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Furbearers
Virginia opossum in Louisiana: 2026-27 trapping, hunting and limits
Seasons, limits, license prices and where to hunt opossums in 2026-27.
Photo: Michael Gaylard (CC BY 2.0)
What LDWF allows for opossums
There is no closed season for opossums in Louisiana: LDWF dates the opossum rows July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, the whole license year. How many: 2 per day or night (hunting).
- Season outline (opossum): Year-round hunting day and night; trapping Nov 20-Mar 31.
- Allowed (opossum): 2 per day or night (hunting).
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29, checked November 4, 2026.
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Virginia Opossum across the parishes
Opossums share the furbearer calendar statewide, with WMA exceptions in the trapping table.
Under La. R.S. 56:114, a parish governing authority may, with the secretary's consent, close or curtail open seasons for up to one year by ordinance.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29 and Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56, checked November 4, 2026.
Virginia Opossum dates, 2026-27
Read the second column first: it says which part of Louisiana each opossum row covers.
| Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Days | Today | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year-round, day and night | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | Year-round | Limit table | |
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 20, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 132 | No limit stated. |
Fine print for opossums
- Opossum note: no daily limit during the open trapping season except on listed WMAs.
- Opossum note: WMA trapping seasons differ (see the WMA table in the trapping regulations).
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29, checked November 4, 2026.
Virginia Opossum harvest and best parishes
There is no Louisiana harvest number for opossums in the sources read, statewide or by parish, so none is shown.
From LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
Virginia Opossum limits in Louisiana
What one hunter may take and keep of opossums, row by row, from the 2026-27 rules.
| Limit for | Limit text |
|---|---|
| Raccoon and opossum | Two raccoons and two opossums per day or night; no daily limit during the trapping season (except some WMAs). |
| Year-round, day and night | Two opossums per day or night. |
| Trapping | No limit stated. |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29, checked November 4, 2026.
Licenses and permits for opossums
Anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course before hunting, unless under direct supervision (voice and sight) of a licensed hunter born before Sept 1, 1969 or an 18+ adult with proof of hunter education.
| License | Buyer | Cost | Term | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Hunting | Resident | $20 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident | $200 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Native nonresident, 10 days | $20 | 10 consecutive days | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident, 5 days | $65 | 5 days | – |
| Trapper | Resident | $40 (fee list: $25) | Through June 30 | – |
| Trapper | Nonresident | $160 (fee list: $200) | Through June 30 | – |
| Youth Hunt and Trap | Resident | $5 | Through June 30 | – |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 8, LDWF hunting licenses page and LDWF fee list, checked November 4, 2026.
Where to hunt opossums on public ground
Pick from 30 public areas with opossums; each land page has maps, contacts and area rules.
| Area | Land type | In | Acres | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisatchie NF | Nat. forest | Grant, Natchitoches +5 | 607,483 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District | Forest district | Rapides, Vernon | 183,020 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Winn District | Forest district | Winn, Natchitoches +1 | 166,792 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Catahoula District | Forest district | Grant, Rapides | 122,860 | – |
| Fort Polk-Vernon WMA | WMA | Vernon | 105,545 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie District | Forest district | Natchitoches | 102,489 | – |
| Tensas River NWR | Refuge | Madison, Tensas | 80,904 | Yes |
| Fort Polk North WMA | WMA | Natchitoches, Sabine +1 | 74,309 | Yes |
| Upper Ouachita NWR | Refuge | Morehouse, Union | 56,553 | – |
| Delta NWR | Refuge | Plaquemines | 49,389 | – |
| Red Dirt NWMP | Forest preserve | Natchitoches | 38,000 | – |
| Catahoula NWMP | Forest preserve | Grant, Winn | 36,000 | – |
| Pearl River WMA | WMA | St. Tammany | 35,619 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Caney District | Forest district | Claiborne, Webster | 32,322 | – |
| Bogue Chitto NWR | Refuge | St. Tammany, Washington | 28,846 | – |
From this site’s public land records (LDWF area pages, the 2026-27 WMA schedules and federal rules), checked November 4, 2026.
Virginia Opossum: guns, bows and methods
| Weapon rule | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Raccoon and opossum | Opossum: Day: rimfire .22 or smaller, muzzleloader .36 or smaller, archery, air rifles, shotguns; Night: rimfire .22 or smaller with dogs. | Not for opossum: hunting from boats or vehicles; lights at night without dogs. |
| Trapping | Opossum: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch. | Not for opossum: traps with teeth (Title 56, section 121.1); traps set more than one day before the season or left after it. |
- Dogs (opossum): Deer may be hunted with dogs only in designated "with or without dogs" segments; archery and primitive seasons and still-hunt areas are dog-free; One leashed/GPS-collared tracking dog may trail wounded deer on private land; Coyote running with dogs banned in turkey areas during turkey season.
- Vehicles and aircraft (opossum): No taking game from aircraft or moving land vehicles; no deer from a boat with motor attached in operating position (amputees excepted); no swimming deer.
Moving vehicles and aircraft are off limits for taking opossums.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29, 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 27 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 25, checked November 4, 2026.
Rules in the field for opossums
- Virginia Opossum: reporting: Opossums need no harvest report in Louisiana; the only paperwork on WMAs is the Self-Clearing Permit.
- Hunter education: Anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course before hunting, unless under direct supervision (voice and sight) of a licensed hunter born before Sept 1, 1969 or an 18+ adult with proof of hunter education.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 26, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 24 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 12, checked November 4, 2026.
Raccoon in the woods. Photo: Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0)
Raccoon portrait. Photo: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0)
Cypress knees and moss-draped trees reflected in still swamp water. Photo: Tim Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
Common questions on opossums
What days are open for opossums this season?
Year-round, within the method and hour rules.
Do I need a trapper license for opossums?
Trapping opossums needs a trapper license, priced $40, $5 and $160 in the trapping regulations; LDWF’s fee list shows $25, $5 and $200.
Do nonresidents need a special license for opossums?
Licenses for opossums: Basic Hunting $20 resident, $200 nonresident; Trapper $40 (fee list: $25) (resident); Youth Hunt and Trap $5 (resident). Hunting licenses for opossums run 365 days from purchase; trapping licenses end June 30.
What bag limit applies to opossums?
Two raccoons and two opossums per day or night; no daily limit during the trapping season (except some WMAs).
Which WMAs and refuges have opossums?
30 public areas in this guide list opossums, the largest being Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District and Kisatchie NF, Winn District. Area rules come from the 2026-27 pamphlet.
Can I use a rifle on opossums in Louisiana?
Raccoon and opossum rules for opossums: Day: rimfire .22 or smaller, muzzleloader .36 or smaller, archery, air rifles, shotguns; Night: rimfire .22 or smaller with dogs. Trapping rules for opossums: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch.
Is Sunday open for opossums?
Opossums may be hunted on Sundays in season; check the WMA schedule, since some public areas hunt only on listed days.
Does LDWF require a harvest report for opossums?
Opossums need no harvest report in Louisiana; the only paperwork on WMAs is the Self-Clearing Permit.
What are the trapping dates for opossums?
Dates for trapping opossums: November 20, 2026 to March 31, 2027; Traps and snares only (no toothed traps; check daily; set no earlier than one day before opening); nutria also by rifle sunrise-sunset by licensed trappers.
Other photos on this page: Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Tim Wilson (CC BY 2.0).