Collections required this year: Fisher, bobcat, otter and incidental catches of marten and lynx. Submission of accidental catches of flying squirrels is voluntary.

Regulation Changes For 1998/99

The major regulation changes affecting fur harvesters for the 1998/99 season are:

1. The bag limit for bobcat has been increased from four (4) to five (5) in all counties except Cumberland County, which remains at one.

2. Only licensed furharvesters who permanently reside in Cumberland, Colchester, and Pictou counties may now keep one fisher taken accidentally in a trap lawfully set for another species within those three counties. Fisher taken by trappers in any other County must be turned in to a DNR office.

3. In addition to box traps, submarine traps may now be legally set within 200 yards (182 metres) of a dwelling, school, playground, athletic field, or place of business.

Anyone seeking further information on furbearer management or wishing to provide input to the Department of Natural Resources should contact their local office, a Regional Wildlife Biologist, or the Furbearer and Upland Game Section of DNR, Attn.: Mike O'Brien,

136 Exhibition Street, Kentville, NS - B4N 4E5. By e-mail: obrienms@gov.ns.ca

Phone: (902) 679-6091 Fax: (902) 679-6176. The Furbearer Section is also on the Internet, at https://novascotia.ca/NATR/WILDLIFE/furbers/furbs.htm

Coming in November, Trappers Newsletter will be available on-line. Check back at the above website address then.

Accidental catches or sightings of rare species may also be reported by calling

1-800-565-2224.

Southern Flying Squirrels on 1998 Species at Risk T-Shirt

By Mike Boudreau

There are two different species of flying squirrels in Nova Scotia: the northern flying squirrel and the southern flying squirrel. Both animals are nocturnal and very secretive, and are thus seldom seen. This makes them appear rare; however, the northern flying squirrel is considered quite common throughout the province, despite the difficulties in doing a complete census of its population. The southern flying squirrel on the other hand appears to be restricted to a very limited range, and is currently only found in a few areas of western Nova Scotia. This is thought to be because of its specialized habitat requirements. These specialized requirements appear to be a limiting factor in range expansion, and make the southern flying squirrel much more susceptible to habitat destruction.

Flying squirrels are prone to occasional capture as non-target species during the regular trapping season. They are occasionally brought home by the family cat and/or find their way into peoples' houses, where they quickly become a nuisance. However, very few southern flying squirrels have ever been turned in to DNR offices. The many similarities between the northern and southern flying squirrel mean that it is often very difficult to differentiate between the species in the field. Featuring the southern flying squirrel as the Species at Risk is a good way of bringing attention to this often overlooked mammal. Species at Risk t-shirts are being sold through Nova Scotia Liquor Commission outlets. By purchasing a t-shirt, you are increasing awareness of threatened wildlife while at the same time helping to fund future research.

Courses take place each year in early fall. Since 1986, 57 Fur Harvester Courses have been held and there have been a total of 1,158 students. Application forms are available at all local DNR offices, and may be submitted throughout the year. Registration and payment must be received not later than August 15 in order to guarantee a place in courses for that fall. Students registered by August 15 will receive notification of their course date and location in early September; participants are required to confirm their attendance by September 15. Anyone unable to attend must also notify DNR, Wildlife Division in Kentville, otherwise their name will be removed from the course waiting list, and their registration fee forfeited.

Nova Scotia's Fisher

By Mike Boudreau

One of the largest members of the mustelid family in Nova Scotia is the fisher (Martes pennanti). Fisher are furbearing terrestrial carnivores, and are found across the province with the exception of Cape Breton Island.

According to provincial harvest records, 14 fisher were exported out of Nova Scotia in 1919. However, it is generally accepted that the animal had disappeared from the province by the early to mid-1930s. In 1947-48, 12 ranch-raised fisher were released in the Tobeatic area of south-western Nova Scotia; in spite of this, there were no fur exports of fisher pelts until 1960-61. A second attempt at introducing the species took place between 1963 and 1966, adding 92 wild fisher from Maine to the north-eastern part of the province. In all, 104 fisher have been introduced into the province to try and re-establish the species in their historic range.

