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Illinois DNR Offers Online Trapper Education Course

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Young trappers in Illinois are required to take a state-sponsored trapper education course before obtaining a trapping license.  In addition to the traditional 8-hour instructional course, trappers now have the option to take a new 4-hour online course and 4 hours of “in-class” instruction. 

The new online trapper education course is offered at www.trappered.com

All trappers, regardless of age, are encouraged to take the online course.  For more information, click here or go to trappered.com.

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Minnesota Ordered to Avoid Incidental Trapping of Lynx

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After a brief intermission, the Canada lynx issue is back to the forefront of outdoor politics in the state of Minnesota. This past Monday, a federal judged ruled that the Minnesota DNR “promptly take all action necessary to [ensure] no further taking of threatened Canada lynx”. Basically, this means that the state must apply for an “incidental take permit” (ITP) from the federal government, which would protect the state against any further lawsuits resulting from lynx killed as a result of state regulated trapping.

This new ruling comes at the heels of two recent federal lawsuits regarding the taking of lynx: one in Minnesota and one in Maine. Both lawsuits were filed by animal rights groups, and both were settled with the agreement that the respective states file for ITP’s with the feds. Minnesota reached their agreement with very little compromise in trapping regulations, while the Maine settlement resulted in some very significant changes in the way trappers were able to operate.

Now, just months later, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Protection Agency are back in Minnesota and are demanding that additional regulations be placed on trappers to prevent the taking of lynx. A simple look into the history of actions by such groups indicates that they do not back down until they achieve their view of success.

The likely result of the new lawsuit is that Minnesota will have to significantly change their trapping regulations similar to the changes implemented by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Temporary regulations that both sides can agree on will be put in place while the ITP is filed, and ITP regulations will be at least as strict, if not stricter than the temporary regulations. The ITP process is supposed to take about a year, but as we all know, dealing with the federal government almost always takes more time that expected.

new brunswick lynx

This new lawsuit raises a number of questions that we, as concerned trappers, should be asking ourselves. For instance, do lawsuit settlements work, and should trappers compromise their rights? How far are these groups willing to go? Is their goal really to protect lynx, or will they continue to use the Endangered Species Act to further regulate trappers and hunters until these activities are all but eliminated?

A recent quote in the Duluth News Tribune may provide some of the answer to these questions:

“If they (DNR) can’t demonstrate another way to avoid trapping lynx, it could prohibit all trapping in the lynx range. We’d be very much in favor of that,’’ said Nicole Paquette, attorney for California-based Animal Protection Institute which filed the suit against the DNR.

I think it’s safe to say that the API and other groups are determined to eliminate trapping and will use all of the legal and financial resources available until they accomplish this goal. The lynx battle will not stop in Minnesota and Maine, either. Other states that have small lynx populations, like Utah, Montana and Idaho will likely be subject to future lawsuits to influence trapping and other outdoor activities. Maine and Minnesota were likely chosen to set a precedent for future lawsuits because they provide political environments that are less hostile toward animal rights groups and provided such groups with better chances for success.

Despite their relatively small numbers and meager financial resources, trappers and other hunting/fishing/outdoor groups are not backing down from these suits without a fight. Groups like the Minnesota Trappers Association, National Trappers Association, Fur Takers of America, Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance and Safari Club International are all working to fight this battle to the best of their capacity.

There’s little question that the trappers and sportsmen have science on their side. Only a handful of Canada lynx, which are at the southern tip of their geographic range in Maine and Minnesota, have been killed in traps over the past few years, which pales in comparison to the number that die of natural causes, the greatest of which is usually starvation due to lack of food resources. If the number of lynx killed incidentally by trappers were significant, the states would undoubtedly implement their own measures to protect these lynx populations. A plethora of data collected over the years shows that factors influencing lynx numbers are independent of and not influenced by trapping activities. However, the Federal Endangered Species Act can sometimes trump sound science, and groups using the ESA to restrict the activities of others often know or care little about wildlife management and populations dynamics.

If you’re interested in supporting trapping and sporting groups in the fight against lawsuits like these, I would encourage you to join and become active in your local and national trapping associations and other groups that work to preserve this unique heritage while ensuring the long term viability and health of furbearer populations.

See a list of trapping organizations here.

See the news stories below:

Judge orders Minnesota DNR to reduce accidental lynx trappings

Minnesota DNR told to put a stop to trapping Canada lynx

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Montana FWP Commission Keeps Wolverine Trapping Legal

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wolverine

Kudos to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission for taking a stand and allowing wolverine trapping for another year. During a commission meeting this month, the FWP commission, which sets hunting, fishing and trapping regulations, denied appeals to stop the harvest of wolverines.

The wolverine is perhaps the wildest species in the weasel family, typically residing in forested wilderness areas. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks conservatively estimates that at least 200 wolverines reside in the state, and the commission approved a harvest quota of 9 animals for the 2008 season.

The opportunity to catch a wolverine is something that makes Montana truly unique, and even though I may never get my hands on one, I feel lucky to be one of the few Montana trappers who have that chance.

Read the story here.

At the same meeting, the Commission denied requests to allow trapping of swift fox, a rare fox sparsely distributed in a few areas of the state.  Read more here.

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Wolverine Quota Reduced, But Trapping Opportunity Remains in Montana

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The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission recently voted to continue to allow wolverine trapping in the state, but has reduced the quota from ten animals to an allowable harvest of five wolverines statewide. The quota reduction was based on biological data and recommendations from agency biologists that suggested the harvest should be cut back.

While trappers would have liked to see a quota similar to previous years, most seem to understand FWP’s concerns and want to see a healthy population of wolverines maintained into the future.

“If it’s a choice of this plan or none, obviously we trappers will support this plan,” said trapper Don Bothwell of Kalispell, who represents the Montana Furbearer Conservation Alliance.

While environmental activists argue that killing wolverines isn’t worth the price of the pelts, many don’t seem to understand the value of having the opportunity to harvest such a rare and unique creature.

Trapper Tom Barnes of Dillon said that during a span of four years he has caught two wolverines while trying to trap another type of weasel, the pine marten. Barnes said he reveled in the privilege of trapping wolverines and had both prepared for permanent display. The few hundred dollars a pelt might have fetched was not a consideration, he said.

While many trappers argue that the reduced quota is overly conservative, some groups are protesting the fact that the state allows any harvest of wolverines, and are preparing to take legal action.

Defenders of Wildlife is among nine groups that gave notice of intent to sue the federal government if wolverines do not have Endangered Species Act protection by mid-September.

Let’s hope that sound science wins out in this debate. We should appreciate the fact that the state of Montana and its department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks is working hard to protect species like the wolverine while providing a unique opportunity for limited harvest.

And as a Montana trapper, I can only hope that the opportunity to capture a wolverine remains on the horizon as I take to the forest in the coming years.

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Missouri Lifts Restrictions on Otter Trapping

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Otter

For the first time in recent history, the state of Missouri has lifted harvest level restrictions on the river otter, marking a high point in one of the most successful conservation stories in the United States.

Just a few decades ago, Missouri’s otter population was considered almost nonexistent, with only an estimated few dozen otters left in isolated locations.  The plight of the otter in the state was probably due to a combination of over-trapping and shooting.  You see, otters were once a very valuable furbearer, and they eat lots of fish, which doesn’t sit well with many anglers and commercial fishing interests.

