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2018-2019 and 2019-2020 Furbearer Trapping and Hunting Regulations

Oregon and Wildlife Commission June 7, 2018

Derek Broman 1 ODFW -Furbearer Coordinator Presentation Overview • License and Pelt Price Trends • Species and Season Information • General Regulation Proposals • Program Notes

2 K.Kohl Furtaker License Sales Trends 1987-2017 3,500 Furtakers Furbearer Hunters 3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500 # Licenses # 1,000

500

0

Year 3 New Furtaker License Trends 1997-2017

3,000 Returning Furtakers New Furtakers

2,500

2,000

1,500

# Licenses # 1,000

500

0

Year 4 Furtaker Reporting Trend 2007-2017

100 Furtakers Furbearer Hunter

80

60

40

Time and Late) Time 20 Reporting (On - % 0

Year 5 Furtaker Reporting Trend 2007-2017 On-Time Reporting Furtakers Furbearer Hunters Average 100

80

60

40 Time Reporting Time - 20 On % 0

Year 6 $800

Average $600 Annual $400 E Pelt $200 W Bobcat $0 Prices 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 $80 AFWA $60 2015 $40 Report- $20 Red Average $0 Trapping 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Expenses: $30

US $20 $1,694 $10 Oregon Muskrat $1,761 $0 7 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Species and Seasons

78

D. Budeau Season Recommendations

Unprotected Open Entire Year for: , , Nutria, Opossum, Porcupine, ,

Most Included in Harvest Report

Protected Mammals No Open Season for: , Ringtail, , , Otter 9

K.Kohl Furbearer Harvest Season Recommendations

• No Proposed Changes to Season Dates for most Furbearer Trapping and Hunting ─ Beaver Nov. 15 – Mar. 15 ─ Bobcat Dec. 1 – Feb. 28 ─ Marten Nov. 1 – Jan. 31 ─ Muskrat Nov. 15 – Mar. 31 ─ Mink Nov. 15 – Mar. 31 ─ Raccoon Nov. 15 – Mar. 15 ─ River Otter Nov. 15 – Mar. 15

10 Furbearer Harvest Season Recommendations Proposed Changes to Season Dates for and Gray Fox • Red Fox assumed to be non-native in eastern Oregon counties, therefore no closed season in 9 counties. (Oct 15-Jan15 elsewhere)

• New genetic information suggests many are actually native red fox Open Season No Oct 15- Jan 14 Closed Season

11 Greet al. 2017. Genetic Characteristics of Red in Northeastern Oregon. Northwestern Naturalist 98:73-81

12 Furbearer Harvest Season Recommendations

• Currently: • Propose: ─ Red Fox Oct. 15 – Jan. 15 or ─ Red Fox Oct. 15 – Feb. 28 Open All Year in Baker, Statewide Gilliam, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, , Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties

─ Gray Fox Nov. 15 – Feb. 28 ─ Gray Fox Oct. 15 – Feb. 28 Statewide Statewide

13 Pursuit Seasons

Bobcat: Harvest: Sept. 1 – Feb. 28 Dec. 1 – Feb. 28

Red and Gray Fox: Harvest: (Proposed) Sept. 1 – Feb. 28 Oct. 15 – Feb. 28

Raccoon: Harvest: Sept. 1 – Mar. 15 Nov. 15 – Mar. 15

14 Bobcat Information

• Bobcat Record Card required to hunt or trap • Lower jaw and harvest information must be submitted to ODFW to have ownership tag affixed and must occur within 5 business days after the season ends 15 Furtakers With Bobcat Record Cards

Individuals Purchasing Record Cards 1997-2017 1800 Western OR Eastern OR 1600 1400 1200 1000

# Furtakers 800 600 400 200 0

Year 16 Bobcat Harvest Trends Annual Harvest 1997-2016 4,500 Eastern Bobcat Western Bobcat 4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

Harvest 2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

Year 17 Bobcat Pelt Price Trends

Average Oregon Bobcat Pelt Price 1997-2017 $700 Eastern OR Western OR Statewide $600

$500

Price $400

$300

$200

Average Pelt Pelt Average $100

$0

Year 18 Bobcat Pelt Price Trends Relationship between Bobcat Pelt Price and Record Cards

