Trapping Fever and Preseason Preparation

Well, it’s getting to be about that time. We got our first cold snap of the year the other night, and you can feel the days starting to get shorter and shorter all the time. That only means one thing: trapping season’s just around the corner!

Truth be told, I’ve had the trapping fever since sometime in May. I recently moved to Montana, and have been excited about the new trapping opportunities since the time I applied for the job that brought me here. In fact, I talk about it so much, I think I’m starting to convince co-workers and new friends that I’m a little crazy! A friend of mine has been mailing boxes of my traps out from back home, and each arrival feels kind of like Christmas morning.

With most of the traps in, now comes the preparation for the season. This means adjusting and modifying the traps to make them suitable for the type of trapping I plan to do. Then I’ll boil and wax the traps to get rid of foreign odors and prevent rust.

I’ll make orders from the trapping supply catalogs I’ve been poring over for months. But I’ll need to save some of my money for the big state trappers rendezvous coming up, where the list of supplies will be rounded out, along with many others that I may or may not need.

Final plans on trapping territory have to be made, including making landowner contacts, studying maps, and scouting areas. After securing territory, additional scouting must be done to locate critters. This will probably be the most important component to my success this year, since all the territory here is new to me.

Bait has to be prepared, packaged and stored. Tools have to be in place, and a plan of operations must be made. This includes thinking about when to trap where, which species to target, and how many traps to set in a particular location.

Planning and preparation. It’s one of the most time consuming, but also one of the most enjoyable aspects of trapping.

Like most other trappers out there, I can’t wait for the start of the season. Bring on the cold weather, and bring on the fur!

Wolverine Quota Reduced, But Trapping Opportunity Remains in Montana

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.

Marten Page Added

Check out the new marten page recently added to Trapping Today. The page gives a brief overview of marten biology and habits, and gives some tips and tricks that may be useful to marten trappers. You can navigate to the page by clicking on the ‘Furbearers’ tab above, then clicking on the marten picture located on the Furbearers page.

Summer 2008 Fur Market Report

 

I’m a little late in reporting, but it’s about time for another fur market update.

The final wild fur sales at the major auction houses took place in May.  Both NAFA and FHA reported excellent results, and it looks like the fur market is right on track for the upcoming trapping season.  NAFA sold 100% of most items, many at stellar prices, and FHA reported that this was its most successful May auction in recorded history!   Great news, since prices are not expected to fall anytime soon.

Raccoon maintained the high levels reached during earlier auctions, averaging over $25 in many areas.  This is a huge improvement from prior years, with strong demand and a small harvest due to winter conditions bringing prices up.

Coyote did not sell 100%, but good prices ($20-30) were paid for top quality items.  Coyote prices may drop a little this coming season since some inventory has been carried over.

Beaver continued to sell well, and at prices similar to years past.  This item seems to be creeping up slowly in price recently, but I wouldn’t expect to see huge price increases for beaver.

Bobcat and Lynx continue to bring exceptional prices and seem to be breaking records at every auction.  A number of western bobcats sold at over $1,000 each this spring, and top quality items averaged over $500.  Lynx averaged over $200.

Marten and fisher also commanded sky-high prices, with marten averaging around $100 overall, and fisher going at $65-75.

Grey fox moved a bit slower than expected, but NAFA remains optimistic about this item.

Muskrat seems to have finally stabilized, and sold well at around $3-4, with expectations of possible increases.  Mink prices did not change much from previous auctions.

Otter and red fox continue to sell at lower prices than in past years.  Other items sold well, at or near the 100% level.

Overall, fur prices continue to look good for trappers in 2008.

See the NAFA May 2008 Wild Fur Sale results here

See the FHA May Sale results here

Wolf Management Stalled

Well, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing any hunting or trapping seasons for wolves any time in the near future.

I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago mentioning the possibility of a wolf season in the makings in the state of Michigan. Since then, the Michigan DNR adopted an updated wolf management plan, which didn’t include any hunting or trapping component, despite arguments that a wolf season might garner more public acceptance of wolves in the state.

Meanwhile, gray wolves had been removed from the Endangered Species List in the Rocky Mountains and the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming were preparing wolf management plans in anticipation of taking the reins from the federal government. Discussion about upcoming wolf seasons sparked renewed interest from hunters, suggesting the possibility that the wolf could be more than just a predatory nuisance to many who live in wolf territory.

The renewed hope for scientific wolf management was temporarily killed last week, though, when a federal judge ordered that the gray wolf be placed back on the Endangered Species List. How does a single judge have the power to reverse a decision made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and agreed upon by three states, based on sound scientific facts? The Black Bear Blog asks the same question.

Simply put, I’m not optimistic about hunting or trapping for wolves in the Lower 48 anytime soon.

Trapping Controversy in Nova Scotia

The conflict between trapping and pets is often misunderstood and severely damaging to the future of legal trapping in North America.  Pets are occasionally caught in traps set for furbearing wildlife, and each incident is heartfelt and depressing, usually stirring up controversy over whether trapping should be legal or not.

In a recent news article, Nova Scotia trapper Gary Fisher attempts to explain how today’s trappers operate in the province, and describe efforts taken to avoid catching pets in traps.

“We’re really trying not to catch people’s pets. That’s the message I want to convey,” Mr. Fisher says after demonstrating three types of raccoon sets and an underwater set for trapping beavers.

