An estimate of Wisconsin’s “furbearer harvest” by licensed trappers is used to document the economic importance of trapping and to assist in the management of furbearer species. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they trapped during the 2006-07 season. Trappers used a total of 385,000 sets on 685,000 nights during the 2006-07 trapping season. [Summary excerpted from report]

Summary of Findings:

• 77% of respondents trapped for fur during the 2006-2007 season.
• Furtrapper license holders were twice as likely to trap as conservation patron license holders.
• Both license holders were more active during the 2006-2007 season than the 2005-2006 season.
• 32% of respondents trapped in the Northern Region of the state.
• On average, trappers trapped for 34 days, which was more than the 2005-2006 average of 31 days.
• The survey results estimate that 10,744 licensed trappers actively trapped and 3,418 trappers also hunted furbearers during the 2006-07 season. Roughly 2% of licensed furbearer trappers pursued bobcat, while 58% pursued raccoons and muskrat. The estimated number of red fox, gray fox, coyote, and raccoon harvested by hunting were 1,103, 72, 11,501, and 29,742, respectively.
• The types of traps used include foot hold traps (53%), body grip (38%), cable restraints (5%), cages (3%), and snares (2%).