Can I trap a squirrel or chipmunk myself in New Hampshire?

Only within the regular trapping season under NH regulations; outside that window you need a licensed Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) to trap legally. Even within season, NH Fish & Game doesn't lend traps and won't relocate or remove the animal for you — the person who sets the trap is legally responsible for what happens to the animal afterward, which is a bigger commitment than most homeowners expect.

Can I relocate an animal I've trapped?

Relocation requires written landowner permission at the release site and is discouraged even where legal. UNH Extension notes that releasing a wild animal miles from where it was caught typically exposes it to unfamiliar predators or condemns it to a slow death by starvation, since it doesn't know where to find food, water, or shelter in unfamiliar territory — it's not the humane outcome it appears to be.

Where should I seal to keep wildlife out?

Soffits, gable and ridge vents, chimneys, and foundation gaps are the most common entry points for squirrels, raccoons, and similar animals in New Hampshire homes. Screen these with heavy hardware cloth, install a proper chimney cap, and trim back tree limbs overhanging the roofline, since squirrels routinely use them as a bridge onto soffit and gable gaps.

How do I stop an animal from digging under my shed or porch?

Bury an L-shaped hardware-cloth apron along the foundation, bent outward and set roughly a foot deep, which stops digging animals like skunks and woodchucks from tunneling underneath. This is a genuinely durable, fully DIY-legal fix that UNH Extension recommends for burrowing nuisance mammals around porches and sheds on New Hampshire's common fieldstone footings, where gaps under the structure are often already present.

Is DIY wildlife trapping legal in New Hampshire?

Only during the regular trapping season; outside that window it requires a licensed Wildlife Control Operator. This isn't a minor technicality — NH Fish & Game's guidance is explicit that they don't lend cage traps or manage relocation, which leaves the homeowner with full legal responsibility for an animal they may not be equipped to handle safely, from correct species identification to humane, legal disposition.

What about skunks specifically?

Skunks are commonly caught by accident in traps set for other animals and require special handling skills that most homeowners don't have — the obvious risk is spray, but skunks can also carry rabies. NH Fish & Game guidance treats skunk handling as a situation better left to a professional with the right training and equipment, rather than something to improvise once one turns up in a trap.

Will NH Fish & Game come remove a nuisance animal for me?

No — NH Fish & Game does not lend traps and does not generally relocate or remove trapped animals; the person who sets the trap is responsible for the animal. For a genuine nuisance situation, the practical path is either DIY exclusion (which is fully legal and doesn't involve trapping) or contacting a licensed Wildlife Control Operator or Anchor's wildlife service, which works within these same state rules.

What's the safest first step for a wildlife problem?

Remove attractants — bird feeders, accessible pet food, open trash — so the animal has less reason to stay, and pair that with sealing obvious entry points. UNH Extension and NH Fish & Game both point to this attractant-and-exclusion approach as the first response, letting animals leave on their own rather than jumping straight to trapping, which carries legal and welfare complications most homeowners aren't prepared for.

Mechanical & PhysicalSmall Mammal Pests

Mechanical Wildlife Control: Exclusion Beats DIY Trapping in NH

TL;DR

Exclusion — screening entry points and removing food sources — rates HIGH for keeping squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, and similar wildlife out, while DIY trapping and relocation rates LOW and is legally limited in New Hampshire. Out-of-season trapping generally requires a licensed Wildlife Control Operator, and NH Fish & Game does not lend traps or relocate animals for you — the person who traps an animal is responsible for it.

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NH License #782664Family-owned since 2017Updated Jul 2026

UNH Extension guidance on relocation
Advises against live-trapping and releasing wild animals elsewhere — it often exposes them to predators or a slow death by starvation
extension.unh.edu/resource/nuisance-wildlife-around-home
NH Fish & Game's role
Does not lend cage traps and does not generally relocate or remove trapped animals — the trapper is responsible for the animal
wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/cage-trap.html
Legal trapping window
Trapping outside the regular season requires a licensed Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) in NH
NH Fish & Game; animalofthings.com
Skunk handling
Skunks are commonly caught by accident and require special handling skills
wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/cage-trap.html

The honest verdict

Does this actually work?

HIGH for exclusion (screening entry points, burying a digging-deterrent apron, removing attractants); LOW and legally limited for DIY trapping and relocation.

