iSportsman Staff

Two things in the outdoor community cannot be replicated, the community of the culture and the heritage it enshrines. Maybe you’re new to the Old Dominion state, or maybe you’ve lived here your whole life; either way, if your hobbies include fur trapping — particularly Virginia coyotes — here is a glimpse into the Virginia coyote hunting and trapping community you may not know about.

Virginia has the benefit of being able to trace the importance of animal trapping and the fur trade all the way back to Jamestown. Animal trapping was a popular source of income for many English settlers, with the popularity of furs in England being a driving force at the time. As demand grew, the real shining stars of the trapping trade were the local Indigenous communities who doubled the English settlers in skill and knowledge. When hard times befell the settlers, trapping became less about income and more about survival. Now a days, a mixture of cultural backgrounds contributes to the existing fur trapping community in Virginia to create a unique atmosphere of opportunity.  

Trapping as an American Heritage 

Groups like the Virginia Trappers Association (VTA) work to keep the heritage side of fur and animal trapping alive through their educational outreach on the topic and organization of local fur trades.  If you’re new to the sport and would like a good place to start, there is no better place than here.  

The VTA site has many educational readings available, as well as a source for local Virginia DNR and VTA Trapper Training courses. With coyotes being classified as a nuisance species in Virginia, there is a continuous coyote trapping and hunting season.  Start slowly by reading the provided Best Management Practices for Trapping Coyotes, or get social by attending the VTA Eastern Fur Sale on March 15, 2025.  

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Virginia Coyotes: Hunting and Trapping as a Community 

If you’re already a seasoned coyote trapper or hunter, dive right into the already thriving community in Virginia. Join the coyote hunters of Virginia group on Facebook, 1.8k members strong and currently hosting a predator hunt competition. 

Though we are fortunate to have such communities here in VA, the increasing population size and invasiveness of coyotes in the state is less than welcoming. Bob Duncan, retired Executive Director of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, shared stories with the DWR VA blog of just how often coyotes would stumble into every outdoor activity imaginable over the years.  

“Coyotes are here to stay and have obviously found a niche for themselves in the Old Dominion. It may be my imagination, but I seem to have noticed that when young groundhogs start coming out of their dens, coyote problems for pets and livestock seem to decline.” Wrote Duncan, “I am also surer of the fact that the coyotes that hunters and trappers harvest will not be producing any more young!” 

So, if you’re in Virginia looking to connect with local heritage and communities while helping to assist in an environmental problem, look no further than coyote hunting and trapping — whenever the mood should strike! 

Read about Virginia coyotes and more on iSportsmanUSA.