While unregulated trapping surely played a part in the otter decline, it was trappers who helped restore a species that now numbers over 15,000 individuals.  Otters were captured from neighboring Louisiana, using the same conventional methods that recreational trappers use to catch the critters for their fur.  They were then transferred to Missouri and released in suitable habitats.

Beginning in the early 1980’s, Missouri transplanted 845 otters into 43 different streams.  With strict regulations in place to limit harvest, otter populations began to grow exponentially.

The years of otter transplants and limited harvest paid off, and a healthy population of otters exists throughout the state.  The success of the otter project may have been too great, however and the species, according to the experts, may be exceeding healthy (and socially acceptable) levels.

Like with many animals, an overpopulation of otters can mean increased spreading of disease, starvation, and a depletion of the food base.  Many Missourians are concerned that otters are having an impact on fish populations in small ponds and large rivers alike.  The Missouri Department of Conservation receives numerous ‘problem otter’ calls, and has documented fishery declines in high-density otter areas.

Fortunately, the Department has the ability to manage otter populations at a healthy and publicly acceptable level by allowing limited otter harvest during trapping seasons.

The first otter trapping season opened in 1996, and has expanded over the years to encourage increased otter harvest.  Still, harvest levels haven’t been high enough to meet management objectives.  Otter fur prices are much lower than they were historically, and trappers are few and far between compared to days of yesteryear.  So there haven’t been enough trappers out in the woods to harvest otters in high enough numbers to keep their populations in check.

Which brings us to today, where Missouri has decided to lift the harvest level restriction on otters, allowing each trapper to take an unlimited number of otters.  The DOC will continue to monitor harvest levels and make future regulation changes if otter populations decline or grow to unhealthy levels.

The Missouri model is similar to how many U.S. states are managing their furbearer populations.  It’s this level of sophisticated wildlife management what will ensure both healthy furbearer populations and regulated trapping continue for generations to come.

To learn more about the Missouri otter story, click here.

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Province Announces Coyote Bounty Program

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Just this week, the Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister announced a new program that will offer a $20 bounty on coyotes killed in the province.  The Saskatchewan Coyote Control Program aims to reduce coyote predation on livestock in the province’s agricultural land.

In addition to the $20 bounty on coyotes, the program also provides funding for ranchers to install better fences and obtain guardian animals, and assists the training of Conservation Officers in the responsible use of poison for predator control.

This new coyote control program is an interesting departure from the current mentality in most U.S. states, where bounty programs are frowned upon in the face of political correctness.  The program will certainly provide much more incentive for folks to kill coyotes at a time when depressed fur prices have made it difficult to justify such efforts.

I’m anxious to see how the bounty works.  One thing to remember about bounties is that their benefits are quick but temporary.  If a bounty program works here, it’s likely to have positive effects as long as it is continued.  As soon as the bounty program ends, however, the coyote population will likely rebound to pre-bounty levels and will require control once again.

If successful, the bounty model in Saskatchewan could be followed by some U.S. states that have serious problems with coyote populations and their impact on livestock and game animals.  One such area that immediately comes to mind is the state of Maine, where exploding coyote populations have severely impacted the state’s whitetail deer herd in the northern and eastern parts of the state.  Localized coyote control during critical deer wintering and fawning periods could be encouraged by a bounty, and could provide the temporary relief needed for the deer herd to recover.  Maine would have huge hurdles to overcome before implementing such a bounty (finding a funding source and standing up to the anti-hunting community), but many average folks in the state are pushing hard to find ways to recover the deer herd.   A bounty could work in other places.  I’m just glad to see that Saskatchewan is actually trying it.

Click here to find out more about Saskatchewan’s coyote control program.

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West Virginia Proposes New Otter Trapping Season

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North_American_River_Otter

Texas isn’t the only place river otters are making a comeback.  The recovery of otter populations in a number of states across the nation has been an exciting trend, and is opening up the opportunity for responsibly regulated trapping seasons.

Just recently, wildlife officials in the state of West Virginia announced their plans to allow the trapping of river otters beginning in the 2011-2012 trapping season.

Rich Rogers, furbearer project leader for the Division of Natural Resources, said recent research showed that otters had become abundant enough to be trapped.

“We had known how widely they had spread throughout the state, but we didn’t know if there were enough individuals to support a trapping season,” Rogers said. “We finally got the data we needed to make a decision on that.”

Click here to read more about the otter recovery and the proposed trapping season.

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New Hampshire Study Documents Higher Bobcat Numbers

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Bobcat photo from Sean Kerwin via NH Fish and Game website
Bobcat photo from Sean Kerwin via NH Fish and Game website

A four year trapping and tagging study by the University of New Hampshire and NH Fish and Game is beginning to document a significant comeback in bobcat numbers in the state.

As of late last month, UNH faculty and students, trappers and Fish & Game personnel involved in the effort had tagged 12 bobcats, collared them and taken small bits of tissue for DNA testing.

Litvaitis said trappers involved with the project are local to the Keene area and willing to help. Much of the trapping took place once snow was on the ground, Litvaitis said, noting many bobcats find food more scarce in the winter, lose substantial weight and are more willing to take bait. Only full-grown males, who can take down deer by themselves, make it through winter without struggles, and bobcats are showing up in back yards looking for bird feeders and the like much more frequently than 20 years ago. Litvaitis said he’s had close to 170 observation reports sent to him the last two years, more or less statewide.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is interested in learning more about the bobcat population, presumably to help guide their wildlife management decisions.

As the project is a cooperative effort with Fish & Game, Litvaitis said the agency has an interest in how many bobcats the state has compared to surrounding states. The agency hopes that will give it a better sense of how 20 years with protected status affected the animals’ distribution and abundance.

The return of a healthy bobcat population in New Hampshire is great news.  With this new knowledge of bobcat population status and today’s sound wildlife management practices and regulation, perhaps bobcats could again be legally harvested by sportsmen in the Granite State.

See the story here.

Click here for more info on the bobcat study and some great pictures.

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Idaho Approves Wolf Trapping in 2010

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This week, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the use of trapping to harvest wolves for the upcoming wolf season in the state.  The preliminary approval does not set specific wolf trapping regulations, but simply approves trapping as a method of take.  Detailed seasons and regulations pertaining to wolf trapping would be specified prior to the beginning of the season.

If the wolf trapping season becomes a reality, Idaho would become the first state in the lower 48 to allow wolf trapping in the modern era.  This would provide an incredible opportunity for trappers in Idaho while helping accomplish the state’s wolf management goals.

Read more here.

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New Mexico Governor Bans Trapping in Wolf Recovery Area

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Amidst a slew of propaganda from animal rights activists and members of the media, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson ordered the New Mexico Game and Fish Department to impose a six month ban on trapping in the area along the New Mexico-Arizona border where gray wolves were introduced beginning in 1998.

The ban halts trapping in the area until a study can be completed to evaluate the impacts of traps on wolves.  It’s assumed that after the study, the Game and Fish Department will impose new restrictions on trapping to minimize potential impacts on the wolves, if trapping is allowed to resume at all.  Just how they are going to carry out this study without actually ‘hurting’ more wolves is beyond me.

The New Mexico trapping ban is just the latest in a long line of recent trapping bans and restrictions all across the country, aiming to ‘reduce impacts’ on ‘endangered species’, many of which have been introduced by the government that’s restricting trapping to protect them.

