Maine Trapping: Fall 2022 Harvest Reports Are Due Soon

Trappers are running low on time to submit their harvest report for the fall 2022 season.

Maine Trappers have a little homework to submit soon. Mandatory trapping reports for the fall 2022 season are coming due January 31. All licensed trappers 16 years and older must submit their report by January 31, even if they did not trap. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife uses the information provided in harvest reports to determine trapping activity, and gather data on species that are not registered and tagged.

According to IFW, these are examples of how harvest report data is used:

• Percent of trappers that did and did not trap furbearers.
• Percent of trappers that only trapped for Bear.
• Percent of trappers that only trapped nuisance wildlife as an Animal Damage Control Agent.
• Species targeted and species caught.
• WMD’s trapped and the distribution of species - particularly valuable for species expanding their range like opossum and gray fox.
• Catch per 100 trapnights for each species.
• Number of trapnights trappers spent pursuing marten, fisher, or canids in the Lynx WMDs.
• Interesting observations on disease, such as prevalence of mange.
• Documenting variables that affect annual effort, like weather or health.
• Evaluating changes in regulations

IFW adds, "If you came across interesting or unusual wildlife observations, this is a great place to report it." Reports can be filed online, by mail, email, fax, or over the phone. Trappers will need to have their MOSES ID number to file. Paper reports from the fall and spring seasons were sent to licensed trappers during the general trapping season.

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The general trapping season ended on December 31. Trappers can still set for beaver and muskrat (anywhere that remains open to beaver trapping) through April. Spring trapping reports are due May 31.