Using experimental trapping seasons to explore fisher harvest management uncertainties: is timing everything?

Abstract

ABSTRACT An experimental trapping season was used to address structural and partial controllability uncertainties related to the timing and duration of a fisher (Martes pennanti) trapping season in northern New York. Uncertainties regarding capture vulnerability and harvest effort have thwarted serious consideration of altering the season structure. An experimental extension to the trapping season was implemented in a portion of northern New York to explore these uncertainties. The study found that capture vulnerability did not change between the traditional portion of the season (25 October–10 December) and the experimental season extension (11 December–10 January). Trapping effort was significantly less during the extended portion of the season, in terms of both number of active trappers and mean individual effort. Thus, changes in the cumulative harvest appear to be driven by changes in harvest effort, rather than changes in capture vulnerability. Increasing harvest opportunity in this system does not appear to increase cumulative harvest proportionally.