Raccoons are one of 14 species Iowans can hunt or trap during furbearer season, which begins Saturday Nov. 1, 2025. (Camera trap photo by Bryan White/USFWS)

Craig Sweet, president of Iowa Trappers Association, is set to begin his 53rd season fur trapping this fall, just as soon as he gets the rest of his crops out of the field.

According to Iowa Department of Natural Resources, furbearer season, which begins Saturday in Iowa, has had an “uptick” in interest due, in part, to workshops led by Iowa Trappers Association .

Sweet said the more than six-decade-old organization has always held trapper workshops, but has started to hold more beginner-friendly classes in regions across the state.

The result, according to Sweet, has been a diverse crowd -– men, women, “oldsters and youngste

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