After limited legal harvest in the 1980s, the fisher season was officially closed in 1988-89 and remained closed until 1995-96. During the closed season, it was mandatory for trappers to turn in all accidentally captured fisher to their local DNR office. In the early 1990s, there was a substantial increase in the number of fisher turned in - this stimulated interest from DNR and the Trappers Association of Nova Scotia in a relocation program.

As a result, 13 animals were captured in north-eastern Nova Scotia (where they seemed to be thriving) and released in Lunenburg County during the fall and winter of 1994. It was hoped that this would help to provide a link between the western and eastern fisher populations, while at the same time increasing the genetic diversity of the western population.

This relocation program differed from the previous two introductions because the fisher were supplied from within Nova Scotia. There is some speculation that the ranch fisher which were released in the Tobeatic Game Sanctuary during the late 1940s may not have been as viable as the wild stock which were released in the north-east - and because of their geographic isolation, the genetic makeup of the two populations has remained separate and distinct. In fact, the difference between the two populations is so pronounced that DNA testing could be used to differentiate between them.

This year, with support from the Trappers Association of Nova Scotia, we will resume the fisher relocation program. For 1998, the fisher season will remain open in the north-eastern counties of Pictou, Cumberland, and Colchester for resident trappers only. The remainder of the province will have a closed fisher season. This is necessary to give all released fisher the opportunity to settle into their new surroundings by reducing trapping pressure in and around the release sites. A large closed area is necessary to allow for dispersal of individual animals, some of which travel great distances after being released in new areas. All fisher which are to be relocated this year will be marked with a chemical called Tetracycline. This will make it possible to identify these animals if they are turned in to a DNR office. To-date, only 2 of 13 fisher that were marked and released in 1994 have been returned.

The number of fur harvester licenses sold in the 1997-98 season decreased by 4.2 per cent to 1,933. The level of effort by those who did buy licenses appears to have increased somewhat, with 64.5 per cent reporting taking fur in the 1997-98 season.

Fur prices declined for all species except otter, with significant declines in several species. Price gains for wild fur which might have been expected with increased stability in the marketplace (as a result of the resolution of the European Union situation) may have been offset by loss of markets as a result of Asian economic uncertainty.

More details on the European situation and progress on the Canadian trap standards appear elsewhere in this issue, in the article Trap Standards - Update on the E.U. Agreement and Canadian Trap Standards Development.

Snowshoe Hare

Snowshoe hares, or "rabbits" as we Nova Scotians call them, are an important prey species for several predatory furbearers. Abundance rankings made by fur harvesters show a slight overall decrease in snowshoe hares in the province. Rankings indicate low to medium populations in most mainland counties, and medium to high populations in the Cape Breton counties. Upland game harvest survey results showed a much more pronounced decline in snowshoe hares, with estimated harvest down about 27 per cent overall.

Bobcat

The bobcat harvest was up 5.2 per cent from last year, with a total of 1,029 animals taken (please note that there was an error in last year's report, and the actual number harvested in 1996-97 was 976 bobcats). This increase might, in a small way, partly reflect an increase in the bag limit from three to four in Colchester County. Abundance rankings for the province continued to increase slightly, although the mainland counties were overall down somewhat from last year. Other indicators of population status showed mixed results. The proportion of kittens in the harvest was up substantially, while the pregnancy rate of yearling females was down somewhat from last year. As reported elsewhere in this issue in the article Bobcat Reproduction, Age Structure and Bag Limit, the bag limit this fall has been raised to 5 province-wide except for Cumberland County, where it will remain at one. This is based on examination of all the biological and survey information.

Beaver

The provincial beaver harvest declined by 26.1 per cent to 6,385 animals after a record harvest last year. Pelt prices also declined, by nearly 19 per cent. Regional abundance rankings showed a continued decline from 1996-97, but were still generally in the medium range across the province. After discussions with Department field staff and trappers, bag limits have been set at the same level as last year in all four zones. We recognize the fact that trappers often trap other aquatic furbearers (such as otter, mink, and muskrat) over a geographic area that extends beyond the boundaries of the beaver zone in which they permanently reside. As a result, regulations were changed last year to allow trappers to retain beaver taken in any zone, provided that they do not exceed in total the bag limit for the zone in which they permanently reside, and do not take in any one zone more than the bag limit for that zone. It appears that this change did not result in any major problems, and it will hopefully provide us with an improved picture of the geographic distribution of our beaver harvest.

