For Release: Monday, September 29, 2008
2008-2009 Trapping Season on Oak Orchard, Tonawanda, and John White Wildlife Management Areas
Beginning Oct. 1, 2008, trapping permits will be issued for the Oak Orchard, Tonawanda, and John White Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) for the 2008-2009 license year. Permit applications can be obtained weekdays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, by appearing in person at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Office on Casey Road between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by writing to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Wildlife, 1101 Casey Road, Box B, Basom, New York 14013.
Trappers who obtain a permit will be required to report their harvest and trapping efforts on each area. The Western New York trapping season for fox, raccoon, coyote and other upland furbearing animals opens Oct. 25, 2008, and closes Feb. 15, 2009, with the exception of the John White WMA. There, the upland trapping season runs from Nov. 1, 2008, to Feb. 15, 2009. The later opening date at John White WMA allows for youth pheasant hunts at this area following the region's trapping season start date.
The Western New York trapping season for beaver opens on Dec. 20, 2008, and closes on Jan. 1, 2009, and the Western New York trapping season for mink and muskrat opens on Nov. 25, 2008, and closes on Feb. 15, 2009. However, the 2008-2009 muskrat and mink seasons at the three WMAs start later than the Western NY trapping season and will run from Dec. 6, 2008 to Feb. 15, 2009.
In addition, a 25-trap limit will be in place for muskrat and mink on the three WMAs (traps set for upland trapping and beaver will not require numbered tags and will not be considered in the trap limit). The trap limit provides a more equitable distribution of the harvest and prevents trappers from monopolizing the better trapping areas. An additional change this year is that muskrat and mink trapping will be restricted to dike areas only (including the 20-foot area adjacent to the dike). No marsh or house trapping is allowed until further notice. We are taking this action to allow muskrat populations to rebound after the drought of 2007-2008.
To ensure the trap limit, DEC issues 25 numbered tags to each trapper who obtains a permit. A tag must be attached to each trap the trapper is using on the areas. Any trap that does not have one of these tags attached is considered an illegal trap. Also, an individual trapper can only operate traps that contain tags with their assigned numbers.
Management of the muskrat population promotes prime emergent marsh habitats used by waterfowl and uncommon marsh birds such as the black tern and least bittern. The trap limit allows DEC to better regulate the muskrat harvest according to water availability, habitat needs and population.
Hunters and trappers are reminded that no gas or electric motor boats are allowed on Oak Orchard or Tonawanda WMAs.
