Montana Woods N Water June 2016 Print Edition | Page 6

TRAPPING

From the Desk of Dan Helterline, Region 1 Montana Trappers
Association (MTA) Director: A Call To Action
In April I attended the Fish Wildlife and Parks furbearer meeting in Kalispell at the Region 1 office.
The purpose of the meeting was to go over last years harvest information and discuss any
upcoming changes in quotas and regulations. When the topic of the fisher quota was addressed,
the department biologists suggested that since the quota was so low, with only two fishers allowed
to be trapped in region one, that the current statewide quota be reduced to zero. This proposal
was immediately and strongly opposed by ALL participants at the meeting. I thought that the matter was adequately addressed and
our wishes to keep the fisher quota the same had been heard.
At the close of the meeting the attending members of the Montana Trappers Association discussed electing a new board of director,
I was nominated and voted in unanimously, taking the reigns from Paul Fielder. I feel as a newly elected MTA Director for R1 it is my
obligation to reach out to the trappers in the region, whether they are MTA members or not, on issues that effect us. It was later in
May that I learned that Mike Thompson, a lead biologist for the Fish Wildlife and Parks, made a very in depth presentation to the
Commissioners, supporting keeping the fisher quota the same and keeping the trapping season open. He supplied data that
supported the sustainable harvest of fisher and stated that trapping was of no detriment to the fisher population. It was in fact the
data from trapping fishers that was allowing biologist to gather age class and fisher sex information, helping show a stable fisher
population in Montana. Commissioner Gary Wolf choose to ignore the facts and recommendations of the departments biologist
and is currently pushing to reduce the fisher quota to zero and effectively ending fisher trapping in Montana.
What are the ramifications of this to trappers in Western Montana? More prohibitive trapping regulations, similar to what has
happened in the Lynx Protection Zone in North Western Montana, all incidental trapped fishers will be confiscated by the FW&P,
and greatly reduced trapping opportunities just to name a few. This is the same road that the Lynx and wolverine has went down
and look at the results of that. Where will it end? It seems as outdoorsmen we are losing our rights and freedoms faster than I can
type this cry for action.
What can we do? Initially, even if you are not a trapper, go to
the link at the end of this article and comment on the Fish
Wildlife and Parks website that you are adamantly against the
reduction of the fisher quota to zero. Trappers are just at the
front of firing line, you would be naive to think that trapping is
the only activity in jeopardy.
Join the Montana Trappers Association, even if you are not a
trapper, we have strength in numbers, if you are a trapper an
not a member, we need all the help we can get. Get out and
vote, the Commissioners are appointed by the Governor, we
need Commissioners that will listen to the facts and use sound
science to base their decisions on and not be driven by
emotionally based on political agendas, we need a new
governor.
These are just a few of the things we can do as sportsmen to
help cement our outdoor heritage and rights here in Montana. I
am very fortunate to have legally harvested a fisher and a
wolverine, both very rewarding and memorable trapping
experiences, and I would like all Montana trappers to have the
same opportunity, it may be too late for the wolverine, but I
would like to think we still have a dog in the fight for the fisher.
The comment period for these issues closes June 18 so there is
still time to make our voices heard. http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/
publicComments/2016/furbearerSeasons.html

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