Works — High

Evidence: UNH Extension explicitly advises against live-trap-and-relocate, noting it often exposes the animal to predators or starvation. NH Fish & Game guidance confirms the agency doesn't lend traps or handle relocation, and out-of-season trapping requires a licensed Wildlife Control Operator under NH regulations.

Works when

Entry points (soffits, vents, chimneys, foundation gaps) are screened with heavy hardware cloth
Food attractants (feeders, pet food, open trash) are removed
Animals already inside exit through a one-way device before the opening is sealed
A buried L-shaped hardware-cloth apron stops digging animals at foundations

Fails when

A cage trap is set without a legal plan for handling the animal afterward
A trapped animal is relocated without landowner permission, which is discouraged and can be restricted
An entry point is sealed before the animal has actually exited
Attractants like accessible pet food or open trash are left in place

At a glance

Exclusion is the real fix — DIY trapping is riskier and more restricted than it looks

How it works

Pro-only

Mechanical small-mammal control leans on exclusion — screening entry points and removing food sources so animals either leave on their own or never gain access — over DIY trapping. For animals already inside a structure, a one-way exit device lets them leave without being physically handled, after which the opening is sealed.

Vital stats

Time: Exclusion work is a DIY-to-pro half-day to multi-day project depending on the structure; any trapping situation should be planned before it starts
Best for: Gray and red squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, and raccoons causing garden, attic, or foundation conflicts around New Hampshire homes, where the goal is to keep animals out rather than trap-and-relocate them.
Cost: Low for DIY exclusion materials; trapping situations often move to a licensed Wildlife Control Operator given the legal and handling requirements

It's tempting to buy a cage trap and handle a squirrel, chipmunk, or raccoon problem yourself, but New Hampshire law and wildlife-management best practice both point the other way. NH Fish & Game doesn't lend traps or relocate animals for you, out-of-season trapping generally requires a licensed Wildlife Control Operator, and relocating a trapped animal without landowner permission is discouraged and can be legally restricted — UNH Extension notes it often just exposes the animal to unfamiliar predators or a slow death by starvation rather than a humane outcome.

The mechanical method that actually works well and stays fully within DIY reach is exclusion: screen the entry points, remove the food that's drawing animals in, and if something's already inside, use a one-way exit device rather than a trap. This page walks through what's genuinely safe and legal to do yourself, and where the line sits for calling in a Wildlife Control Operator.

Step by step

How to do it

Identify the entry point
Look for animal access at soffits, gable vents, chimneys, and foundation gaps to understand exactly how wildlife is getting in or denning.
Caution: Attic or rooflines requiring ladder work should be treated as a professional-level task.
Remove attractants
Take down bird feeders, secure pet food, and close up open trash so the animal has less reason to stay, which often encourages it to leave on its own.
Tip: This single step resolves a surprising number of nuisance-wildlife situations without any trapping at all.
Use a one-way exit for animals already inside
Install a one-way exit device at the entry point so an animal inside can leave but not re-enter, then confirm it's actually out before sealing.
Caution: Never seal an opening before confirming the animal has exited.
Screen and seal entry points
Cover vents and chimneys with heavy hardware cloth, install a proper chimney cap, and bury an L-shaped hardware-cloth apron bent outward roughly a foot deep along foundations to stop digging.
Tip: Trim tree limbs overhanging the roofline — squirrels use them as a bridge onto soffit and gable gaps.
Don't set a cage trap without a legal plan
If trapping seems necessary, arrange legal handling in advance — confirm the season, your local rules, and what you'll actually do with the animal — rather than setting a trap first and figuring it out after.
Caution: Skunks are commonly caught by accident and require special handling skills; relocation without landowner permission is discouraged and can be restricted.

What you need

Tools & materials

Heavy hardware cloth
Screens vents, soffits, and other entry points
Use a gauge heavy enough to resist chewing and clawing
Chimney cap
Blocks a common wildlife entry point
One-way exit device
Lets an animal already inside leave without being handled
Confirm the animal is out before sealing the opening
Construction screws and flashing
Secures hardware cloth and exclusion materials
Gloves
Basic protection during exclusion work
Do not use for handling wildlife directly

Stay safe

Safety first

General
High risk
Rabies-vector species — skunks, raccoons, and bats — require professional handling; do not touch or attempt to handle wildlife directly.
Applicator
Caution
Attic, chimney, and rooflines often involve ladder and height work — treat this as professional-level unless you're properly equipped.
General
Caution
Setting a cage trap without a legal plan for the animal creates both a welfare and a legal problem — arrange handling before you trap, not after.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Why this method fails in practice.

