Neutered male ferrets were legal until 1987 when the Fish and Game Commission adopted regulations prohibiting their importation and possession. There are currently 50 persons who possess approximately 150 animals legally. Any ferret that is sold or offered for sale in a retail store shall be spayed or neutered before sale. This bill would remove any authority the Department or the Commission may currently have over the possession of ferrets. Ferrets were developed from the European polecat.
European ferrets resemble weasels, but are larger and stockier.
Ferrets, along with the wolverine, weasel, marten, and mink, are members of the family Mustelidae and subfamily Mustelinae . They measure 17 to 22 inches in length and typically weigh between 2 and 6 pounds. The European ferret should not be confused with the similar but biologically distinct American black-footed ferret, an endangered species of the Great Plains. European ferrets were first imported into the United States about 1875 to kill rats. Feral populations developed, and the animals became a serious threat to poultry producers.