Another interesting observation is the fact that trapping of all types is being banned in the area, not just trapping activities that could impact wolves.  For instance, under the executive order it will be illegal to trap with underwater sets for muskrats, or to use live cage traps for bobcat.

It should be interesting to see how the New Mexico trapping ban plays out, especially since the state will have a new governor after the upcoming elections.  We’ll be sure to keep you posted on any new developments.

Click here to read Richardson’s executive order

Here are a couple of related news stories:

Richardson orders temporary wolf-trapping ban

NM governor suspends trapping in wolf area

Here’s a map of the recovery area where the trapping ban will be enacted:

NM_wolf_recovery_area

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Otters Return to Indiana

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otter-8603After many decades of extinction, river otters have returned to the state of Indiana.  The Indiana Department of Natural Resources re-introduced otters beginning 15 years ago in hopes to re-establish the species.  About 300 individuals were introduced, and otters are now found in over 70 counties throughout the state.

“We started by releasing 25 otters at the Muscatuck National Wildlife Refuge (near Seymour) early in 1995,” said Scott Johnson, a Nongame Mammalogist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. “A total of 303 were released at a variety of watershed areas around Indiana over a five-year period.”

The otters used in the Indiana reintroduction were wild and caught in Louisiana by cooperative trappers. Since the reintroduction began, river otters now are found in more than 70 counties, including Lake and Porter.

“This has been a tremendous success,” Johnson said. “We kind of expected it though. Other states had already completed reintroduction programs, and we followed their strategies. We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel with otters.

In recent years, populations of river otters have been expanding throughout the United States.  I’ve covered several articles about otter population comebacks, with the most recent stories coming from Texas, Missouri and West Virginia.  The pattern is similar across all of these states.  Otter numbers were historically depleted during periods of heavy hunting, trapping and expanding development.  Otter populations are likely more susceptible to overharvest and habitat alterations than other furbearing species.  There are other potential reasons for this decline that I’ve heard from other trappers, but most of the biologists seem to believe that unregulated harvest played a large role.

As Indiana DNR’s Scott Johnson noted:

“Unregulated trapping and hunting was the main reason otters disappeared,” Johnson said. “Back then there was no Department of Natural Resources. There were no limits, regulations or laws. It was a trapping and hunting free-for-all. This combined with a loss of habitat to farmland and subdivisions led to the otter’s demise in Indiana. They succumbed to the pressure.

With the advent of regulated trapping in its current form and more targeted wildlife management, otter numbers started to come back.  Many states that completely lost otters in most areas started programs to re-introduce the species.  This new wildlife management strategy has proven extremely successful.  I suspect we’ll continue to see stories that relay the successful recover of otter populations in other states.  Hopefully we’ll see future controlled trapping seasons in places where otter populations have recovered and can be responsibly harvested.

Click here for more otter recovery stories from Trapping Today.

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Change in Trapping Permits for Ohio Public Lands

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Controlled Trapping Opportunities for Beaver and River Otter on Publicly Managed Lands

On-line application period will be open from September 15 to October 15


COLUMBUS, OH
– Beaver and river otter trapping on public land will still require a special permit, but the method of acquiring the permit and permission to trap a particular public land area for beaver and river otters has changed, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

For the 2010-11 trapping season, controlled beaver and/or river otter trapping opportunities on 73 wildlife areas, state parks and other publicly managed lands statewide will be awarded through a new system of computer-generated random drawings, similar to the system used currently for controlled waterfowl and deer hunts in Ohio.

The application period will be September 15 through October 15. Applications will be accepted online only; there is a $3 charge associated with applying for each public land area or group of areas as will be noted on the application form.  In most areas, permits will allow beaver and river otter trapping (in counties currently open to otter trapping); however, some permits may be limited to beaver trapping only.

Drawing results will be available in late October at wildohio.com, with permits and instructions being mailed in November to successful applicants. All controlled trapping permits will be transferable; they will be issued to an adult trapper with instructions for use of the permit on a particular public land area.

This revised system for awarding controlled beaver and/or river otter trapping opportunities on select public lands in Ohio will allow area managers to set specific limits and restrictions based on the trapping opportunities and needs for their areas.

“Our mission is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, while promoting their use and appreciation by the public,” said Suzie Prange, furbearer biologist for the Division of Wildlife. “We feel providing fewer trapping restrictions, where warranted, will allow us to better manage beaver populations and provide a more fair system for all trappers with an interest in these recreational opportunities.”

For the wildlife refuge portions of Killbuck Marsh and Mosquito Creek wildlife areas, the current system will not change – they are not part of the online lottery system – instead, sealed bids will be accepted in September for all furbearer trapping opportunities at these areas.

For official bid proposal forms and other information, contact the Division of Wildlife District 3 Office in early September at (330) 644-2293. Also, beaver trapping within American Electric Power’s recreation area, known as ReCreation Land, Avondale Wildlife Area, and Conesville Coal Lands will continue to require a special beaver trapping permit which is in addition to the normal user’s permit. This special beaver trapping permit is issued from the AEP Land Management office in McConnelsville, Ohio.

For more specific information, please visit wildohio.com or call your nearest Wildlife district office.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

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For more information, contact:
Suzie Prange, ODNR Division of Wildlife
740. 589. 9930
Gary Ludwig, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Central Ohio
614. 644. 3925
Scott Butterworth, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Northwest Ohio
419. 424. 5000
Dan Kramer, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Northeast Ohio
330. 644. 2293
Jim Hill, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Southeast Ohio
740. 589. 9930
Dave Kohler, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Southwest Ohio
937. 372. 9261

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Alaska Could Legalize Bear Trapping

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Alaska Fish and Game Photo
Alaska Fish and Game Photo

The Alaska Board of Game is set to vote on a proposal to legalize the trapping and snaring of bears for the first time in the state’s history.  The proposal has some animal rights groups angry, but is supported by sportsmen and most residents in the affected areas.

……the head of Alaska’s largest sportsmen’s group said Friday the agency’s proposal to allow bear trapping is an attempt to give the public more hunting opportunities while building on the state’s aerial predator control program in which wolves and bears are killed to boost moose and caribou numbers.

“I think it is all in the same direction in trying to do proactive predator and prey management,” said Rod Arno, executive director of the Alaska Outdoor Council, when asked about agenda items added to a special meeting beginning next week in Anchorage. The meeting will be open to the public.

The proposal wouldn’t impact the entire state, only places where special seasons were set by the Board.

“This change will legalize public trapping of black bears in areas where the board establishes bear trapping seasons,” said Fish and Game Deputy Commissioner Pat Valkenburg.

While the plan targets black bears, some brown bears, also known as grizzlies, are expected to be trapped incidentally. Under the proposal, trapping may be closed by emergency order when unspecified numbers are reached.

Alaska would be the only state other than Maine to currently allow bear trapping.  In the state of Maine, trapping bears using cable foot snares is legal, but using steel foothold traps was outlawed several years ago in an attempt to appease animal rights activists in the state and beyond.

The proposal sounds like a good one, providing additional opportunity for Alaskans to manage their black bear population while adding recreational and economic opportunity to the area.  In a world where we seem to be losing more and more hunting and trapping opportunities every day, Alaska seems to be bucking the trend.  Hopefully it works.

Read the full story here.

UPDATE:  On October 14, 2010, Alaska Public Radio Network reported that the Board of Game has put the decision to legalize black bear trapping in some units on hold until 2012 to allow more time for public comment.

