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Comparisons of Muskrat Trapping Efficiency and Incidental Take of Non-target Water Birds Using Covered and Uncovered Float Sets

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Description

Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) have been a highly sought after furbearer species in North Dakota because of recent pelt prices. In 2011, regulation changes allowed trappers to use float sets to trap muskrats during the spring season. The current regulations require float sets used during the spring trapping season to have a covering made of either wire mesh, wood, or plastic and must not have an opening exceeding 20.32 cm (8 in) to attempt to minimize the incidental take of non-target species. The primary goals of this project were to determine if muskrat float set covers are effective in eliminating incidental take of non-target species and to compare trapping efficiency at covered and uncovered float sets. 


Metadata

Authors and Contributors
Rodney Allen Gross Jr., University of North Dakota
Type
Research papers
Research Category
Wildlife
Target Species
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Approximate Completion Date
Formats
PDF
Tags
muskrat furbearer waterfowl incidental take