Why it Matters: The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) maintains that opportunities for sportsmen and women to harvest wildlife, subject to regulations and limitations established by state fish and wildlife management agencies, is one of the most effective tools for managing populations. Recently, due to challenges created by increased populations of mesopredators like raccoons, state agencies, farmer groups, and other stakeholders have been exploring opportunities to promote additional harvest of these species. Given the complexity of interactions between species, particularly between predators and prey, decisions regarding harvest opportunities for wildlife should be left to those best qualified to make these decisions.
- Recently, mesopredators like raccoons have gained significant attention due to their predatory effects on both wild game species and farmed poultry.
- In response, state agencies like the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Conservation have instituted regulatory changes designed to promote increased harvest of raccoons.
- Taking things even further, some state legislatures have introduced or, in the case of Iowa, passed legislation designed to promote additional harvest. However, these efforts can carry unintended consequences that sportsmen and women must consider.
Mesopredators like raccoons represent an interesting niche among American wildlife. Once lauded for the value of their furs, activities like trapping and raccoon hunting have experienced declining participation rates in recent decades. As a result, many mesopredator populations have increased throughout much of the Midwest, leading to increased predation rates on many game bird and waterfowl populations, as well as increased incidence of depredation on domestic fowl.
As a result, state agencies and conservation organizations have taken significant steps in recent years to promote opportunities for sportsmen and women to harvest mesopredators such as raccoons. In support of these efforts, CSF has recently advocated for increased harvest opportunities provided through regulatory changes in both Iowa and Missouri that are supported by state fish and wildlife agency experts. In Iowa, this included year-round trapping opportunities on private lands, while Missouri created an extended private lands trapping season for racoons, opossum, striped skunk, and coyotes from March 1 – April 14, and an early private lands racoon and opossum trapping season that begins in August, all with limited methods.
In addition to these agency-led efforts, state legislatures have entered the fray as it relates to promoting raccoon harvest. For example, legislators in Iowa passed House File 317 which allows a landowner or their agents to harvest, trap, or ensnare a fur-bearing animal, including racoons, on their property when it is for the purpose of protection of a person or private property. They also went a step further by allowing owners or tenants of agricultural property to capture, harvest, or temporarily possess fur-bearing animals without prior permission so long as the owner, in good faith, deems the animal to be a nuisance. Continuing with legislation aimed at promoting racoon harvest, legislators in the Cornhusker State introduced Legislative Bill 400, or the Nebraska Pheasant Restoration Act. In response to declining pheasant populations, LB 400 sought to create a bounty program for pheasant nest predators. LB 400, which CSF and partners opposed, did not pass.
With a renewed interest in mesopredator harvest comes an opportunity to introduce new hunters and trappers to our outdoor traditions. However, it is important that these opportunities be vetted by state fish and wildlife agencies to ensure that harvest is conducted in a manner supported by the best available science to ensure the sustainability of these pursuits. As such, CSF maintains that state fish and wildlife agencies are best equipped to utilize their local knowledge and professional training to make wildlife management decisions and encourages legislators to work with their state agency to address perceived issues with mesopredator populations. Likewise, we also encourage stakeholders to engage with sportsmen and women who, in addition to their contributions to the “user pays – public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding, can play a critical role in managing wildlife populations.