The state’s game board has put a decision on black bear snaring on hold until 2012.   The proposal before the board’s special meeting in Anchorage would have allowed for black bear trapping with snares in six Interior game management units.

Fish and Game officials had asked the board to defer the decision until the board of game meets in Ketchikan later this year to give the public time to weigh in on the issue. The Board agreed to that plan.  The next board meeting on Southcentral issues takes place in March of next year.

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More on the Maine Lynx Lawsuit Resolution

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Here’s the press release from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:

First Circuit United States Court of Appeals Upholds Maine’s Trapping Regulations

The First Circuit United States Court of Appeals this week affirmed a lower federal court’s ruling that denied a request from two organizations seeking to permanently enjoin Maine’s trapping regulations. The appeals court agreed that the groups failed to prove that Canada lynx as a species are irreparably harmed under the state’s rules.

The appeals court also took exception with the organizations’ request to change Maine’s regulations or create a working group to further study the issue.  The court noted that the groups “expressly disavowed such remedies before the district court” and that such “bait and switch” should be “deplored.”

The written decision by First Circuit United States Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sandra L. Lynch was received by the Office of the Maine Attorney General on Wednesday on behalf of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin.

Also hearing the appeal were Circuit Judges Michael Boudin and Jeffrey R. Howard.

The request for permanent injunction – Animal Welfare Institute, et al. v. Roland D. Martin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (CV-08-267-B-W) – initially was filed in U.S. District Court in Bangor in August 2008. The Wildlife Alliance of Maine joined AWI as a party to this case.

In November 2009, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John A. Woodcock ruled that there was no evidence that trapping has any detrimental effect on the population of Canada lynx in Maine, and he declined to order the State of Maine to impose any new restrictions on trapping.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Office of the Maine Attorney General are pleased that the First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the U.S. District Court decision.

“We thank the First Circuit Court of Appeals for its thorough examination of the U.S. District Court’s ruling, and for making the correct decision to uphold it,” said MDIF&W Commissioner Martin. “Wildlife management requires a balance between species protection and population control, and our biologists achieve that balance through research, in-the-field studies and the establishment of rules on legitimate harvesting tools such as trapping. Fortunately, the courts found that legal attempts to undermine biologists’ efforts were inadequate.”

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills added, “Special appreciation goes to Assistant Attorneys General Christopher Taub and Nancy Macirowski for their excellent advocacy both at trial and on appeal. Their arguments recognized the balancing that must take place in these cases and the values of Maine’s outdoor heritage and the interests of Maine’s sportsmen and women that must be weighed against the federal protections of wildlife.”

The Animal Welfare Institute and the Wildlife Alliance of Maine alleged that Maine, by allowing trappers to obtain permits to use foothold traps to catch non-threatened or non-endangered species, violated the federal Endangered Species Act because an individual lynx could incidentally be caught in the traps.

After a six-day hearing, however, Chief Judge Woodcock found that the groups failed to prove Canada lynx suffer serious physical injury from incidental takes in foothold traps, and therefore that the species was not threatened. He recognized that there is no evidence that trapping is having a detrimental effect on the population of Canada lynx in Maine, and declined to order the State of Maine to impose new restrictions on trapping.

Canada lynx are designated as a Threatened Species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

In Maine, it is estimated that there are at least 650 breeding adults and at least 1,000 total lynx. The U.S. District Court credited the evidence submitted by the Department regarding the population estimations.

Maine Assistant Attorney General Christopher C. Taub stated that the First Circuit’s decision “is significant because it conclusively establishes in Maine and other states within the court’s jurisdiction that anyone seeking an injunction under the Endangered Species Act must prove not only that the Act is being violated, but that the violation is causing irreparable harm to the species.”

Taub further noted that “compelling expert testimony, especially that of MDIF&W’s former chief wildlife biologist, Dr. Ken Elowe, conclusively established that there is no evidence suggesting that any single Canada lynx has suffered serious physical injury or death as a result of being caught in a foothold trap, much less that the traps pose any risk to the population as whole.”

Skip Trask, executive director of the Maine Trappers Association, an intervener in the lawsuit, called the decision timely and rewarding.

“We knew from day one of this lawsuit that trapping poses not threat to Maine’s healthy lynx population and it’s rewarding to know that some of the most respected federal judges in the land agree with us,” Trask said.  “Maine trappers would have been the biggest losers if this lawsuit had been successful. This decision is a huge win for the Department, for Maine trappers and for sportsmen and sportswomen across the country. As we head into the woods this fall to set our traplines, it’s a big relief to know that this unwarranted lawsuit is no longer a threat to our outdoor lifestyle.”

The 2010 general trapping season starts Oct. 31 and closes on Dec. 31, for most allowable species. Maine permits trapping of beaver, bobcat, coyote, fisher, fox, marten, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, raccoon, red squirrel, skunk and weasel.

Since 1967, MDIF&W has made it illegal to intentionally hunt or trap Canada lynx, including restricting the type, size and placement of traps in Maine.

In 2008, MDIF&W recognized there was a gap in the clarity of its regulations regarding Conibear traps and how it could result in the incidental taking of Canada lynx. The U.S. District Court ordered MDIF&W to establish emergency rules clarifying the intent of Conibear trap restrictions to ensure that Canada lynx would be unlikely to be caught in these types of traps.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council approved emergency regulations in two weeks, and those regulations went into effect during the 2008 trapping season.

The vast majority of Canada lynx caught in traps in Maine is not harmed and promptly released back into the wild. Major injuries are rare. Since 1999, only two lynx have been killed by legally set traps. By comparison, 22 lynx have been killed during the same time period after being struck by cars.

For several years, MDIF&W has been working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to obtain what is known as an incidental take permit to protect the State from any further legal challenges. An incidental take permit allows lawful activities that by happenstance would result in the incidental take of an Endangered or Threatened species.

“Our effort to obtain an incidental take permit will be boosted by the federal Appeals Court ruling, particularly the affirmation that there is no evidence that trapping activity under Maine’s rules has a detrimental impact on Canada lynx,” according to John Boland, MDIF&W Acting Director of Resource Management.

Maine’s trapping laws are outlined in the “State of Maine Hunting and Trapping Laws and Rules” book that is given to hunters and trappers when they purchase a license. It also can be viewed on the Department’s website at www.mefishwildlife.com.

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New Opportunities for Pennsylvania Trappers

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This trapping season, Pennsylvania trappers will see increased opportunities to pursue bobcats and fishers, both species that have been expanding their numbers in the state.

This year all trappers will be able to purchase a permit from the Pennsylvania Game Commission to harvest a bobcat, whereas they previously had to win the permit in a drawing.

“Following careful review of past seasons and, in consideration of hunter and trapper input, beginning with the 2010-11 season, we will use season length to regulate bobcat taking in specified WMUs,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.  “Our data indicate that bobcat populations have increased significantly.

In addition to the bobcat opportunities, a limited one week fisher season will be added in certain parts of the state.

The creation of a limited, one-week fisher season, which was part of the Game Commission’s initial plans when it reintroduced fishers back in the 1990s, is consistent with the agency’s longstanding goal mission of promoting and providing hunting and trapping opportunities.

“Through this limited season, we will gather additional biological samples for demographic and genetic analyses,” Roe said. “Mandatory reporting, along with fisher permits, is needed to better assess participation, effort and harvest for this new season.”