Otter

Otter harvests declined again this year, dropping 27.5 per cent to 555 animals. This is in the middle of the range for harvests in recent years. While most other fur prices dropped in 1997-98, otter remained stable at an average price of $72.42, which is higher than in most recent years. Abundance rankings declined slightly again this year, but remained in the low to medium range (similar to the past several years). Preliminary results suggest that otter, like other fish-eating species, are being affected in some parts of Nova Scotia by environmental mercury contamination. We are collecting otter carcasses again this year to continue to improve our understanding of what is happening with the otter population. The status of this species will be closely monitored to ensure the maintenance of a sustainable population.

Muskrat

Muskrat catches remained high in 1997-98, in spite of a 14.4 per cent decline from last year. The average price also decreased by nearly 39 per cent to $4.32, but still remained higher than in most recent years. Abundance rankings were down slightly overall.

Mink

The mink harvest was down 22.5 per cent from last year, with 1,681 animals taken. Abundance rankings were down somewhat, as were prices, which remained relatively low.

Fisher

Fur harvester abundance rankings continued in the low range for fisher, but were up somewhat from last year. Under new regulations allowing retention of one accidentally caught fisher, 184 fisher were taken by fur harvesters. While the harvests of the past three seasons are encouraging, we will need to continue close monitoring of this species to ensure continued population recovery and expansion. Following an offer of financial support from the Trappers Association of Nova Scotia (TANS), a decision was made this year to resume our fisher relocation program in cooperation with TANS. This year, animals will be live-trapped and moved from Cumberland, Colchester, and Pictou counties to the south-central part of the province. This will hopefully bolster fisher numbers there, and eventually connect the eastern and western fisher populations. To increase the impact of this program and to protect relocated animals, regulations have been changed to allow the retention of accidentally caught fisher in Cumberland, Colchester, and Pictou counties only. Fisher that are accidentally caught in all other areas of the province must be turned in to DNR, at least for the duration of this project. As with all seasons and bag limits, this regulation will be reviewed annually. For further information on fisher and the relocation project, please see the article Nova Scotia's Fisher elsewhere in this issue.

Raccoon

Raccoon harvests decreased by about 5 per cent to 6,165. Abundance rankings were similar to last year, indicating a low to moderate population. Average price for raccoon furs decreased somewhat from last year, but remained higher than in most recent years. Outbreaks of distemper will likely continue to result in lower populations in affected areas.

Fox

Fox harvests decreased by nearly 42 per cent to 1,572. Abundance rankings dropped somewhat overall. Prices dropped slightly from last year, but remained similar to recent years.

Coyote

Coyote harvests decreased by more than 21 per cent to 1,031. Overall abundance rankings were down somewhat, and the average price decreased by nearly 39 per cent.

Other Species

Squirrel harvests, while still high, declined by more than 24 per cent to 5,199. Weasel harvests also declined by 42 per cent to 602. Harvest of skunks decreased by 68 per cent. Lynx, marten, and cougar remain totally protected. Occasional specimens of lynx and marten continue to be taken accidentally each year. Trappers should make every effort to avoid accidental capture of these species.

Accidental Captures

Fur harvesters who accidentally catch protected species or animals in excess of their bag limits should try to release them alive if practical. If not, you must report your catch to an office of the Department of Natural Resources before it is removed from the trap site (this may be done by calling any DNR office, or by calling this phone number, 24 hours a day: 1-800-565-2224). The office will advise you on how to handle the situation. Anyone found in possession of an animal to which they are not entitled without first notifying the Department may be charged.

Most animals turned in to DNR are used for demonstration and training at the Trapper's Workshop. Proceeds from the sale of pelts are used to support trapper education.