$700 1997-2017 1,800 Eastern Record Cards Purchased Eastern Pelt Price Eastern Cards Purchased 1,600 $600 1,400 $500 1,200 Price $400 1,000

$300 800 600 $200 400 Average Pelt Pelt Average $100 200 $0 0

Year 19 Bobcat Management Criteria

Harvest and Effort Eastern Oregon • Harvest, Participation, and Effort, Substantial decline in harvest, and Catch Per Unit Effort participation, and effort, but Catch Per Unit Effort values have increased slightly and remain within long term averages Harvest Demographic Structure • Proportion of Females Low fluctuation, within long term averages

• Proportion of Kittens and Juveniles 2015 and 2016 higher than long term averages

• Proportion of Adult Females Lower proportion in 2015 & 2016 and below long term averages

• Average Age of Harvest 2015 and 2016 lower than long term averages 20 Department proposes no changes to Eastern Oregon bobcat bag limit (5) Bobcat Management Criteria

Harvest and Effort Western Oregon • Harvest, Participation, and Effort, Lower harvest, participation, and effort, and Catch Per Unit Effort but Catch Per Unit Effort values remain within long term averages

Harvest Demographic Structure • Proportion of Females Low fluctuation, within long term averages

• Proportion of Kittens and Juveniles Increasing, above long term averages

• Proportion of Adult Females At or below long term averages

• Average Age of Harvest Low in 2015 and 2016

21 Department proposes no changes to Western Bag Limit (no limit) General Regulation Proposals

"Killing trap" means a device used to kill a as part of a trap system.

Currently, killing traps and their placement restrictions are categorized into three groups:

Jaw spread less than 7.5” Jaw spread 7.5 to <9” Jaw spread 9” and greater • Limited by Set Back • Limited to 50 feet • Limited to Water Set Restrictions from trail, from water (except Only trailhead, picnic area, when authorized by • Nomenclature (330’s etc. on Public Land ODFW) and by Set and larger) • Nomenclature (220’s Back Restrictions on and smaller) Public Land • Nomenclature (280’s)

22 General Regulation Proposals Oregon Trappers Association request restricting 7.5+” to water set only on public lands Functionally, this would create two categories of killing traps and their placement and streamline regulations

Staff proposes to modify 635-050-0045 to restrict killing traps with a jaw spread of 7.5 inches or more to a water set except when authorized by ODFW

635-050-0045 General Furbearer Regulations (9) It is unlawful for any person to trap for furbearers, predatory or unprotected mammals using: (d) Any killing trap having a jaw spread of [9]7.5 inches or more in any land set except when authorized by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 23 General Regulation Proposals Furtakers are required to surrender lower jaw of harvested bobcat or river otter to have an ownership tag (i.e. CITES Tag) affixed to their pelt by ODFW Staff. Information on sex and date and county of harvest is also required and usually exists on jaw tags provided by ODFW. Staff concerned mismatched tags and jaws, reducing data quality. Staff proposes to modify 635-050-0183 to require information is attached to each jaw to qualify for ownership tags.

635-050-0183 Bobcat and River Otter Ownership Tags A furtaker shall be responsible for surrendering to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife the lower jawbone including both canine teeth and information on sex, date of catch and county of harvest attached to[with] each individual Oregon bobcat and river otter jawbone to qualify for ownership tags. A district office may, on a case-by-case basis, waive the lower jawbone requirement, for example if the furtaker provides

evidence that failure to provide the jawbone is due to unexpected circumstances 24 beyond his or her control. Furbearer Program Notes

• Considering online Trapper Education Course and Exam • Petition for marten harvest regulation changes on August Commission agenda • Furtaker assistance with research projects and data collection • Montane Red Fox DNA Collection • Starkey Multi-Carnivore Study (OSU, ODFW) • ODFW Alsea Study • SW Oregon Carnivore Diet Study (U of Wisconsin) • Furbearer Research • Kit Fox (High Desert Southeast Oregon) • Sierra Nevada Red Fox (Central Cascades)

• Fisher (Applegate WMU) 25 Questions

26 K.Kohl