Setting a DIY cage trap without a plan or legal permission for what happens next
Relocating a trapped animal without landowner permission, which is discouraged and can be legally restricted
Sealing an entry point before confirming the animal has actually exited
Leaving food attractants like bird feeders or open trash in place
Attempting to handle a skunk, raccoon, or other rabies-vector species yourself

New Hampshire context

Mechanical small-mammal control in New Hampshire

Common New Hampshire nuisance mammals include raccoons, squirrels, skunks, and chipmunks around homes, with squirrels frequently exploiting soffit, gable, and ridge gaps along with overhanging tree limbs, and skunks or woodchucks denning under porches and sheds built on fieldstone footings. NH Fish & Game and USDA Wildlife Services are the standard referral path for situations beyond straightforward exclusion.

Out-of-season trapping requires a licensed Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) in NH; relocating a trapped animal requires written landowner permission and is discouraged as inhumane by UNH Extension. NH Fish & Game does not lend traps or handle relocation/removal of animals you've trapped.

UNH Cooperative Extension recommends exclusion and attractant removal as the first response, with one-way exits for animals already inside, rather than DIY cage-trapping and relocation.

This method targets

Pests this applies to

Raccoon

Opossum

Chipmunk

Eastern Gray Squirrel

When to call a pro

Wildlife / Nuisance Animal Control with Anchor

Exclusion and attractant removal handle most everyday nuisance-wildlife situations, but anything involving an animal already inside an attic or chimney, a rabies-vector species, or a genuine need to trap falls outside safe or legal DIY territory in New Hampshire. Anchor's wildlife service works within NH Fish & Game rules for exclusion and, where trapping is genuinely needed, legal handling.

Call us when…

An animal is in the attic, chimney, or wall and needs safe removal
The species involved is a rabies vector (skunk, raccoon, bat)
Exclusion requires roofline or high ladder work
You need trapping done outside the regular season or want it handled by a licensed Wildlife Control Operator

Wildlife / Nuisance Animal Control

free inspection; same-day service across southern and central New Hampshire.

Get a free inspection Learn about the service

Keep them out

Screen soffits, gable vents, chimneys, and foundation gaps with heavy hardware cloth
Bury an L-shaped hardware-cloth apron around porches and sheds to stop digging animals
Remove attractants like bird feeders, accessible pet food, and open trash

Common questions

Frequently asked

Sources & further reading(4)

[1]
UNH Cooperative Extension — Nuisance Wildlife Around the Home
Advice against live-trap-and-relocate, exclusion apron spec, attractant removal
extensionverified 2026-07-13
[2]
NH Fish and Game — Nuisance Wildlife
NH wildlife regulatory framework and referral path
govverified 2026-07-13
[3]
NH Fish and Game — Cage Trap Guidance
No trap lending/relocation by NHF&G, trapper responsibility, skunk handling caution
govverified 2026-07-13
[4]
Animal of Things — Nuisance Wildlife Laws in New Hampshire
Out-of-season trapping requiring a licensed WCO
industryverified 2026-07-13

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

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Anchor Pest Services

When small mammal pests won't quit, we will.

Same-day service across Southern New Hampshire. NH-licensed #782664. Family-owned since 2017. We diagnose the pest, then treat it the right way — with a satisfaction guarantee.

Get a free inspection Call (603) 785-0118

Keep Exploring

Mechanical Wildlife Control: Exclusion Beats DIY Trapping in NH

Works when

Fails when

Exclusion is the real fix — DIY trapping is riskier and more restricted than it looks

How it works

How to do it

Identify the entry point

Remove attractants

Use a one-way exit for animals already inside

Screen and seal entry points

Don't set a cage trap without a legal plan

Tools & materials

Heavy hardware cloth

Chimney cap

One-way exit device

Construction screws and flashing

Gloves