Fur Harvest as Calculated from Licence Returns and Fur Buyer Slips in 1996/97

Fur Harvest as Calculated from Licence Returns and Fur Buyer Slips in 1997/98

Note: Four year license rule announced during 92/93 resulting in increased sales.

• Bag Limit Increased to Two Province Wide in 1990/91
• Bag Limit Reduced to One Province Wide in 1991/92
• Bag Limit Increased to Two Province Wide in 1993/94
• Bag Limit Reduced to One in Cumberland and Colchester Counties in 1994/95
• Bag Limit Increased to Three Province-Wide (except Cumb/Col) in 1995/96
• Bag Limit Increased to Four Province-Wide (except Cumb/Col) in 1996/97
• Bag Limit Increased From One to Four in Colchester County in 1997/98

• Season Closed in 1988/89
• One Mistake Fisher Allowed in 1995/96, 1996/97 and in 1997/98

• Season Closed

• Season Closed

The state of Nova Scotia's bobcat population has been of concern since a decline occurred in the early 1980s. In order to monitor this situation, the Department has collected bobcat carcasses from fur harvesters during most trapping seasons since that time (including a mandatory collection for the past eleven years). These collections have provided information on location, date of capture, and harvest methods, and allowed DNR to determine sex and age ratios, as well as reproductive success of the population.

Figure 1 shows that the percentage of kittens in the harvest has been fluctuating in recent years. In the 1997-98 harvest, it increased considerably after dropping in 1996-97. This increase is indicative of the number of new animals entering the population. It also likely reflects some favourable environmental factor(s) in 1996-97, resulting in better reproductive success of yearlings and/or survival of young. Other factors such as trapper interest and effort, and effects of weather on trapping conditions are difficult to measure directly, but may influence representation of age classes in the kill.

In bobcat populations, the percentage of pregnant adult females is generally quite high, around 90 per cent in most seasons. The percentage of pregnant yearlings shown in Figure 2 has been much more variable, probably reflecting environmental factors and overall population conditions. These "yearlings" (actually only around 10 months old when they are bred) are much more likely to become pregnant when they are in good body condition. The relatively easy winter of 1994-95 appears to be strongly reflected in the 1995-96 results, with 59 per cent of the yearling females pregnant. In both 1996-97 and 1997-98, the proportion of yearling females showing evidence of pregnancy the previous spring declined to 37 and 31 per cent respectively. This is perhaps a bit more difficult to attribute to winter conditions, since the winters of 1995-96 and 1996-97 were both relatively easy. Perhaps increases in bobcat numbers have begun to catch up with expansions in snowshoe hare populations, so that competition for prey has become more of a factor for less experienced, young animals.

Various indices of snowshoe hare populations suggest the numbers of this important bobcat prey species may be near or, in some areas of the province, past the peak in the current cycle. Bobcat populations appear to be healthy and supporting increasing harvests. Abundance rankings are also continuing to increase slightly. Considering this information, as well as other indices discussed above, the bag limit for the 1998-99 season has been raised to five animals in most counties. The bag limit in Cumberland County remains at one.

Fur harvesters were asked again last year to record their perception of population levels for 14 animal species. Population levels for five of those species have been reported for nine years, while population levels for the other nine species have been reported for five years. This has been a very successful program as it gives us the ability to draw on hundreds of skilled observers, who tell us how abundant each species is in their area. We encourage all fur harvesters to fill in this section, as higher numbers of participants increases the accuracy of the data.

Rankings for individual counties may not provide a reliable picture of annual trends because of low response numbers from some areas. The summaries for each of the three regions, as well as the provincial totals, are considered very reliable. The table shows results for the 1997-98 season. The numbers are averages calculated by assigning values to the ranks selected by each fur harvester. The values given to the ranks are shown at the bottom of the table.

The lowest possible value for a County is "0", which means that all respondents in that County felt that none of that particular species was present in their area. The highest possible value is "4", which means that all respondents from that County felt that numbers for that species were "very high". The highest rank in the table this year was 3.34, for snowshoe hare in Inverness County.

