Furbearer Management Registration Information

2020-2025 Annual Fur Production and 5-Year Average Based on Export Permits

Species	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023	2023-2024	2024-2025	5-Year Average
Badger	167	64	30	19	40	64
Beaver	6,222	6,094	6,025	8,264	8,067	6,934
Bobcat	31	23	5	16	19	19
Coyote	29,148	27,536	9,526	11,786	16,040	18,807
Fisher	625	613	665	870	1,111	777
Fox	1,748	1,205	443	931	694	1,004
Canada Lynx	1,618	918	1,175	1,213	1,925	1,370
Marten	3,828	3,887	4,584	6,054	7,190	5,109
Mink	277	203	182	215	1,381	452
Muskrat	10,381	8,335	2,172	2,633	2,190	5,132
River Otter	194	153	154	178	292	194
Raccoon	42	15	451	15	22	109
Skunk	203	66	99	168	200	147
Squirrel	3,829	2,042	4,486	5,003	3,365	3,745
Weasel (Ermine)	1,925	1,755	2,173	2,378	1,939	2,034
Wolf	507	318	513	632	831	560
Wolverine	115	46	51	64	126	80

Fur Production Based on Export Permits

Species	2024/2025 Season			2023/2024 Season			% Change
	Number of Pelts	Avg Price	Economic Value	Number of Pelts	Avg Price	Economic Value	Number of Pelts	Avg Price	Economic Value
Badger	40	$33.49	$1,340	19	$40.02	$760	33%	-16%	12%
Beaver	8,067	$22.37	$180,459	8,264	$37.88	$313,040	34%	-41%	-21%
Bobcat	19	$871.48	$16,558	16	$528.00	$8,448	280%	65%	527%
Coyote	16,040	$18.24	$292,570	11,786	$24.76	$291,821	68%	-26%	24%
Fisher	1,111	$71.05	$78,937	870	$73.65	$64,076	67%	-4%	61%
Fox	694	$15.04	$10,438	931	$7.81	$7,271	57%	93%	202%
Lynx	1,925	$183.49	$353,218	1,213	$182.58	$221,470	64%	0%	65%
Marten	7,190	$91.68	$659,179	6,054	$73.02	$442,063	57%	26%	97%
Mink	1,381	$11.53	$15,923	215	$10.32	$2,219	659%	12%	748%
Muskrat	2,190	$2.62	$5,738	2,633	$2.89	$7,609	1%	-9%	-9%
River Otter	292	$41.54	$12,130	178	$48.50	$8,633	90%	-14%	62%
Raccoon	22	$8.89	$196	15	$5.94	$89	-95%	50%	-93%
Skunk	200	$80.85	$16,170	168	$28.49	$4,786	102%	184%	473%
Squirrel	3,365	$1.80	$6,057	5,003	$0.80	$4,002	-25%	125%	69%
Weasel (Ermine)	1,939	$11.77	$22,822	2,378	$8.32	$19,785	-11%	41%	26%
Wolf	831	$338.13	$280,986	632	$361.86	$228,569	62%	-7%	51%
Wolverine	126	$549.79	$69,274	64	$517.73	$33,135	147%	6%	162%
Total Fur Value:	$2,021,992			$1,324,351			53%

Trapper Statistics 2024/25
Registered Licences - Senior	1,535
Registered Licences - Partner	1,485
Resident Licences	1,151
Registered Fur Management Areas	1,632

Trapping and Cougar Management

In recent years, the number of cougars accidentally killed by trappers in Alberta has increased. Cougars are carefully managed as a hunted game animal in Alberta, and no trapping season exists. In areas where incidental mortality of cougars is high, hunting quotas for cougars may need to be reduced to prevent population declines. As important stewards of Alberta's wildlife resources, trappers should take precautions to limit the number of cougars and other non-target species that are accidentally captured.

Most cougars are captured in snares set for wolves or coyotes, or in large conibears set for lynx, bobcats, or wolverines. Cougars are not trap-shy and are much more easily captured than wary species such as wolves. Therefore, trappers should take steps to reduce the chance that a cougar will find their traps. Avoid placing snares or large conibears in areas where ungulates are wintering. When possible, place your sets in open areas where cougars will feel uncomfortable. Keep snares and traps well away (>200 m) from baits; use canid-specific gland lures, urine, andscats to lure wolves and coyotes to your sets. If you see cougar tracks near your sets, close the snares or pull the traps until the cougar has moved on. Consider moving your sets to a new area if you're seeing regular cougar activity. By taking these few simple precautions, trappers can reduce the chance that they will accidentally catch a cougar, leaving more of these animals for enjoyment by all Albertans. For more information on cougars and cougar management in Alberta, download the Management Plan for Cougars in Alberta at: http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife

Reminder: All cougar harvests (even accidental) must be registered at a Fish and Wildlife District Office immediately!

