RJ
10-23-2006, 02:05 PM
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner
Denise M. Sheehan today announced that a three year experimental research trapping season for fisher and bobcat will be implemented beginning November 1, 2006 through special permits issued to trappers. There will be an extended trapping season for fisher in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 6A, 6C, and 6H, which include northern parts of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. Under this program, trappers who obtain a special permit for bobcat trapping season will be able to trap bobcats in WMUs 4F, 4N and 4O, which include parts of Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Broome and Chenango counties.
The bobcat season has been closed for more than 20 years in the three WMUs that DEC is proposing to open for trapping this year. During that time, particularly within the past 10 years, DEC has received numerous reports of bobcat observations, road fatalities and incidental captures from the public. These reports have led DEC staff biologists to conclude that bobcats are now dispersed throughout the area proposed for experimental trapping. During these research seasons, bobcat hunting will not be allowed in the three experimental WMUs. This year, the bobcat trapping season will run from November 1, 2006 to February 15, 2007. The following two years the season will begin on October 25th and run until February 15th.
Trappers who wish to participate in the experimental bobcat trapping seasons must obtain a free special permit from DEC, agree to keep a daily trapping log of their activities and, if successful, provide the entire skinned carcass to DEC. Trappers may keep the animal pelt.
The season for fisher in WMUs 6A, 6C, and 6H will run from October 25, 2006 to
January 10, 2007. All trappers who wish to trap fisher in these WMUs will be required to obtain a permit from the Department. The permits are free, but trappers obtaining a permit will be required to maintain and submit a daily trapping diary log book and submit the lower jaw of each fisher taken in these WMUs. A log book and jaw submission tags will be mailed to trappers with their permit.
Trappers may obtain permits by phone or mail from their regional DEC Wildlife office. They will need to provide their name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address (if applicable) and trapping license ID number. Permits will need to be signed by the holder to be valid and must be carried on with them while trapping.
This experimental season is a part of a research project to collect biological harvest data and measure trapper effort to evaluate furbearer management in New York State. DEC biologists believe that a limited harvest season will provide vital clues to better estimate the population of bobcats in the area and enable Department biologists to better manage fisher in the future. The seasons are set to run for no more than three years. The regular fisher trapping season will run from October 25 until December 10 in the other parts of the state which have a fisher season, including the Adirondacks, Catskills and Tug Hill Plateau.
Trappers who want to participate in the experimental season should contact their regional
DEC wildlife office in these areas for additional information and to request a permit application.
Denise M. Sheehan today announced that a three year experimental research trapping season for fisher and bobcat will be implemented beginning November 1, 2006 through special permits issued to trappers. There will be an extended trapping season for fisher in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 6A, 6C, and 6H, which include northern parts of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. Under this program, trappers who obtain a special permit for bobcat trapping season will be able to trap bobcats in WMUs 4F, 4N and 4O, which include parts of Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Broome and Chenango counties.
The bobcat season has been closed for more than 20 years in the three WMUs that DEC is proposing to open for trapping this year. During that time, particularly within the past 10 years, DEC has received numerous reports of bobcat observations, road fatalities and incidental captures from the public. These reports have led DEC staff biologists to conclude that bobcats are now dispersed throughout the area proposed for experimental trapping. During these research seasons, bobcat hunting will not be allowed in the three experimental WMUs. This year, the bobcat trapping season will run from November 1, 2006 to February 15, 2007. The following two years the season will begin on October 25th and run until February 15th.
Trappers who wish to participate in the experimental bobcat trapping seasons must obtain a free special permit from DEC, agree to keep a daily trapping log of their activities and, if successful, provide the entire skinned carcass to DEC. Trappers may keep the animal pelt.
The season for fisher in WMUs 6A, 6C, and 6H will run from October 25, 2006 to
January 10, 2007. All trappers who wish to trap fisher in these WMUs will be required to obtain a permit from the Department. The permits are free, but trappers obtaining a permit will be required to maintain and submit a daily trapping diary log book and submit the lower jaw of each fisher taken in these WMUs. A log book and jaw submission tags will be mailed to trappers with their permit.
Trappers may obtain permits by phone or mail from their regional DEC Wildlife office. They will need to provide their name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address (if applicable) and trapping license ID number. Permits will need to be signed by the holder to be valid and must be carried on with them while trapping.
This experimental season is a part of a research project to collect biological harvest data and measure trapper effort to evaluate furbearer management in New York State. DEC biologists believe that a limited harvest season will provide vital clues to better estimate the population of bobcats in the area and enable Department biologists to better manage fisher in the future. The seasons are set to run for no more than three years. The regular fisher trapping season will run from October 25 until December 10 in the other parts of the state which have a fisher season, including the Adirondacks, Catskills and Tug Hill Plateau.
Trappers who want to participate in the experimental season should contact their regional
DEC wildlife office in these areas for additional information and to request a permit application.