This type of information is most valuable when looking at changes from year to year, and graphs are presented to show the rankings for five species over a nine year period for all of Nova Scotia.

Ranks were assigned values as follows: None - 0 Low -1 Medium - 2 High - 3 Very High - 4

Trap Standards - Update on the EU Agreement and Canadian Trap Standards

By Mike O'Brien

In late 1997, the European Union (E.U.), Canada, and Russia signed The Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards. This Agreement averted the implementation of E.U. legislation that would have prohibited the import of 13 species of wild furs into Europe from Canada. The effects of such a ban would have been very serious, affecting all our major furbearing species except mink and fox. Likely even the market for these would have been indirectly affected. The industry has been seeking and developing alternate markets (for example Asian countries), but the European market currently accounts for approximately 70 per cent of the market for Canadian wild fur. Recent gains in Asian markets have been significantly affected by the economic uncertainty in that region.

The United States had previously withdrawn from the official Canada-E.U.-Russia negotiating process. In late 1997, the Americans concluded a separate understanding with the E.U. which is similar to the one agreed to by Canada, though a bit more lenient. As a result, complications and negative effects of having U.S. fur blocked out of E.U. markets were also averted. However, the greater leniency in the U.S. agreement on such issues as implementation schedules are frustrating from a Canadian perspective. Federal diplomatic officials in Ottawa indicate that we will not be able to obtain such changes to our Agreement.

We can perhaps breathe a sigh of relief that this agreement with the E.U. will keep the critical European marketplace open to Canadian furs. However, it was reached only at considerable cost to the wild fur producing nations. We are now obligated to ban the use of conventional steel- jawed leghold restraining traps not later than the end of the 2000-01 trapping season - regardless of whether or not the traps would otherwise pass thresholds set for restraining trap standards (which is very likely for some species). Slightly longer time frames have been set for testing other restraining systems against the standard as defined in the Agreement. Similarly, thresholds have been set in the agreement to establish standards for testing killing trap systems, including submersion ("drowning") sets. Significant effort and expense over a relatively short time frame is going to be required to test and improve current systems, as well as to develop new traps and trapping systems. Without such an effort, trappers will not be able to continue efficiently harvesting wild furbearers. After testing and development are completed, the cost to trappers of retooling with traps which meet the standards mandated by this Agreement may be considerable.

On the positive side, the markets are still open, and we can certainly be proud of the many capable representatives from the various players in the fur industry (such as governments, the Fur Institute of Canada, trapper organizations, fur auctions, fur farmers, etc.) who have made important contributions toward resolving this situation over the past few years. Unfortunately, this issue was not simply one of science, factual information, and technological improvement, but also of animal rights, public relations campaigns, strong emotions, and politics. And though the E.U. situation may have been successfully resolved, the lobby groups will undoubtedly continue their attacks on the industry in other arenas. Canada's leadership in humane trap standards and trap development is an invaluable aid in combatting anti-fur harvest campaigns.

In late September 1997, a meeting was held in Quebec City between representatives of federal, provincial, and territorial government agencies, aboriginal peoples, and trappers to discuss the implications and requirements of the Agreement. Discussion centred around timetables and options available for complying with the agreement, along with such issues as direction and funding for required trap testing, research, and certification, and coordination between different jurisdictions. While the federal government coordinated negotiations and signed the Agreement on behalf of Canada, the actual mandate for managing furbearing species rests with the provincial, territorial, and aboriginal land claim governments. Consequently, only they can implement the requirements of the Agreement, and approaches for doing this may vary between jurisdictions.

