After DEC completed the New York State Fisher Management Plan (PDF) in 2016, we adopted regulations to revise the fisher trapping season in some regions and open new fisher trapping opportunities in others.
The adopted regulations also required a free special permit for all fisher trapping. The special permit allowed DEC biologists to collect biological data on harvested fisher and trapping effort data, information necessary to ensure sustainable harvest opportunities for this popular furbearer.
After five seasons of data collection, sufficient information on harvest pressure and take has been collected such that the special permit is no longer needed. The information from trapping activity logs, fisher carcasses, and field surveys in areas open to fisher harvest all confirm that fisher are abundant and current harvest opportunities are sustainable.
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