide chamber	Legal	For dispatching trapped animals
Artificial light (spotlight)	Legal (limited)	Only when raccoon is treed by dogs during hunting/training season
Laser light	Illegal	Prohibited under all circumstances
Drowning	Illegal	Not a legal dispatch method

Vermont also maintains strict limitations on night hunting, permitting only raccoon hunting with dogs during authorized seasons. If you want to use dogs to hunt raccoons at night, the dogs must tree the animal first before a light can be used. You cannot use lights to spot and shoot raccoons from a distance at night.

For more detail on how neighboring states handle similar rules, see how New Jersey regulates raccoon killing or review the approach taken in Pennsylvania’s raccoon laws.

Trapping Raccoons in Vermont: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping raccoons in Vermont is legal during the open season, but it comes with a detailed set of rules covering licenses, trap types, placement, and reporting.

License requirements: A person trapping in Vermont on property not owned by the trapper must have a valid Vermont trapper’s license. A person trapping for compensation must also have a valid Vermont trapper’s license. To obtain a trapping license, you must have a past license, finish a trapper education course, or sign an affidavit.

Trap types and placement: You can use a body-gripping trap to trap raccoons in Vermont. It is illegal to use a foothold trap or snare for raccoons in Vermont. Regarding placement, traps must be set at least 50 feet from the traveled portion of a legal public trail or public highway, and at least 100 feet from public buildings, parking lots, shelters, pavilions, schools, camps, campgrounds, designated wildlife viewing areas, or recreational facilities such as ball fields and tennis courts.

Checking traps: Land sets must be checked once every calendar day. Body-gripping traps in water or under ice must be checked at least once every three calendar days, and colony or cage traps underwater or foothold traps under ice must also be checked at least once every three days.

• All traps must be tagged with the trapper’s name and address.
• Landowner permission is required prior to setting traps on private land.
• Anyone who holds a valid trapper’s license must submit an annual trapper’s report, including those who did not trap and those who trapped for compensation. Failure to submit a report will result in a non-point violation.
• Any domestic dog or cat caught in a trap must be reported to a warden within 24 hours of discovery.
• Meat-based baits must be covered at the time the trap is set.

Furbearer hunting and trapping regulations changed in 2024. Consult vtfishandwildlife.com for current regulations. Vermont was among the first states to implement updated best management practices for trapping following a decades-long nationwide study on trap effectiveness and animal welfare.

If you are curious how Vermont’s trapping framework compares to other states, the rules in Michigan and Wisconsin offer useful regional comparisons.

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

Many Vermont property owners prefer a non-lethal solution and assume trapping and releasing a raccoon somewhere else is a straightforward alternative. In practice, relocation is legally and biologically complicated.

Because raccoons often carry rabies, they should not be relocated when live-trapped, and some states do not allow relocation. Vermont guidance from the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife-supported WildlifeHelp.org recommends that raccoons should be released on your own property following repair of entry points, but if releasing the raccoon nearby is not an option, humanely euthanize it with a .22-caliber rifle or pistol, or by placing it in a carbon dioxide chamber.

The core problem with off-property relocation is the rabies risk. The reason relocation is restricted in eastern states comes back to rabies — the eastern raccoon rabies variant is a documented, active wildlife disease corridor. Transporting a potentially infected animal to a new location can spread the disease to previously unaffected wildlife populations.

From a legal standpoint, some states allow property owners to trap and remove raccoons on their own land without a permit, but those exceptions typically require that the animal be released on the same property or euthanized. Transporting the animal off your property and releasing it elsewhere is where most people cross from legal to illegal. Vermont’s regulatory framework aligns with this pattern — releasing a trapped raccoon on someone else’s land without permission creates both a legal and liability problem.

Important Note: If you trap a raccoon that appears sick, disoriented, or aggressive, do not attempt to handle or relocate it. Contact the Vermont Rabies Hotline at 1-800-4-RABIES or visit Vermont Health’s rabies resource page for guidance.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Vermont

If you are not a licensed hunter or trapper, or if you simply want a professional to handle the problem, hiring a wildlife control operator is a practical option. Vermont does not currently have a state-mandated licensing program specifically for nuisance wildlife control operators (NWCOs), which sets it apart from neighboring states like New Hampshire.

Individuals who kill wildlife for compensation — known as Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators — are not currently required to be trained and licensed in Vermont, and NWCO activity has historically been largely unregulated, which has resulted in some inhumane practices and consumer protection concerns. Advocacy groups have pushed for formal NWCO licensing requirements for years, but as of the most recent legislative sessions, no comprehensive NWCO licensing statute has been enacted.

Despite the lack of a state NWCO license, any operator who traps raccoons for compensation must still hold a valid Vermont trapper’s license. For assistance in the control of problem raccoons, contact a licensed wildlife control operator in your area. When hiring a private pest or wildlife control company, ask specifically whether the technician holds a Vermont trapping license and whether they are a member of the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA), which maintains its own professional standards.

Professional operators can be particularly useful in situations involving raccoons in attics, chimneys, or crawl spaces — locations where trapping requires specialized equipment and where nuisance control activity should take breeding seasons into account to prevent orphaning young. Raccoon breeding season in Vermont runs roughly April through July, so removal during that window requires extra care to avoid leaving dependent cubs behind.

For a sense of how professional wildlife control is structured in other states, see the frameworks described for Ohio and Maryland.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in Vermont

Vermont state law sets the baseline for raccoon control, but local municipalities can layer additional restrictions on top of it — and those local rules often matter more in practice, especially in populated areas.

The most common local restriction involves firearms discharge. Discharging firearms in developed areas is often prohibited by local safety ordinances and state hunting laws. Even if you have a valid hunting license and are within the open season, firing a .22 rifle in a residential neighborhood in Burlington, Montpelier, or any other municipality with a discharge ordinance is likely illegal under local law. You need to check your town’s ordinances before using any firearm for raccoon control.

Some Vermont towns also have ordinances governing trap placement near public paths, parks, and residential zones that go beyond the state’s 50-foot and 100-foot setback requirements. If you live in a densely populated area, check with your town clerk or select board to confirm whether additional restrictions apply to your specific location.

• Firearm discharge bans: Many Vermont municipalities prohibit discharging firearms within town or city limits, regardless of hunting season status.
• Trap setback extensions: Some towns impose stricter setback distances near trails, parks, and neighborhoods than the state minimum.
• Waste disposal rules: Local health ordinances may govern how you must dispose of a raccoon carcass after lethal control.
• Rabies reporting requirements: Some municipalities require you to report any raccoon kill or capture to a local animal control officer, particularly if rabies exposure is suspected.

The practical takeaway: state law tells you what is permitted at the broadest level, but your town may have made certain methods off-limits in your specific area. Always check both layers before acting. You can also review how other northeastern states handle this overlap — for example, see the local ordinance discussion in our guide on Virginia raccoon laws or the rules covering North Carolina.

Vermont’s raccoon regulations reflect a balance between protecting a healthy furbearer population, supporting traditional hunting and trapping culture, and giving property owners real tools to manage genuine damage problems. Whether you are a hunter pursuing raccoons with dogs in October, a farmer dealing with crop damage under the property protection statute, or a homeowner trying to get one out of your attic, knowing which rules apply to your situation keeps you on the right side of the law — and ensures the problem gets solved the right way.