2025 Trapping Areas Open for Bids at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Bids must be received at the refuge office by 5:00 pm on December 13, 2024. Successful bidders will be notified by mail. The Refuge must receive full payment on or before December 23, 2024 for successful bidders to receive their permit.

Trapping for muskrat, raccoon, fox, skunk, and opossum will begin on January 1, 2025, and end on March 15, 2025, unless extensions have been made by both the state and the refuge.

Trapping on Blackwater NWR is a management activity designed to control the population levels of furbearers as well as provide an economic benefit to local trappers. Uncontrolled muskrat populations can seriously damage marsh vegetation, which is vital to waterfowl, other
migratory birds, and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, protects over 33,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwoods and pine forest, managed freshwater wetlands and cropland for a diversity of wildlife. To learn more, visit our website at
www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater or follow us on Facebook @BlackwaterNWR.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and
commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it
happen, visit www.fws.gov.