Accurate harvest information helps in managing the furbearer resource, and ultimately benefits the trapping industry. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Wolverine Sample Collection and Submission

Registered Fur Management License holders who harvest wolverines are now required to deliver the skull along with the pelt when completing the mandatory registration process.  This is to facilitate the extraction of a tooth.  Specifically, we are wanting the first maxillary premolar from which we can derive the age of harvested wolverines.  Should trappers prefer to extract this tooth themselves for direct submission, then there is no need to deliver the skull

We also request that a small strip of fur be cut from the edge of the pelt and submitted along with the tooth.  The pelt sample will be used for DNA profiling.

For the tooth sample:

• Locate the first maxillary premolar.  This tooth is on the upper jaw, immediately behind the canine (see photo).  There are 2, one on each side of the skull. 
• Loosen the tooth with a dental elevator (available at Fish and Wildlife office registrars) or a small screwdriver, being careful to not damage the skull.
• Grasp the tooth with a dental extractor (also available at Fish and Wildlife office registrars) or a pair of pliers and pull/wiggle it free from the skull. The root of the tooth is required for age analysis so be careful to not break the root off within the skull

For the pelt sample:

• Locate an area along the edge of the pelt of least significance to the pelt value
• Trim off a small strip of pelt containing hairs (1 cm maximum)

 Submission of samples:

• Label the envelope with the Registration Certificate number, the pelt seal number and the Registered Fur Management Area number.
• Place the tooth and pelt sample in the envelope and staple it to the yellow copy of the Registration Certificate
• Submit the certificate and attached envelope to the service through the normal process of submitting Registration Certificates.

For those trappers who have already registered their wolverine harvest, and would like to participate in this project, please send this tooth and pelt sample to:

Dave Kay
Commercial Wildlife Policy
Hunting and Fishing Branch
Alberta Forestry and Parks
Muriel Stanley Venne Provincial Centre
12360 – 142 Street
Edmonton, AB
T8L 2H1
Phone:  780-644-4646  Fax:  780-422-9559
Email:  dave.kay@gov.ab.ca


Control of Problem Wildlife

Regulations allow landholders (residents only) to take immediate action to control some problem wildlife. The following privileges are beyond those permitted under fur management licences during fur seasons.

Please contact your district Fish & Wildlife District Office when furbearers other than the species shown in this section are destroying property. A damage control licence may be necessary.

Section 38 of the Wildlife Act specifies that no person shall hunt wildlife or discharge firearms on or over occupied lands, or enter on such lands for the purpose of doing so without the consent of the owner or occupant.

Beaver may be hunted and trapped, without a licence and during all seasons, on privately owned land by the owner or occupant of the land, or by a resident with written permission from the owner or occupant of the land.

Wolf¹ may be hunted (but not trapped) without a licence during all seasons, as follows:

• on privately owned land by the owner or occupant of the land, or by a resident with permission from the owner or occupant.
  
• on public land by a person authorized to keep livestock on that land, or by a resident who has written permission from that authorized person.

The above authorities to hunt wolves extend to lands within 8 km (5 mi.) of the land described above, provided the authorized person or resident has right-of-access.

Coyotes¹ may be hunted (but not trapped), without a licence, at all times of the year throughout the province:

1. by a resident who has right of access to hunt on lands that are not public lands within the Green Area;
   
2. by the owner or occupant of privately owned land, on the privately owned land;
   
3. by a person maintaining livestock on public land, on that public land; or
   
4. *on lands described in c) that are in the Green Area, by a resident who is authorized in writing by the person described in c).

* These pelts must be salvaged.

(1) For further information and other seasons regarding the hunting of wolf and coyote, please refer to the current Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations.

Red fox may be hunted (but not trapped), without a licence and during all seasons, by a resident on privately owned land to which the resident has the right of access.

Badger and Red Squirrel may be hunted or trapped, without a licence and during all seasons, by a resident on privately owned land to which the resident has the right of access.

Skunk and raccoon may be hunted or trapped during all seasons by the owner or occupant of land, or by a person authorized by the owner or occupant, or by the holder of a licence authorizing the trapping of furbearing animals.

Rabbit or hare may be hunted (but not trapped), throughout the province, at any time of year, without a licence on land which the person has the right of access for hunting. A resident may use snares to take rabbit or hare, provided the snare meets Regulatory Requirements for the Use of Trapping Devices.

Bobcat may be hunted (but not trapped) by a resident on land which the resident has the right of access for hunting in WMUs 102, 104, 106, 108, 112, 116, 118 and 119 and that part of WMU 110 east of Highway No. 2 and south of Highway No. 3 from November 1 to February 28.