Sounds like it’s shaping up to be a great trapping season in Pennsylvania.  It’s good to see trapping opportunities expand as furbearer populations continue to thrive under sound wildlife management practices.

Read the full story here.

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Kansas Now Offers Online Trapper Education Course

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TrapperEd

Kansas is the second state to add an online trapper education course on TrapperEd.com as a replacement to the old mail correspondence course and an alternative to instructor-led courses that are taught in person.

All persons born after July 1, 1966 are required to take the course before harvesting furbearers on land in the state other than their own.

Illinois also offers a similar course, and more states are sure to follow.

For more information or to take the course, visit www.trappered.com.

Read more here.

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2010 Land Trapping Begins in Montana

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Get ready, Montana trappers! The land trapping season for protected furbearers begins on December 1. Here’s a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks:

Land furbearer trapping seasons open December 1 across much of Montana for bobcat, marten, fisher, and wolverine. Trappers after bobcat and wolverine must purchase their license by Tuesday, November 30.

For bobcat, each Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks region has a specific quota as well as a per-trapper limit. The total quota for Montana is 2,175 bobcats.

Trappers must personally report their bobcat harvest to FWP within 24 hours, and must present the pelt for tagging within 10 days after harvest.

Bobcats may also be hunted with or without the use of dogs; the same reporting and tagging requirements apply. The season extends until quotas are reached or through February 15 in Regions 1, 2, and 3, and through March 1 in Regions 4, 5, 6, and 7.

For marten, trappers must personally present marten pelts to a FWP representative for tagging within 10 days of the close of the season. The marten trapping season extends until February 15 in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

For fisher and wolverine, very restricted trapping seasons exist. The total fisher quota is seven, and only open in Regions 1 and 2. The wolverine quota is five, and open only in three of four wolverine management units.

Both species have female sub quotas. Special restrictions exist for trappers pursuing land furbearers in Regions 1 and 2 to avoid incidental capture of lynx.

Regulated trapping in Montana is managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks through scientifically based regulations that sustain furbearer populations. FWP and the FWP Commission continually review and refine those regulations to ensure the use of best management practices for trapping activities.

Licensed trappers also provide FWP with important information that assists with wildlife management programs across the state.

Trapping has been underway since Nov. 1 for water species including muskrat, mink, beaver, and otter. Now that pelts are prime, trappers are also pursuing predator and nongame species such as coyote and red fox.


NEW INFORMATION SHEET AVAILABLE ON WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT & REGULATED TRAPPING

Regulated trapping in Montana is managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks through scientifically based regulations that sustain furbearer populations. FWP and the FWP Commission continually review and refine those regulations to ensure the use of best management practices for trapping activities. Licensed trappers also provide FWP with important information that assists with wildlife management programs across the state.

A new information sheet, Wildlife Management and Regulated Trapping in Montana, addresses trapping’s time-honored tradition in Montana, laws and regulations, the role of trappers in providing information on furbearers, wildlife management and sustainability, trapping ethics, trapper education, avoiding non-target catches, and human and pet safety.

The pamphlet is available at all FWP offices beginning Friday, November 26.

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Muskrat Trapping Extended in Illinois

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Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed a bill on Tuesday that extends muskrat trapping in the state.  Muskrats are found throughout the state, and trapping of the species is regulated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Congratulations, Illinois trappers!  In a time where it seems like trapping rights are constantly being eroded, it’s nice to see new trapping opportunities present themselves.  Hopefully trappers can help wildlife biologists in Illinois manage healthy populations of muskrats into the future.

I have a feeling trapping suppliers will soon see a spike in demand for 110 conibears in Illinois!

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New Mexico Trapping Ban Overturned

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There’s great news for trappers in New Mexico today.  The New Mexico State Game Commission unanimously voted to overturn a ban placed on trapping in the Gray Wolf Recovery Area by Governor Bill Richardson last year.

We reported on the trapping ban a year ago, and noted that a study was underway to determine whether trapping in New Mexico had an impact on the wolf population.  While that study has been completed, results have not yet been released to the public.  The New Mexico Game and Fish Department had the chance to review the study, and Game and Fish officials recommended that the trapping ban be lifted, presumably based on those results.

Trappers shouldn’t be surprised to see the ban lifted as a result of the study, considering that trapping is used to safely catch and transport wolves in recovery efforts throughout North America.  However, we’re all used to regulation decisions being based on politics.  This time around, both the science and politics were in favor of trappers in New Mexico.  A new governor, elected during the 2010 political swing, had a different view on the trapping issue than did Gov. Richardson.

The animal rights groups are up in arms about the decision, which they had hoped would go the other way, and provide momentum for a statewide trapping ban in New Mexico.  Even the AP article by Susan Bryan seemed to be very biased toward animal rights groups.  She referred to the animal rights extremist groups as the “conservationists”.  Anyone with experience in trapping and wildlife management knows that trappers and wildlife biologists are the real conservationists, as they work to maintain wildlife populations in a healthy balance with humans and nature.  A more fitting term to describe the opponents of the decision would be “activists”.

Trappers and wildlife managers have won a victory this time around, and the threat to legal trapping in New Mexico will have to wait.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Reviewing Maine’s ITP Application for Trapping and Lynx

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering an application by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for an incidental take permit for Canada lynx.  The ITP would provide legal protection for the Department’s trapping program and trappers who incidentally capture lynx, which are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act.  In return, the Department has taken measures to minimize the chances that lynx will be taken in traps, and minimize mortality to lynx that are caught.  For the few possible mortalities that could occur, the Department has agreed to provide mitigation to minimize impacts to the lynx population.

The ITP comes on the heels of several lawsuits from animal rights groups to attempt to limit trapping in Maine.

If issued, the Incidental Take Permit would last for a 15 year period.

A brief review of what the document means to Maine’s trapping program can be read by clicking here.

Click here to read the full ITP document.

The USFWS Draft EA can be found here.

The USFWS is accepting public comment on the ITP application through February 7, 2012.  Comments can be mailed in or emailed to: hcpmainetrapping@fws.gov

Several public meetings have already been held, but public comment is still being accepted.  See the press release below:

 

News Release Contact:
11/08/2011 USFWS, Meagan Racey, 413-253-8558/413-658-4386
MDIFW, Walter Jakubas, 207-941-4471
Wildlife agencies announce request for lynx permit
Public invited to comment on draft plan for Maine trapping program
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a permit to authorize incidental take of federally protected Canada lynx resulting from the state-regulated trapping program.
The Service invites the public to comment on MDIFW’s draft incidental take plan, a requirement for the permit. The Service also invites comment on its draft environment assessment for MDIFW’s application.
The Endangered Species Act makes it illegal to “take”—meaning trap, capture, harass, harm or kill—federally threatened or endangered wildlife, such as the threatened Canada lynx. Some legal activities, such as trapping, have the risk of incidentally taking protected species. An incidental take permit allows for those activities to continue, as long as the permittee undertakes reasonable and practical measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate take of listed species.
“The incidental take permit that MDIFW has applied for should provide assurance to Maine’s trapping community and the general public that trappers can continue to pursue their avocation in northern Maine without detriment to the state’s lynx population,” said Wally Jakubas, MDIFW Mammal Group leader.
Incidental take plans, known also as habitat conservation plans, identify the impacts to wildlife from a project or program; the steps the applicant will take to reduce or compensate for such impacts; what alternative actions were considered; and how conservation efforts will be funded.
“Habitat conservation plans provide frameworks for partnerships in endangered species conservation,” said Paul Phifer, assistant regional director for the Service’s Northeast Region Ecological Services program. “The measures in this plan will help both agencies continue to protect lynx across the state for the benefit of future generations.”
The Service and MDIFW will hold informational sessions on the draft plan and related assessment in December:

December 13 at University of Maine at Presque Isle, 181 Maine Street, Presque Isle, 04769 (Grand Ballroom—Allagash and Aroostook rooms); 207-768-9502

December 14 at Black Bear Inn, 4 Godfrey Drive, Orono, 04473; 207-866-7120

December 15 at University of Southern Maine in Gorham, 37 College Avenue, Gorham, 04038 (Bailey Hall); 207-780-5961
The Service and MDIFW are accepting written comments on the draft plan and environmental assessment through February 7, 2012. After the comment period ends, the Service will determine whether the application meets the permit issuance requirements. Send comments to hcpmainetrapping@fws.gov or to the Service’s Maine Field Office at 17 Godfrey Drive, Suite 2, Orono, Maine 04473. Comments sent through U.S. mail should be postmarked no later than February 7, 2012, to be considered

Click here for a shortened explanation of the highlights of the ITP. You are encouraged to provide comments on the plan.  Remember, these can be submitted to hcpmainetrapping@fws.gov.

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Minnesota Ponders Wolf Hunting, Trapping Seasons

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After a successful recovery of the gray wolf population in the Great Lakes area, wolves have been removed from the Endangered Species List by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  With delisting, management of the wolf population becomes the responsibility of each state’s fish and wildlife department.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is considering opening a wolf hunt to reduce the wolf population, but hunting success for the species is questionable.  A recent article in the Star Tribune highlights statistics from the recent wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana, which show that hunters have had difficulty harvesting wolves.

Another wolf management option for the department would be to allow wolf trapping.  Doug Smith’s recent article further discusses this option.

Minnesota trappers could be more effective in killing wolves than hunters.

At least initially.

But there may not be much of a market for Minnesota’s wolf pelts, and it’s uncertain how much interest Minnesota’s 6,000 trappers will have.

Click here to read the full article.

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Montana, Minnesota to Open Wolf Trapping Seasons

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Recent developments within the Minnesota legislature and the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will allow the public to trap for wolves in the two states for the first time in decades.

Wolf management was transferred from the federal government to the state of Minnesota in January when the population was removed from the Endangered Species List.  The state is now setting rules to govern how a trapping/hunting season will operate.

In Montana, the state has instituted a wolf hunt for a couple of years now, but harvest objectives have not been met, so the state is looking for ways to increase opportunity to harvest more wolves, including allowing trapping.

See the two stories below:

With Minnesota wolf hunt a reality, DNR is working on logistics

FWP gives initial OK to wolf trapping

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Wolf Hunting, Trapping to Begin in Wisconsin

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In addition to Idaho, Montana and Minnesota, trappers will likely be able to pursue wolves in Wisconsin this fall.  Recent wolf delisting by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has turned over wolf management to the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin season would include managed hunting and trapping, with a goal to reduce the wolf population to a more publicly acceptable level.

Read more here.

In anticipation of the upcoming season, the DNR has scheduled several public meetings to give the public a chance to weigh in on details including quotas, hunting districts, and trapping-specific details.  Read more about the upcoming meetings here.

In other news, Wyoming is hoping to institute a limited wolf hunt in 2012, pending congressional action.

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Delaware Adopts Coyote Trapping Season

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Coyote-1 For the first time in modern history, Delaware trappers will have a trapping season specifically for fox and coyotes. Officials at Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife are adopting rules for the season, which was created after the legislature passed a law that gave them the authority to manage the species.

 

 

Delaware_FW_logoThe trapping season is a response to the public’s desire to manage fox and coyote populations at a more socially acceptable level and reduce human-animal conflicts due to increased populations of both people and animals. Regulated, responsible trapping can play an important role in keeping predator numbers in balance and reducing starvation and disease.

Full story here.

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Judge Upholds Idaho’s Wolf Trapping Program

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USFWS_wolfIdaho_FishGame_logoIn a recent district court case, judge Edward Lodge rejected an environmentalist challenge to the state of Idaho’s wolf management program that includes trapping two packs of wolves in the Frank Church Wilderness.  Basically, the state wanted to trap two wolf packs that were impacting the elk herd.  Defenders of Wildlife sued, and the judge ruled in favor of the state.  It’s an interesting case that will be appealed, but for now, it’s a win for state wolf management programs.

Read more here. 

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Bob Noonan on Bear Trapping

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On Tuesday November 4th, Maine voters will decide whether to ban the use of bait, hounds and traps to hunt bears in the state.  Perhaps the most misunderstood of these methods is bear trapping.  Bob Noonan explains bear trapping well in his Lewiston Sun Journal article:

Bear trapping is heavily regulated. A special bear trapping permit is required, and is available only to licensed trappers, who must take a 10-hour special training course to get a license. In 2013, only 531 trappers bought a permit. They caught 106 bears, a success rate of 20 percent.

Foot-snared bears do not chew their feet off. That is a deliberate fabrication. The foot snare is very humane, and does not damage the bear’s foot.

Click here to read the full story.

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Maine IF&W Suspends Marten, Fisher Trapping to Protect Lynx

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December 9, 2014

IFW News — IFW Adopts Emergency Trapping Rule Changes In Northern Maine

For Immediate Release: December 9, 2014

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has implemented immediate trapping regulation changes through an emergency rule making process after two Canada lynx were killed in traps this fall.

“We are taking immediate measures to drastically decrease the probability of having another lynx killed in a trap,” said James Connolly, Director, IFW Bureau of Resource Management.

Effective immediately, lethal traps that are commonly used to catch fisher and marten are not allowed above ground or snow level in areas of the state where there are lynx, specifically Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) 1-11, 14,18,19 (Predominantly Aroostook, northern Somerset, northern Piscataquis, northern Penobscot, northern Hancock and northern Washington counties). In WMDs 7,14,18,19, lethal traps smaller than 7 � inches may be used on the ground if the trap is placed within a lynx exclusion device. Additionally, the use of any foothold trap above the ground or snow level will not be allowed in these WMDs.

The new regulations were triggered by a contingency provision in the Department’s incidental take plan developed to obtain a permit under the Endangered Species Act from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the unintended take of Canada lynx resulting from the Department’s trapping programs.

Under the conditions set forth in the incidental take plan, if two lynx are killed by legally set traps, trapping rules will be modified to prevent the likelihood of another lynx being killed.

These are the first lynx trapping deaths in six years in Maine. Statistics show that trapping is not a major factor impacting Maine’s lynx population. Since 2009, there were 26 lynx killed by vehicles, and only 2 by trapping.

“Although trapping related deaths are uncommon, we have worked diligently with Maine trappers in order to change the regulations to protect lynx,” said Connolly. “We are committed to protecting Maine’s lynx population.”

According to Laury Zicari, supervisor of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Maine Field Office, “The incidental take permit for trapping issued to Maine accounted for the possibility of lynx deaths. It outlined what trapping restrictions would need to be implemented if lynx were killed to hopefully avoid additional deaths. We commend Maine’s swift action through these regulation changes to address this issue, demonstrating that the permit framework is working.”