Following the meeting in Quebec, discussions between the various jurisdictions and interest groups on implementation and coordination have continued both nationally and internationally. The Trap Research and Development Committee of the Fur Institute of Canada is leading the trap testing and development work for our country. Its primary goal is to ensure that effective, economical, safe, and humane traps are available for Canadian trappers. This work is being done in close cooperation with U.S. counterparts to ensure coordination of efforts and sharing of information. Anyone wanting more details on the E.U. Agreement and how it will affect trappers here and in other parts of Canada, as well as information on trap research and development or related topics, should contact the Furbearers and Upland Game Section of the Wildlife Division, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

It had been hoped that the Canadian General Standards Board Humane Trap Standards process would be completed this year. Representatives of trapper organizations, native peoples, governments, the Fur Institute of Canada, trap manufacturers, humane trap researchers, animal welfare groups, and other interested parties have been meeting regularly since the summer of 1995. After considerable effort, a standard for killing traps on land was agreed to, and received final committee ratification in 1997. Work continued this year on Canadian standards for restraining and submersion devices. Drafts of both standards had been approved in principle at committee meetings held in Halifax in April 1997. A follow-up meeting in Calgary in fall 1997 failed to complete this work. Revised drafts are currently in circulation for comment, and should be completed in the next few months. Canada is a world leader in humane trap research and development, and the first country to develop and implement a trap standards process. Even with the implications of the E.U. Agreement, it is still important that our Canadian Standards process be completed and in place. These are the only standards developed by Canadians for Canadians, and will stay in place regardless of whether the E.U. Agreement remains in force or is terminated by any party at some future date. Trappers have played an important role in these efforts, a fact of which we can be justifiably proud. Current Nova Scotia representatives on the Canadian General Standards Board Trap Standards Committee are Paul Tufts from the Trappers Association of Nova Scotia and Mike O'Brien from the Department of Natural Resources. Anyone with questions about the Canadian standards process should contact either of the above.

Undoubtedly the fur industry faces difficulties now and in the future. However, continued hard work and cooperation between government, fur harvesters, and other players in the industry should ensure the wise use of this natural resource, as well as the survival of a distinctly Canadian industry and way of life.

Update on Black Bear in Nova Scotia

The success rate for bear hunters and trappers in Nova Scotia averaged almost 43 per cent between 1990 and 1994, and has been declining ever since. This decline has caused many resident bear hunters in Nova Scotia to quit bear hunting. Interest in bear hunting (based on total resident license sales - hunting and snaring combined) has dropped by 28 per cent since 1995. Despite the increased odds against bagging a bear in our province, Nova Scotia continues to attract more non-resident bear hunters each year. This is perhaps an indication of the amount of time and effort required to establish and maintain active bait sites. Problem bear investigations were also down in 1997, with fewer people reporting nuisance bear.

Does this mean that we have fewer black bear? Not necessarily.

Although the province does not conduct a formal survey on the population of black bear, there are still many factors that indicate Nova Scotia is maintaining a healthy bear population. Decreases in both hunter success rates and nuisance bear situations could in fact indicate an abundance of preferred natural foods. Bear hunters and trappers should expect to expend considerably more effort during years when natural foods are in high abundance. This is because bear prefer foods such as mountain ash berries and beech nuts over bait, with its risk of human contact. In fact, bear researchers and wildlife managers have determined that in years of high abundance of natural foods, a decrease in hunter success rate and the number of nuisance bears is predictable.

By Mike Boudreau

The law requires trappers to turn in to the Department of Natural Resources furs that are in excess of their bag limit, as well as protected species. DNR has a system in place that allows trappers to notify any Department office when they have caught a protected species or animals in excess of their bag limits. In spite of this, there are trappers who catch more than the limit and either throw the animal carcass away to avoid hassle and paper work, or give it to another licensed trapper. Throwing animals away results in the loss of information which could be critical to the management of some species, especially when populations are low. Passing fur to another trapper can legally be done - it is however illegal to give away animals which you have caught in excess of your individual bag limits (if you have a question about this matter, please contact your local DNR office).

With the exception of a few specimens that are preserved and kept by DNR for educational and display purposes, any fur turned into the Department (including road killed animals of any value) is used by the Trappers Association of Nova Scotia (TANS) for trapper education.

Each March, TANS conducts a trapping workshop in conjunction with their annual meeting. Participants are able to use these furs to practice proper pelt handling techniques under the guidance of qualified instructors. Although quantities and the variety of fur differ from year to year, it gives young and old trappers a great opportunity to improve upon their own pelt handling abilities by learning up-to-date techniques. All proceeds from the sale of these furs go directly to TANS for the sole purpose of administering the Trapper's Education Program.

