Title:
1996-97 Michigan Furbearer Harvest
Title:
Wildlife Division Report No. 3270
Collection Number:
RG 2019-30
Scope and Content:
At the end of the 1996-97 fur harvester seasons, 977 license buyers were mailed a questionnaire asking for the results of their hunting and trapping efforts. Those who failed to respond to the original mailing were sent up to three reminders. A total of 775 questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 79 percent. The number of Fur Harvester licenses sold in 1996-97 increased 22 percent from 1995-96. An estimated 10,947 individuals (81%) hunted or trapped furbearing animals using one of the five license types. Approximately sixty percent of these individuals (6,575) used traps while sixty-four percent (7,061) hunted furbearers. Of those participating in the season, twenty four percent (2,689) both hunted and trapped furbearers. The majority of raccoon, coyote, and bobcat were taken by hunters, while trappers took a greater number of opossum, skunk, weasel, and fox. Trapping is the only legal means of take for mink, muskrat, beaver. otter, fisher, and badger. Based on days of effort, raccoon and muskrat were the primary targets of trappers, while hunters put their greatest effort toward the pursuit of raccoon and coyote. Harvests of coyote and bobcat by both hunters and trappers increased from 1994-95 to 1996-97. Coyote harvest increased four-fold for hunters and doubled for trappers during that period. Bobcat harvest increased by 6 percent for hunters and 10 percent for trappers during the same period. Dramatic changes in harvests from 1994-95 to 1996-97 also occurred for raccoon, opossum, and fox. Raccoon and opossum trapping harvest increased by 30 percent during that period, while red fox trapping harvest decreased by 36 percent. Red fox hunting harvest tripled and gray fox hunting harvest increased by 81 percent during that same period, while opossum hunting harvest decreased by 96 percent.
Division:
Wildlife Division
Agency:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Surveyor:
Gina L.B. Karasek
Language:
english
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
reports
Digital Origin:
reformatted digital
Subject:
bobcat
Subject:
American Badger
Subject:
river otter
Subject:
fisher
Subject:
Virginia Opossum
Subject:
raccoon
Subject:
coyote
Subject:
harvest surveys
Subject:
trapping
Subject:
animal populations
Subject:
wildlife management
Subject:
hunting
Subject:
small game hunting
Subject:
mammals
Date Created:
1998-02
Use Restrictions:
Please contact the Archives of Michigan for permission to publish.
Access Restrictions:
Records are open to the public.