The first lynx death was self-reported by the trapper to the Maine Warden Service when he checked his traps as required by Maine regulations and the conditions of the Incidental Take Permit. The second dead lynx was discovered Sunday, December 7 St. Croix Township by a Maine Game Warden conducting a routine check of traps for compliance with Maine trapping regulations. An initial inspection by the game warden showed that the trap was set in compliance with Maine’s trapping regulations. The trapper was immediately notified by the warden about the capture.

“Trapping education, outreach and compliance with Maine trapping laws are important aspect of Maine’s lynx management plan. The Maine Warden Service is in the field, working with trappers, to make sure trappers are complying with Maine’s trapping regulations to protect lynx from accidental trapping,” said Major Chris Cloutier.

Trappers are required to report all lynx captures and all lynx captures are investigated by the Maine Warden Service.

Brian Cogill, President of the Maine Trappers Association commented that “The Maine Trappers Association has always supported department efforts to protect lynx. Trappers understand and believe that these measures are currently needed, and support these immediate protections for lynx. We look forward to working with the department as they develop long-term regulations to protect lynx for the 2015 season and beyond.”

Lynx are listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). IFW recently received an incidental take permit issued by the USFWS, which allows for the accidental trapping of Canada lynx by trappers legally pursuing furbearers in Maine. The permit outlines specific protocols and mitigation measures for the incidental take of lynx that minimizes direct impacts to lynx while providing habitat that benefits species recovery.

In 2006, Maine’s lynx population was estimated at between 750 and 1,000. IFW has increased protections for lynx in those areas where lynx are now found. IFW will also be conducting a lynx population survey this winter.

Maine’s lynx population is a subset of a larger population of lynx in Canada, and Maine lynx continue to interact with a far-reaching lynx population in Canada.

As part of an extensive 12-year lynx study, the IFW radio-collared over 80 lynx and monitored their movements, and documented survival and birth rates. Although more lynx die on roads than in traps, the major source of mortality for the 85 radio-collared lynx tracked over a 12-year period in northern Maine was predation by fisher and starvation attributed to disease (i.e., lungworm).

Radio-collar research of Maine’s lynx show that Maine’s lynx travel in and out of Canada, and ear-tagged Maine lynx have also been captured in Canada. Maine’s lynx study showed that one lynx travelled a straight-line distance of 249 miles from northern Maine into the Gaspe Peninsula.

Another lynx was tracked using a Global Positioning System (GPS) collar after it was trapped and released last fall. Although the lynx was initially trapped northeast of Greenville, in May, the lynx headed east all the way to Fredericton, New Brunswick, before turning around and venturing back to the Greenville area, covering 481 miles from March through December.

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Indiana Considers Otter Trapping Season

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North_American_River_OtterAfter a successful re-introduction of river otters to the state, Indiana wildlife officials are considering a fur trapping season for otters for the first time in decades.

INDIANAPOLIS — Efforts to restore Indiana’s river otter population have been so successful over the last two decades that state wildlife officials say they need to cull the population.

The Natural Resources Commission will hold a hearing Thursday in Plainfield on a proposal that would create a river otter trapping season for as early as next year, The Indianapolis Star reported (http://indy.st/1zvDpLw ).

Unregulated trapping for the fur trade and a loss of habitat wiped out so many otters that they were listed as a protected species in 1921. By 1942, otters had disappeared from the state, as they had from much of the country.

The Department of Natural Resources began releasing otters back into the state in 1995. Over five years, more than 300 otters from Louisiana were released at 12 Indiana sites, and by 2005, the otter had been removed from Indiana’s endangered species list. The animals now are found in 80 percent of the state’s counties, said Linnea Petercheff, a spokeswoman with the DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Full story here.

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Reintroduced in late 1960s, Fishers Fare Fine in West Virginia


Cleaner Water Contributing to Muskrat Decline?

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The seemingly widespread, long term decline in muskrat populations has been puzzling to trappers and wildlife managers for years.  Despite less trapping pressure and far lower harvest, muskrat numbers continue to go down.  Theories attempting to explain lower rat numbers range from habitat loss, higher populations of predators, disease, and many others.

Pennsylvania furbearer biologist Tom Hardisky has his own theory: cleaner water.  He believes that nutrient inputs into waterways and the corresponding abundant vegetation growth made for very high muskrat populations decades ago, and as we’ve cleaned up our waters and reduced nutrient runoff, streams grow less vegetation and support fewer muskrats.

Muskrats thrive in aquatic environments — swamps, marshes, ponds and streams — with rich plant growth that serves as a food source and cover. Decades ago when strict regulations weren’t yet enacted, more nutrients entered the water and sparked the growth of aquatic plants. Water courses near farms comprised high-quality muskrat habitat at the time, Hardisky said.

But as the water entering swamps, ponds and other aquatic environments became cleaner, plant growth became less lush.

As a result, what was once high-quality muskrat habitat is lost.

“Prior to the 1980s, nutrient flushing was common in streams and rivers when human and livestock waste entered these water systems. Muskrats did very well under these conditions,” Hardisky said. “Muskrats disappear from these types of wetlands when nutrients are used up. Ponds and wetlands in agricultural areas that occasionally receive nutrients from manure runoff often have sustained muskrat populations.”

Hardisky may be onto something here, though there are sure to be other causes.  For instance, muskrat declines have been seen in places that never had pollution inputs.  Still, nobody else has come up with a great explanation for the muskrat population phenomenon, so he deserves some credit for taking a stab at it.  And as Hardisky explains, muskrats populations, though lower, aren’t in danger of going away anytime soon.  Populations are still more than adequate to support trapping harvest, which is good, because support from the fur industry is critical to sound management of furbearer populations.

Read the full story here.

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Bobcat Recovery and Trapping Opportunity in Illinois, Indiana

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Bobcats in Illinois and Indiana are the latest example of conservation success stories in state wildlife management. In Illinois, 2016-17 marked the first hunting/trapping season for bobcats in decades. Here’s a recap:

New Illinois Hunting and Trapping Season for Bobcats a Success
Preliminary harvest of 141 bobcats

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Hunters and trappers took a preliminary total of 141 bobcats during the 2016-17 Illinois Bobcat Hunting and Trapping Season.

“We are very pleased with the response to Illinois’ new hunting and trapping season for bobcats,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Wayne Rosenthal.  “The recovery of the bobcat is a conservation success story in Illinois. We were pleased with the response of hunters and trappers that applied for permits, and we will continue to evaluate the program.” 

More than 6,400 people applied for 500 permits to take bobcats.  Those awarded a permit in the lottery were required to register their harvest within 48 hours and purchase a Bobcat Pelt Temporary Permit.  They reported taking 69 bobcats by hunting, 49 by trapping, 12 by archery, and salvaging 11 from roads.  Bobcats were harvested in 44 counties in the open zone, which included western and southern parts of the state.  Top counties were Pike (11), Jackson (10), Jefferson (7), Carroll (6), and Randolph (6).

This season, the state plans to increase the number of permits while capping the total harvest, which would allow more hunters and trappers to participate.

There are a few new wrinkles for bobcat hunters and trappers in Illinois this season. 

The state is doubling the number of bobcat permits for the 2017 season, up to 1,000. But it also is putting a cap on the number of cats that can be caught, at 350. 