TANS, in co-operation with DNR, deliver a minimum of three courses a year, depending on the number of students who register. Although course dates change from year to year, they are usually held around the end of September.

There are many factors that contribute to the growth or decline of wildlife populations, such as dispersal and survival rates, and reproductive success. Other factors include the ratio of males to females, and age structure, both of which affect birth and death rates.

During the 1996-97 furharvesting season, there was a province-wide mandatory collection of coyote carcasses. The carcasses were necropsied to provide demographic information on the status of coyotes in Nova Scotia. This data was then compared to information gathered from a previous collection (1992-93), to assess changes in the coyote population since they first arrived in this province two decades ago. These two collections were undertaken before and after an intensive five-year deer-coyote population dynamics study conducted by DNR. This was done to allow the demographic data from carcass collections to be corroborated with information collected from radio-collared coyotes in the deer-coyote population dynamics study.

There were a total of 563 carcasses turned in for analysis during the 1992-93 collection, and 1,224 carcasses during the 1996-97 collection. By necropsying a large sample of carcasses, information on sex and age structure, and age-specific reproductive rates was determined. The proportion of juveniles, yearlings, and adults examined over two or more years can be used as an indication of population status: expanding, stable, or declining. For instance, a relatively low proportion of breeding juveniles may indicate a stable or declining population.

Data obtained from previous Nova Scotia carcass collections (1982-86 and 1992-93), along with telemetry data from the Deer Wintering Area Study (DWA Study), suggested that although the coyote population was still increasing quickly during the 1980s, numbers had stabilized or even declined slightly during the 1990s.

Coyote harvests in 1996-97 had increased substantially in most of the province's counties as compared with 1992-93. The provincial harvest for 1996-97 was also higher than the 1995-96 totals, by approximately 6 per cent. This might not reflect an increase in the coyote population however. Instead, it could be a result of higher fur prices, of an increase in harvesting effort, or perhaps a combination of these factors. The total number of individual animals harvested in a population is a function of population size, fur price, and harvest effort. Data from the 1992-93 and the 1996-97 carcass collections suggests that the population has stabilized as there were no significant changes in sex ratio, age structure, and reproductive rates. Therefore, an increase in the population may not be a plausible explanation for the increased harvest.

Over the four year period, the number of fur harvester license sales has fluctuated with fur prices. Average fur prices for coyotes in Nova Scotia reached a record high during the 1993-94 season, averaging $35.32 per pelt. As a result, the number of licenses sold increased the following year. Since 1993-94, the prices have dropped enough to discourage those harvesters who only trap during the high-price years. Therefore, the increasing harvest may be a reflection of increased effort from those trappers who continue trapping at low fur prices. This does not suggest, however, that harvesters have become better at trapping coyotes within the past four years. On the contrary, with eight years of generally increasing harvests, this does not appear to be a factor. One possible explanation is that increasing snowshoe hare populations since 1992 have led to increasing coyote populations, which might be cancelling out the effects of increased harvesting. The combined data from 1992-93 and 1996-97 suggest that the population has stabilized at the current level of harvest. This stabilization may have occurred at low numbers, with an approximately 10 per cent exploitation level.

Every habitat has a carrying capacity, which represents the maximum population that it can efficiently maintain. As the coyote population was increasing during the late 1980s and early 1990s, hare populations remained relatively low and deer populations were declining. Although no direct relationship has been found between coyote and deer populations, it is reasonable to suggest that the decline in the deer population has had some effect. With increasing hare populations across the province, we have not seen a corresponding increase in the coyote population. That may suggest that the coyotes are either more dependent on the deer population than previously thought, or are possibly over-exploiting deer as a food source. This idea is currently being investigated. A decreasing food supply would have prevented the coyote population from overshooting the carrying capacity of their habitat as often happens during periods of colonization. As a result, our coyote population stabilized at a relatively lower number of animals due to a lower food supply in the late 1980s.

