The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will start accepting trapping permit applications for three DEC Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in DEC’s Region 8 on Oct. 1, 2024.

Permit applications for Oak Orchard, Tonawanda, and John White WMAs are available for pick-up in person Monday through Friday at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Office located at 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by calling DEC at (585) 948-5182. Permit applications will be accepted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.

Trapping seasons on these three WMAs are more restrictive than the overall seasons for Western New York:

1. Muskrat and mink trapping for these public lands runs from Dec. 7, 2024, to Feb. 15, 2025, and limited to 25 traps at water sites. Beaver trapping dates follow the statewide seasons.
2. Upland trapping at the John White WMA begins Nov. 1, 2024. Upland trapping at Oak Orchard and Tonawanda WMAs follows the statewide seasons.

Permitted trappers are required to report harvest and trapping efforts in each WMA area for all species. More information related to permits for these three WMAs are found in the trapping letter included with the permit application. More information on trapping seasons, regulations, and the rights of trappers is available on the DEC website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9209.html and https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/45551.html.