Snaring small game like snowshoe hares and partridge is a popular activity for many Newfoundland hunters and trappers.
But one can't use just any kind of wire. If you're not careful, you could end up with one of Newfoundland's threatened species in your snare.
That's the Newfoundland marten, which can be found in the west coast and central regions, notably the Red Indian Lake area, of the province.
Several of them have ended up dead because of illegal snaring wire. As a result, the Department of Environment and Conservation is reminding hunters and trappers about the small game snaring requirements.
Only 22 gauge brass wire or six strand picture cord may be used for the purpose of snaring small game such as snowshoe hare, ptarmigan and grouse on the island portion where snaring is permitted during the open season. Wire types like stainless steel can't be used. The Newfoundland marten was considered endangered because of the small number on the island, approximately 300 at one time. Intensive conservation efforts have helped move the animal's status up to "threatened."
"There are lots of things on the go to encourage the marten population to increase, such as the introduction of red-back vole as a food source," said small game management biologist Chris Callahan, with the Department of Environment and Conservation's wildlife division. "I'm sure our recent changes in snare wire is helping the population."
There is a province-wide ban on stainless steel. Mr. Callahan said the other types of wire have been tested and allow marten to be released if they're captured.
The Newfoundland marten, described on one web site as "nature's cutest carnivore," certainly lives up to that description, with its big ears, bright puppy-dog eyes and soft, sleek brown fur. However trapping for its fur and destruction of its habitat over the centuries resulted in the species' population becoming dangerously low.
Marten in general are numerous throughout North America, but the Newfoundland marten is a subspecies of the American marten. It is genetically distinct from its mainland cousin at it developed in isolation on the island part of the province during the last ice age.
For small game hunting and snaring, regulations, hunters and trappers should refer to the 2009-2010 Hunting and Trapping Guide, available online at the government website at http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/publications/200910%20hunting%20trapping%20guide.pdf.
The guide is also available at Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environment and Conservation offices throughout the province.
Improper snares may cause marten deaths
With a face like this, its small wonder that the Newfoundland marten has been called Natures cutest carnivore. As the animals status is threatened, the provincial government has made it illegal to use stainless steel snaring ware. That type of wire was ap
-
- Published on November 26th, 2009
- Published on June 22nd, 2010
- SUE HICKEY
Doing it right
Snaring small game like snowshoe hares and partridge is a popular activity for many Newfoundland hunters and trappers.
But one can't use just any kind of wire. If you're not careful, you could end up with one of Newfoundland's threatened species in your snare.
- Number of views : 44
- Rate
- Top of the page
Comments
-
- gary
- - June 28th, 2010 at 14:49:56
first off the brass wire we use today is garbage , kets rabbits go around the woods with wire on them and eventually kills them anyways , here in central there is no pinemartin, these areas with low or nothing should be aloud to use the stainless wire as before, labrador even are able to trap these , only nfld got this regualtion, another gov scamm indeed, you leave the gov alone and we wont be aloud to do anything, onetime we were able to catch 2 salmon aday when then pop was around 6000 on the exploits , now the pop is 30.000 plus and we get 4 , come off it guys, its like this once you give the gov a inch they take it all . finally the areas with pine m,artin yes no snares , but areas that dont have it go ahead catch rabbits with the stainless steel, why god the coyotes are laughing at us again , there saying my god we just got here not long ago and the nfld gov are making a total joke of it all again , good lord what next? not another mr mahoney i hope lmao heheeh, and those who know the truth know what im saying
-
- Bernard
- - June 28th, 2010 at 14:49:46
A couple of years back I attended a 'so called', Pine Marten Conference, organized by our present government officials, in Corner Brook.
At that meeting 'all' types of wire, and methods were discussed. It was the general consenus that 'stainless wire' was still to be used.(the Alberta Study showed that our marten was much bigger and would most likely break the stainless wire anyway)
So this would not be the first time that some educated , but stupid, government officials would change the rules.
Ignoring the decision of the majority as usual.
Thousands of rabbits are being destroyed each season to protect a 'FEW' marten.
The government ignored the study done on pine marten in favour of the STAR LAKE HYDRO DEVELOPMENT. In fact they ignored fudged the numbers to move this project ahead.
I still laugh at the comment of one official who wondered how marten could cross the Exploits River, since they were not swimmers. Someone did point out that water did freeze. -
- gary
- - June 28th, 2010 at 14:49:39
i agree with the buchans area but other areas that dont have any allow the catch or hare with stainless. i wonder how we gott he shrew. squirrel. coyote, and all ther rest of the dirt we have here, mmmm let me see heheheh i wonder if mr mahoney would know lol.
-
- JAMES
- - June 28th, 2010 at 14:49:37
to gary: good point, but first off all the pine martin are in central newfoundland , its been awhile but i caught one years ago on buchans highway that had died in a picture wire snare. as a former trapper it doesn't matter what kind of wire you use. wildgame don t look at the wire.
-
- gary
- - June 22nd, 2010 at 16:05:30
first off the brass wire we use today is garbage , kets rabbits go around the woods with wire on them and eventually kills them anyways , here in central there is no pinemartin, these areas with low or nothing should be aloud to use the stainless wire as before, labrador even are able to trap these , only nfld got this regualtion, another gov scamm indeed, you leave the gov alone and we wont be aloud to do anything, onetime we were able to catch 2 salmon aday when then pop was around 6000 on the exploits , now the pop is 30.000 plus and we get 4 , come off it guys, its like this once you give the gov a inch they take it all . finally the areas with pine m,artin yes no snares , but areas that dont have it go ahead catch rabbits with the stainless steel, why god the coyotes are laughing at us again , there saying my god we just got here not long ago and the nfld gov are making a total joke of it all again , good lord what next? not another mr mahoney i hope lmao heheeh, and those who know the truth know what im saying
-
- Bernard
- - June 22nd, 2010 at 16:05:15
A couple of years back I attended a 'so called', Pine Marten Conference, organized by our present government officials, in Corner Brook.
At that meeting 'all' types of wire, and methods were discussed. It was the general consenus that 'stainless wire' was still to be used.(the Alberta Study showed that our marten was much bigger and would most likely break the stainless wire anyway)
So this would not be the first time that some educated , but stupid, government officials would change the rules.
Ignoring the decision of the majority as usual.
Thousands of rabbits are being destroyed each season to protect a 'FEW' marten.
The government ignored the study done on pine marten in favour of the STAR LAKE HYDRO DEVELOPMENT. In fact they ignored fudged the numbers to move this project ahead.
I still laugh at the comment of one official who wondered how marten could cross the Exploits River, since they were not swimmers. Someone did point out that water did freeze. -
- gary
- - June 22nd, 2010 at 16:05:06
i agree with the buchans area but other areas that dont have any allow the catch or hare with stainless. i wonder how we gott he shrew. squirrel. coyote, and all ther rest of the dirt we have here, mmmm let me see heheheh i wonder if mr mahoney would know lol.
-
- JAMES
- - June 22nd, 2010 at 16:05:04
to gary: good point, but first off all the pine martin are in central newfoundland , its been awhile but i caught one years ago on buchans highway that had died in a picture wire snare. as a former trapper it doesn't matter what kind of wire you use. wildgame don t look at the wire.
