Iowa law changed in 2023 to allow for a continuous open season on raccoons after concerns about an increase in their numbers and reports of them being a nuisance.
Iowa furbearer biologist Vince Evelsizer says he doesn’t know yet how the law has impacted the animals. “I think it’s a little early to see measurable effects yet, so it’ll take a few more years to see the feedback. So far has been that, for the most part, folks welcome the flexibility there to deal with extra you know, the increase in raccoons that are on our landscape,” Evelsizer says.
The extended season allows people to use two kinds of raccoon traps “The normal or regular methods of trapping and hunting for coons by licensed fur harvesters allowed is allowed during that time, just like with the other furbearer species,” he says. “And then outside of that window of time, coons can be hunted for the two methods of traps that can be used on private lands.”
The law change also simplified the process for nuisance animals. “Homeowners or farm owners, land owners can now dispatch coons, possums, and skunks without having to reach out to the DNR if they’ve got some nuisance issues in their farm yard,” Evelsizer says.
You can find more about the rules regarding raccoons and other animals on the DNR’s webpage.