The 1996-97 data showed a 50:50 sex ratio on a province-wide basis, the same as was found from the 1992-93 information. This supports the hypothesis of a stable population. The two exceptions were Cape Breton Island and central Nova Scotia. Cape Breton had a sex ratio that was skewed towards males in 1992-93. In 1996-97, Cape Breton saw a "balancing effect", which can be explained by an increase in food supply through an increasing hare population. In central Nova Scotia, there was a greater proportion of female yearlings (72 per cent in 1992-93 and 71 per cent in 1996-97) over the two collection years. This could suggest that there was a higher rate of exploitation in central Nova Scotia. However, the overall sex ratio in the region did not differ significantly from a 50:50 ratio. As well, there was not a corresponding change in reproduction that would indicate an expanding population due to exploitation. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that central Nova Scotia is experiencing fluctuations in coyote age structure, and not increasing proportions of females due to exploitation.

Analysis showed that there were no significant changes in the age structure of the coyote population within the three regions of Nova Scotia. As well, there was no significant change in the pregnancy rate or the mean number of placental scars (an indicator of pregnancy) per individual between years. This all lends support to the hypothesis that the coyote population in Nova Scotia has stabilized in terms of density, and has reached the end of its colonization phase. This stability, however, is not static. On the contrary, because population densities tend to vary with prey abundance and environmental conditions, it is considered a dynamic stability.

In summary, the following data are proof that the Nova Scotia coyote population has probably stabilized with the current level of harvesting:

• The sex ratio province-wide is approximately 50:50.

• Juveniles represent about 50 per cent of the population.

• Approximately 50 per cent of the adult population is reproducing.

• Average litter size is moderate as compared to those reported in other areas.

• Food supply is relatively abundant according to recent pellet surveys, hunter success reports, and harvester abundance rankings.

Monitoring the population periodically would allow wildlife managers to become proactive instead of reactive if changes in the population were to occur in the future. If the coyote population was decreasing, DNR would likely not intervene. However, if it is proven that the coyote population is more dependent upon the white-tailed deer, then an increasing coyote population could adversely affect the deer population. Therefore, monitoring the coyote population would allow wildlife managers to factor coyote predation into the management of the white-tailed deer population.

Trap Testing in Nova Scotia

The Fur Institute of Canada (F.I.C.) has been actively collecting data to measure commonly used and new trap designs against the International and Canadian standards for killing and restraining traps. These standards will likely be used for all species of furbearers trapped in Canada. In January of 1998, funding made available through the F.I.C. was used to test the humaneness and efficiency of restraining traps on coyotes in Nova Scotia. Three kinds of traps were used: a #3 conventional steel jawed, a #3 Victor soft catch, and a Belisle foot snare.

Unfortunately, last January dumped unusually heavy snows on south-western Nova Scotia, making it difficult to catch coyotes. As a result, efforts were redirected to bobcats. By mid-March, six bobcats had been caught, euthanised, and shipped to the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Islan d for examination by wildlife pathologists. Due to the study's small sample size, more field testing is required before a final report on bobcat restraining devices can be released.

Note: Our last receiving date is at our warehouse in North Bay. Please check with your local agent for his last receiving date.

The Nuisance Wildlife Operators Association of Nova Scotia (NWOANS) looks after the interests of the nuisance wildlife operators across the province. Membership is open to anyone who is a licensed nuisance wildlife operator in Nova Scotia - the Association meets annually (on the last weekend in April). To become a member, send an application (along with your $20 annual fee) to:

The evaluation of the standard, Woodstream Conibear 330 trap for beaver was conducted by the Fur Institute of Canada - Trap Research and Development Committee's research team with the Alberta Research Council. The test results clearly show that this trap meets the performance thresholds required by the new International Agreement. Members of the Committee are optimistic that 330-type traps from other manufacturers will also meet the standards. Results of tests on them should be available soon.

For further information, contact the Fur Institute of Canada's Trap Research and Development Committee by phone at (613) 231-7099, or by writing to them at 255 Albert Street, #804, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6A9