Iowa Furbearer Season Begins Nov. 6

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Iowa's furbearer harvest season opens statewide on Nov. 6, and for the more than 14,000 dedicated furharvesters, the outlook for the 2010 season is tremendous.

Iowa DNR surveys confirm larger populations for most furbearing animals, with the exception of a few isolated areas where disease, such as distemper and mange, has suppressed numbers. Raccoons are the bread and butter species for many furharvesters and their numbers are good statewide. Furharvesters should expect a good start to the season because crop harvest and tillage is well ahead of schedule concentrating furbearers in remaining areas of good habitat and the weather forecast looks very favorable for trappers and hunters.

The DNR opened 10 additional counties for hunting and trapping bobcats. Counties added to the open zone include: Guthrie, Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington and Louisa. The bobcat quota has increased from 200 to 250.

River otter harvest season quota is unchanged at 500 otters and is open statewide. Harvest updates are available via the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov and the harvest hotline 515-281-5918. The DNR requires furharvesters to release all live bobcats or river otters captured more than 48 hours after the quotas are reached and the season is closed. Dead bobcats and river otters captured unintentionally after this 48 hour grace period must be turned over to a conservation officer. Trappers who turn their bobcats and otters over to a conservation officer after the seasons have closed will not be ticketed.

The DNR has been collecting bobcat and river otter carcasses for their biological information for nearly a decade. This program will continue again this year. The biological information collected through this program is used to evaluate the seasons and monitor population trends. The cooperation and assistance of furharvesters in Iowa is critical to the sound biological management of these populations.

The current world economy makes the fur market unpredictable, however it does appear that pelt prices will be similar to last year.

This year's promising forecast provides a great opportunity to introduce someone new to the tradition of hunting and trapping these valuable renewable wildlife resources.

* Bobcat / Otter Quota Numbers

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