Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

IFW Implements Two New Regulations Regarding Trapping

Augusta, Maine – Commissioner Roland D. Martin announced today that two changes to the state’s trapping regulations were unanimously approved by the Department Of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Commissioner’s Advisory Council earlier this morning. The changes in rule were the result of a settlement in a lawsuit between the department and the Animal Protection Institute concerning the trapping of lynx.

The consent decree issued in Bangor Federal Court yesterday detailed 12 issues of compliance for the department. The department already was in compliance with ten of these, and the remaining two were implemented this morning at 10:00 a.m. through a conference call with the advisory council.

The emergency rule that applies only to certain Wildlife Management Districts in the northern part of the state (WMD’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11) and prohibits the use of all foothold traps that have an inside jaw spread of more than 5 3/8 inches, unless those are used underwater. It also prohibits the use of cage traps that have an opening that is greater than 13 inches by 13 inches. The law does allow the Commissioner to permit cage traps of any size to be used for wildlife research, animal damage control and to capture bear.

Regulations that were agreed to and are currently in place include prohibitions on the placement of traps within 50 feet of bait that is visible from above, the setting of certain types of traps less than four feet above the ground, and a prohibition on the use of snares other than to catch beaver or bear.

Other conditions of the decree are that IFW will continue to maintain the hotline for trappers to report accidentally caught lynx, IFW will continue to be responsible for rehabilitation if a lynx is injured in a trap, IFW will continue to maintain a network of veterinarians and rehabilitators for any lynx if injured; IFW will continue to investigate each incidental lynx trapping and IFW will continue to prohibit the intentional trapping and hunting of lynx.

The Commissioner adopted the emergency rule and obtained the consent of his Advisory Council today (October 5, 2007) which is when the rule takes effect. The trapping season begins on October 14.