River Otters Returning to northwest Ohio – For the first time in over 100 years, wildlife officials have confirmed a river otter in Putnam County, Ohio.  The recovery and continuing spread of the state’s river otter population is a trend also seen in numerous other states.

Fur trapping remains important part of northwest Ohio’s economy – This story highlights the diminished, but still important, fur market economy in northwest Ohio.  Area wildlife official Jim Schott provides valuable information on the area’s trapping, past and present.

Southwest Missouri Trapper Catches Mountain Lion – A trapper recently caught and released a mountain lion in Reynolds County, Missouri.  The story comes on the heels of numerous reports of mountain lion sightings in that part of Missouri. Could the big cats be expanding their range?

Young Missouri Trapper Works Hard, Makes Big Catches – 17 7ear old Wacey Lathers is already a more accomplished fur trapper than many folks over twice his age.  The kid has been trapping since he was 11.  He works hard, makes big catches, and loves the time he can spend outdoors before and after school.

Trapper Provides Tips on Spring Beaver Trapping – Bruce “Buckshot” Hemming recently wrote an article in “The Survivalist Blog” that provides some great information on spring beaver trapping.  He explains the basics of trapping beavers with footholds, conibears and snares.

The North American muskrat market has been booming, thanks to soaring purchases by Chinese and other newly rich nations that need muskrat fur to line coats and footwear.

Joel Millman/The Wall Street JournalTrappers Dennis Gast and Alan Kamarainen examine an otter skin.

Specifically, they want muskrat bellies, the felt-like fur that is practically impermeable to moisture. At $10 per pelt—five times what muskrats fetched in the 1990s—pelts were trading at new highs when bidding for last season’s furs ended in June.

But some in the belly trade are casting worried glances at Europe, where fur sales are expected to be soft this winter. That could drag prices down for trappers here, and the current muskrat mania could prove to be a belly flop.

Click here to read the full article.

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.

Trapping has had some bad press in the past, spurred and funded mostly by anti-fur and animal rights groups. Trapping, in fact, is highly regulated and foot-hold traps must not surpass a jaw width of 6.5 inches in Pennsylvania.

Foot-hold traps are designed to restrain an animal. Traps are sized according to the targeted species, so as not to cause undue damage and permit release of unwanted animals. For instance, a trap used to catch coyotes would be larger and stronger than a trap used to catch muskrats.

A trapper often has the option to release an animal of smaller size or non-target species by restraining the animal with a catch pole or similar device and opening the trap. A trapper must know and study each animal they wish to harvest.

Click here to read the full article on Pennsylvania fur trapping.

The ban was put in place by former Gov. Bill Richardson in an attempt to protect recovering gray wolves.  After a university study that showed minimal impacts of trapping to wolves, the recommendation was to overturn the ban.

Since the trapping ban was overturned, a group opposed to trapping in New Mexico has been working to ban trapping on public lands in the state.

A recent article in Farmington, New Mexico’s Daily Times tells the tale of one local trapper and the group working to make his activities illegal.

Tom Fisher would like to trap a conservationist just to prove it doesn’t hurt.Fisher uses a KB Compound 5.5 Predator Trap. The device is equipped with shock-spring technology that absorbs the initial wave of panic that sets in when the critter is caught. The trap is loose when animals are relaxed and squeezes when they try to escape.

A trap that doesn’t maul is essential, Fisher said, in order to keep the pastime legal in the state.

…..

“We’re a minority, and these people are trying to railroad us,” Fisher said. “I have a stake in protecting animals as a resource. I don’t want to trap the last one.”

Click here to read the full story.

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.

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!

Fellow Trappers,

I am writing this with much joy and also to inform you that for the first time ever….there will be a Nationally Broadcast TV show reaching over 32 million HH’s starting in July of 2010 that will focus on nothing but trapping and the trapping industry. This is the first of its kind and all 00:28:30 of each show will be dedicated to the promotion of trapping, furbearers, the fur industry and the debunking of anti-myths on trapping abroad. I/We as a group could definitely use the support of everyone in the trapping community on this. Any and all ideas pertaining to the show will be received with open arms.

The show will be broadcast on In_Country_Television (ICTV) which can be found on basic subscription packages on DirecTV channel 344 and Dish Network channel 230 which as stated earlier reaches over 32 million HH’s. This is a big day in trapping history and the approach of the show is education and sportsman awareness to the benefits that trapping produces for not only trappers, hunters, but also sportsmen in general.

We will be airing F&T’s North American Trapper starting in July of this year. The format is 13 Original episodes that will run through the end of September and those original 13 episodes will be rebroadcast until the end of December 2010.

The show will air twice a week with its Primetime slot on Sunday evening’s at 11:00pm EST and another timeslot at 6:30am EST on either Thurs, Fri, Sat or Sun. (TBD)

This show would not be possible without our title sponsor who is F&T’s Fur Harvester’s Trading Post and they should be commended for their support of such a venture. Duke Traps is also on board for the duration of this show at this time and should be commended as well.

Click here to read the Trap Line blog post.

I’m just one of a huge group of trappers who can’t wait until July!

The National Trappers Association is holding its 7th Annual Southeast Regional Convention this weekend (April 9-11) in Calhoun, Georgia.  It looks to be an eventful weekend, with lots of vendors and a top-notch list of professional trappers giving demonstrations, including Kirk DeKalb, Slim Pederson, Jackie Malone, James Lord, Clint Locklear, Hal Sullivan, and many others.

If you’re in the area, you should make it a point to stop by and check things out.  No doubt many dedicated trappers are driving long distances to make it to the convention.

You can visit the NTA website, or CLICK HERE for the detailed schedule of events and more information.

The anti-hunting, anti-trapping crowd is at it again.  This time it’s in Montana – a once conservative, property rights oriented state that has seen drastic changes in demographics over the past few decades.  Fresh faces, liberal ideas, and city lifestyle have paved the way for animal rights initiatives in a state where such nonsense would once have been unthinkable.  But here we are.

I’m talking about I-160, a ballot initiative that will be in front of Montana voters next fall, and would ban trapping on all public lands in the state.  A relatively new animal rights group, Footloose Montana, has sponsored the initiative and has pushed full speed ahead, spreading lies and gathering signatures.  We’re facing a huge battle to keep our trapping rights in Montana, and this new bill would impact almost every trapper in the state -  a very, very large portion of Montana is publicly owned.

Here’s the language that will likely be on the ballot:

BALLOT LANGUAGE
INITIATIVE NO. 160
A LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
I-160 prohibits trapping of all wild mammals and birds by any means on public lands in Montana, subject to limited exceptions. It allows trapping for scientific purposes and for breeding of migratory game birds. It also allows trapping by public employees to protect public health and safety. However, it prohibits commercial use of wild mammals and birds trapped on public lands for any of the allowable purposes.
I-160 costs approximately $47,780 of state funds annually, resulting from a loss of
trapping license revenue.

[ ] FOR prohibiting trapping of all wild mammals and birds on public lands in Montana, subject to limited exceptions.

[ ] AGAINST prohibiting trapping of all wild mammals and birds on public lands in Montana, subject to limited exceptions.

Yes, you read it right.  This would ban all trapping on public lands in Montana.  The initiative is absolutely insane, and it seems as though it should be voted down easily.  But then again, such initiatives have passed in a number of other states.  Trappers should be very concerned about this.

Montana trappers are responding.  The Montana Trappers Association and its board of directors have been working hard to form a coalition that will fight this initiative.  All individuals and organizations are encouraged to join Montanans for Effective Wildlife Management at www.noon160.com.

I’ll have more on I-160 later.  We’ll talk about the many lies the animal rights people are spreading to promote the trapping ban, and also post information on the response from trappers and members of MEWM.  Until then, please sign up as a supporter of MEWM at www.noon160.com and show your support for trapping!