Ed Cross with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said the idea is to give more people a chance to get into the field. Cross said there’s little worry that a hard cap on the harvest will cut anyone’s season short. Of the 500 permits issued last year, hunters and trappers caught 141 cats.

“If you look at last year’s success rate, it was 28 percent,” Cross said. “We figure this year, that 28 percent to 35 percent [success rate] is a good target number.”

Cross said DNR is also changing where hunters and trappers can operate.

“There were some counties that were partially in and partially out,” Cross said. “Those [partial] counties are now completely out.”

Bobcat hunting has always been banned in Chicago and the suburbs. The end of partial counties participating means that hunters essentially will have only the southern two-thirds of the state, from about Logan County to the southern tip of Illinois, to work with. 

Hunters and trappers have until the end of the week to apply for a permit. Bobcat season in Illinois starts Nov. 10. 

Meanwhile, in Indiana, the emergence of a thriving bobcat population has the DNR considering opening a hunting/trapping season.  The season would be limited and wouldn’t start this year, but looks to be a great possibility.

DNR spokesperson Marty Benson says the hunting proposal is the mark of a successful wildlife management program.

“Bobcat populations are expanding and thriving in Indiana. They’ve been protected for nearly 50 years,” Benson says. “They’re now common in southern Indiana and continue to expand throughout the state, and we’re very happy about that.”

It’s great to see furbearer conservation success stories, and the continued recognition of bobcats as a sustainable, renewable resource that trappers can help manage.

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Feds Say Lynx Recovery Warrants Delisting

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Trappers in the northern forests of the Lower 48 can breathe a collective sigh of relief tonight.  After more than a decade of political struggle, it appears that the Canada lynx is finally headed down the path toward delisting, and relinquished Federal control over the species’ management.

Here’s the release:

 

 

Status Review Indicates Canada Lynx Recovery in the Lower 48-States
Conservation partnerships have helped protect this elusive cat across its range in the lower 48

January 11, 2018

Contact(s):

Meagan Racey, 413-253-8558; Meagan_racey@fws.gov

Jennifer Strickland, 303-236-4574Jennifer_strickland@fws.gov


lynx graphic

Credit: USFWS/Gillian Racine

 

DENVER – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is announcing the completion of a scientific review of the Canada lynx in the contiguous United States. The review concludes that the Canada lynx may no longer warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and should be considered for delisting due to recovery. This recommendation is the result of an extensive review of the best available scientific information and almost 20 years of working in partnership with state, federal, tribal, industry and other land managers on the conservation of this species. As a result of this status review, the Service will begin development of a proposed rule to delist the species.

“Working lands can go hand in hand with wildlife conservation in New England,” said Wendi Weber, the Service’s Northeast Regional Director. “Maine has the lower 48’s largest lynx population, and it is thanks to the strong collaboration among the state, the Maine Forest Products Council, private landowners, tribes, and conservation organizations that has advanced research, supported a strong economy and secured a forested future for the Canada lynx.”

The recommendation was informed by a recently completed, peer-reviewed Species Status Assessment for the lynx, which compiled and evaluated the best available scientific information on the historical, current and possible future conditions for the Canada lynx. Over a two-year process, the Service worked closely with federal, state and academic subject matter experts to evaluate relevant scientific information on snowshoe hare population dynamics, climate change, forest ecology and other issues. Although climate change remains an important factor for the conservation of the Canada lynx, neither the Service nor the experts we consulted conclude that the lynx is at risk of extinction from climate change within the foreseeable future.

The Canada lynx was listed as threatened in 2000 largely due to a lack of regulatory mechanisms on federal public lands, which is where a majority of the habitat for Canada lynx was believed to be located in the lower 48 states. Since receiving ESA protection, federal land managers throughout the lynx’s range have formally amended their management plans and implemented conservation measures to conserve the species. For example, all U.S. Forest Service land management plans in the Rocky Mountain region have been amended to include conservation measures for the Canada lynx. In addition, in Maine, private landowners have voluntarily supported working woodland easements that protect nearly 2.5 million acres of forest, benefitting the Canada lynx and other species.

“Through the stewardship of our partners such as the Maine Forest Products Council and many other private landowners, the population in Maine is growing and expanding,” said Chandler Woodcock, Commissioner, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “Not only are lynx found in more places, but signs of lynx are found more frequently during our surveys. And the research conducted by our biologists in conjunction with the USFWS showed modern forest management practices are compatible with lynx conservation.”

Maine Forest Products Council Executive Director Patrick Strauch added, “Maine’s forestland owners are proud to share in the success of the team of biologist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife that can demonstrate a healthy and vigorous population of Canada lynx in Maine.”

A cousin of the more common bobcat, the Canada lynx is similar in size but can be distinguished by its black-tipped tail, long tufts of black hair at the tips of its ears, and long legs with large, furry paws for hunting snowshoe hares in deep snow. In the contiguous U.S., Canada lynx populations are found in Maine, northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Montana, northeastern Idaho, north-central Washington and western Colorado.

Providing the Canada lynx protection under the ESA also prompted an increase in scientific understanding of lynx biology. Research, monitoring and conservation efforts conducted by state and federal agencies, tribes and academic institutions, helped refine biologists’ understanding of habitat needs, distributions, population characteristics and potential stressors.

In Maine beginning in 1999, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) began a 12-year telemetry study in northern Aroostook county to assess lynx population status, survival and reproductive rates, and behavior. Information gathered from this study was instrumental in providing information on lynx biology, habitat needs, range, and the ability of Maine’s lynx population to expand. IFW continues to track radio-collared Canada lynx and is entering the third year of a three-year track survey. Preliminary results from the current survey effort show that the lynx are occupying a greater percentage of the available habitat in Maine.

“After nearly 2 decades of monitoring and research, Maine’s lynx population continues to grow in response to an abundance of forested habitat and prey,” said IFW lynx biologist Jen Vashon. “We are committed to continued protection and monitoring of lynx in Maine, and sharing information with private forest managers.”

Given the outcome of this analysis, the Service will not at this time be completing a recovery plan for the Canada lynx. Today’s recommendation does not remove or negate the Endangered Species Act protections currently in place for the Canada lynx. To delist a species, the Service must follow a process similar to what is used in considering whether to list species. The next step is for the Service to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register, receive public comments, review and analyze those comments, conduct a peer review, and then announce a final decision.

Maine trappers have been under constant attack by animal rights groups, who mounted numerous lawsuits under the ESA over the years claiming the state wasn’t doing its job to prevent incidental take of lynx by trappers.  These various suits resulted in a virtual makeover of Maine’s trapping laws, which has made it difficult for many trappers to harvest furbearers effectively and efficiently.

The potential for Canada lynx delisting is incredibly encouraging.  I never thought I’d see the day.  It’s been a long and difficult journey for Maine trappers, and was looking like trappers in other lynx states like Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming and Utah could have faced similar restrictions.  Instead, we may be headed back to a place where sound wildlife management decisions are based on biology more than on politics.

Stay tuned to the Trapping Today Podcast for more on this issue.  I’ll cover some of the background behind the lynx delisting, court battles and other drama in a future episode.  There’s too much there to type!  Till then, enjoy the good news, and get ready to provide written comments to the Feds when the delisting process gets underway.  We’ll need all the support we can get!

The post Feds Say Lynx Recovery Warrants Delisting appeared first on Trapping Today.

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