Where it lives
Prefers coniferous and mixed forest; also riparian zones, grasslands, shrublands and some deserts. Winter dens in rock outcrops, hollow trees or logs, or outbuildings. [1][2]
How it behaves
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — nuisance or unprotected take · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Newfoundland and Labrador — hunting · 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Northwest Territories — hunting · NWT Summary of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
- Alaska — hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations: Fur Animals, Small Game, Unclassified Game, and Deleterious Exotic Wildlife (pp.140-142)
- Colorado — nuisance or unprotected take · CPW: Common Human-Wildlife Conflict Species (summarizes C.R.S. 33-6-107(9))
- Idaho — hunting, trapping · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Kansas — hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Maine — hunting · 2026-27 Maine Hunting Seasons (Summary of Laws & Rules)
- Massachusetts — hunting, other regulated take · M.G.L. c.131 s.5 Open seasons; rules and regulations
- Minnesota — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take, trapping · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Montana — hunting · Recreational Shooting of Nongame Species (FWP web page)
- Nebraska — hunting · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- New Hampshire — nuisance or unprotected take, trapping · Fis 300 Wildlife Seasons and Rules
- New Mexico — hunting · NMDOW Nongame
- North Dakota — hunting · Hunting - Other Species
- Oregon — hunting, trapping · Oregon Furbearer Trapping & Hunting Regulations, July 1 2026 - June 30 2028
- Pennsylvania — hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- South Dakota — hunting · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Texas — hunting · Outdoor Annual: Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened & Protected Species
- Utah — other regulated take · Utah Admin. Code R657-19 Taking of Nongame Mammals
- Wisconsin — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take, trapping · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
- Wyoming — hunting, trapping · Wyoming Statutes Title 23 (W.S. 23-1-101 definitions)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Central Alaska east to southern Hudson Bay and Labrador; south to the northeastern US in the east and to central Texas, northern Mexico and southern California in the west.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
- BIOLOGICALAnimal Diversity Web: Erethizon dorsatum
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology