Why Trappers are a MUST for Wildlife Management
This last year with the help of COVID-19, fur prices have been at an all time low. The fur market has been declining for years but once COVID hit, the bottom seemed to fall out. Now, to most hunters, they would think nothing of this. They go on their merry way not realizing the effects trapping has on the growth of wildlife populations around them. Good thing I am here to enlighten you!
With fur prices taking a dip the last few years and some states restricting trapping rights. The trapping industry has seen a decline in hobby trappers from year to year. Which means that the predators of ground nesting birds in some areas across the country have been on the rise. These nest robbers include, but not limited to raccoons, weasels, possums, red fox, skunks and more. Trapping has been an effective predator management tool to enhance wildlife populations and hunting opportunities for game birds and other ground nesting birds for centuries.
With less and less trappers from year to year it should not come as a surprise that ground nesting bird numbers are hitting new lows. We are seeing more and more lower bag limits, tag numbers and successful hunts. From waterfowl (swans, ducks, and geese) to games birds (turkeys, quails, pheasant and more), songbirds and more; the population of ground nesting birds has been declining over the years. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service posts Population surveys of waterfowl and migratory game on their website yearly1 and I find it interesting to see how those numbers collate with trapping participation and fur prices. Now yes, I do understand that there are many factors that contribute to the changes but being a trapper myself I have seen what my efforts have done firsthand.
My husband and I live on a 71 acre tract of land in the southern tier of New York. With mostly woods and streams around us, to say the least wildlife has is literally out my back door. It is nothing to wake up to turkeys walking through my yard or deer greeting me by the garden. If you needed a place to hunt, our hill behind the house was the go-to spot. My husband had trapped our property for years when he was a boy, and then even when his oldest daughter showed an interest in trapping our woods would be a prime location. Throughout the years as he and then we expanded our trap line, we were set less and less traps on our own property and even a few years none at all. About 2 years back, while my husband and I were out on a walk we stated a conversation about how we have noticed less and less deer, turkeys and other wild game on our road and how the coyotes, fox and other predators have moved in. We were not longer being woken up with the noise of turkey gobbles in the back yard but instead being sung to sleep by coyote’s howls and fox yelps. The number of racoons, possums, skunks and more that could be seen along the road was climbing, while the ducks in our streams and pounds were almost nonexistent.
Of course, that fall and the fall after we made it a point to actively trap our property and on some of our neighbors. The number of K9s and other predators we pulled from a small area was astonishing, but it also provided information on our theory on where our turkeys, deer and other game was going. When you have areas that are overrun by predators, other wildlife especially ground nesting birds do not stand a chance. Not only are their nests being destroyed, but they are killed themselves along with mating and habit becoming an issue.
I am happy to say that this year I have watched a family of geese swimming in the marshes below my house and flying overhead. Our turkeys have returned to our trail cameras once more and deer are greeting us on our walks. Of course, we still have the howling of coyotes and racoons by our fire pit, but the balance is noticeable. On May 20, 2019 Mossy Oak republished on their blog an article originally published in GameKeepers: Farming for Wildlife Magazine2 called Landowner trapper: trapping for predator control, which pretty matched my experience as well.
Now of course, that is only one example so here is another. This year (2021) South Dakota is running a Nest Predator Bounty Program from April 1 – July 1 or until the $500,00 maximum payout is reached. 3 Here is an excerpt from the state website itself explaining why this program is in place. “The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is focused on reducing localized populations of nest predators as a way to enhance pheasant and duck nest success, while at the same time increasing participation in trapping from all ages. Trapping is an intention to experience, explore and create lasting memories while making a difference for managing wildlife in South Dakota. The practice of trapping nest predators during the nesting season has been a management technique used for decades. Trapping is central to wildlife management, conservation and sustaining our state's outdoor traditions for the next generation. Primary program goals include:
Enhance duck and pheasant nest success.
Increase trapping participation, awareness and education.
Ensure South Dakota’s hunting and trapping heritage remains strong for the next 100 years.
Get the next generation involved and interested in outdoor recreation, conservation and wildlife management while increasing support for habitat.
Raccoon, striped skunk, badger, opossum, and red fox are the eligible species for this program.”
I think with all the data out there and even given my own experiences, it is easy to say that if we would like to see ground nesting birds and other wildlife thrive it is our duty to help them out. SO, this season while you are out in your blind or stand, take a look around and notice what is happening in your own back yard. Then, take a trapping class and do your part this upcoming trapping season. I promise you will see the fruits of your labor in so many ways all year around.
ReelCamo Girl ProStaff Linda White
References
1 https://www.fws.gov/birds/surveys-and-data/reports-and-publications/population-status.php
2 https://www.mossyoak.com/our-obsession/blogs/conservation/landowner-trapper-trapping-for-predator-control
3 https://gfp.sd.gov/bounty-program/?fbclid=iwar3eyj2jivyiwt9tnab2sze1coxtg3nxykyqkr121vsh1kp32pdqtzw3eji