Fisher is one of many trappers who are pushing for others to be more responsible about where and how they set their traps, while at the same time urging pet owners to obey the law and keep their pets from running free in wildlife habitat.

Unfortunately, not everybody listens.

The Trapping Awareness Project started in 2005 amid concerns over landowners’ rights and pets getting caught in traps. There were nine incidents a couple of seasons ago, Mr. Morse says, but in each case, the trapper or pet owner wasn’t following the rules.

Partially due to concerns about capturing pets, many in the province are trying to pass a law requiring trappers to obtain permission before setting traps on private property, which currently isn’t required unless the property is posted.

They also want to require written permission to set traps within 1 kilometer of a dwelling, which seems to be an unreasonable request because of the high density of dwellings in many areas where furbearer population control (through trapping) is neccessary.

“In essence, if you take a map and you start to draw one-kilometre circles around properties, you discover you would need to have, in some cases, hundreds and even thousands of written permission statements in order to curb nuisance wildlife, and that is just obviously not practical,” Mr. Morse says.

“If you put too many obstacles in place, you’re going to put an end to this practice.”

And ending the practice of trapping is certainly the goal of some.  For others, they simply want to make sure that their pets aren’t caught in traps.

Ultimately, that requires the responsible actions of trappers and pet owners alike.

Be sure to read the story and check out the comments section.  Nova Scotians have as many different opinions about trapping as you could imagine!

Montana FWP Commission Keeps Wolverine Trapping Legal

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.

Is A Wolf Trapping Season in Michigan’s Future?

Is it time to start managing the burgeoning wolf population in Michigan? Mike Wendland, columnist with the Detroit Free Press, argues that responsible, limited harvest may be necessary to maintain a wolf population that is acceptable to both wildlife enthusiasts and the general public. You can read the great news story and video clip here. Mike provides some great video footage of wolves and excellent insight on the issue, including interviews with Michigan wolf experts. Some arguments for wolf management are noted below.

… the current wolf population in the UP is now estimated at well over 500 and is increasing by about 15% each year. “The problems are going to increase,” he said. “We have built up the population and now we have a duty to manage it before public opinion turns against them again.”

… surveys now show most Michigan people are delighted that the wolf has made a comeback. But opinion can change. “Think of the giant Canada goose,” he said. “Back 10, 20 years ago, the public loved them. Now there are so many that they litter golf courses and parks, and they’re considered a nuisance. Same with the whitetail deer in many areas. The herd has grown so large that they do lots of crop damage, even landscape damage in the suburbs. And there are so many car-deer car crashes that their sheer numbers in some parts of the state pose a safety problem.”

Hammill says unless Michigan sets up a hunting or trapping management program for the wolf, they could once again become a nuisance also. “It’s our duty,” he said.

A well regulated wolf hunting/trapping season could be the ticket to maintaining a healthy wolf population while ensuring public acceptance of the wolf as an important component of the forest ecosystem, and not a nuisance. Perhaps wolf harvest is in the best interest of both animal rights groups and hunters and trappers. Now if only we all could see it this way.

Be sure to read the great article and watch Wendland’s video clip here.

Mountain Lion Attacks Nevada Sheep

Check this out. After losing a bunch of sheep, a Nevada man set up surveillance and discovered the culprit!

AMVA Sets Guidelines for Humane Trapping

The American Veterinary Medical Association recently issued a revised policy concerning the humaneness of using steel jawed leg-hold traps, which encourages modern, modified traps that are intended to increase animal welfare. Part of their position can be seen below:

While not perfect, modified traps are less likely to cause severe injury and improvements in their application mean they are more likely to catch target species and less likely to catch non-target species. Modern traps, when used in conjunction with trap monitors and tranquilizers, have substantially reduced the negative welfare effects of leghold traps,” explains Dr. Gail Golab, director of the Animal Welfare Division.

The AMVA acknowledges that trapping animals for research, relocation and restoration are neccessary, and that advances in trap design and modifications have made trapping more humane.

However, the following excerpt is quite troubling:

“This policy sets clear expectations for what is appropriate and what is not when trapping.”

Does this mean that the AMVA actually thinks it has the authority to decide what is appropriate and humane when dealing with WILD animals?

Trappers, trap manufacturers and biologists have all played an important role in making advances in the effectiveness and humanity of trapping devices. However, allowing a group to define what is and what isn’t humane when it comes to wild animals is treading on dangerous territory.

Trappers should be responsible and do their best to trap in the most humane way possible, and in the recent past the trapping community has worked hard at achieving such a goal. Trapping BMP (best management practices) research has been ongoing for years, and provides great advice and guidelines for trappers.

There is a silver lining to the AMVA statements, however. The association recognizes that leghold traps are being used very successfully and humanely for research purposes, and the science has proven that these devices can be very humane. What they don’t tell you, however, is that these are often the same traps being used by trappers, the same traps that animal rights activists would like you to believe are the most vicious and terrible devices ever created, and should all be banned. Those who are familiar with the AR groups already know that they are full of baloney, and the AMVA statements provide some further evidence of how outrageous these claims are.

But folks like the AMVA shouldn’t have the authority to mandate whether certain practices dealing with wild animals should be allowed. There are substantial differences between household pets and wild animals, and definitions of humane can range all across the board. Common-sense trappers will do their best to treat captured animals as humanely as possible, while maintaining traditional practices despite the disapproval of special interest groups and animal welfare advocates.

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