Report Nr. 3130 1988-89 Michigan Furbearer Harvest

At the end of the 1988-89 fur harvester season 1,980 license buyers were mailed a questionnaire asking for the results of their hunting and trapping efforts. In 1988-89, the numbers of both hunters and trappers were down from the previous season. The number of individual trappers (6,700) declined 41 percent compared to last year, while the number of hunters (7,650) pursuing furbearers dropped 30 percent. This was the first time since the issuance of furharvester licenses (1986) that hunters outnumbered trappers. Three years of trapping/hunting responses from past fur harvest questionnaires indicate that the majority of raccoon, coyote. and bobcat are taken by hunters, while trappers consistently take a greater number of mink, opossum, skunk, weasel, and fox. The only legal means of take for muskrat, beaver and otter is trapping. In general, fewer trappers took fewer numbers of furbearers during the 1988-89 seasons compared to the previous year: only increased numbers of beaver, weasels, and coyotes were trapped. Decreased harvest was also reported by hunters. The only significant increase in harvest was recorded for gray fox: although hunter rates of weasels and bobcat were up slightly.