Trapping Guide - Government of Manitoba

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TRAPPING GUIDERights-based harvestersThe Rights and Responsibilities of First Nations PeopleWho Trap in ManitobaThe Natural Resources Transfer Agreement (1930), which forms part ofThe Constitution Act (1982), provides that First Nations people havethe right to trap for food:• at all seasons of the year on all unoccupied Crown lands• on any other lands to which they may have the right of accessRecognizing the Treaty and Constitutional rights of First Nationspeople, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship recognizesthat status Indian people, when trapping for food or traditionalceremonial purposes on lands where they have a right of access:• do not require licences• are not restricted to specific seasons• are not restricted to limits unless there restrictions that areintended for conservation purposes• may share the meat and fur with non-status family membersliving in the same residence• are not subject to equipment restrictions including those asspecified under EU Regulation #3254/91 or more commonlyknown as the Agreement on International Humane TrappingStandardsFirst Nations people generally have the right of access to trapfor food or traditional ceremonial purposes within:• Indian Reserves, Wildlife Management Areas, Provincial Forests,areas of Provincial Parks where licensed trapping is permitted,unoccupied Crown lands, and other Crown lands where licensedhunting or trapping is permitted• private land with the permission of the landowner or occupant• federal land, such as PFRA community pastures are opened tothe public for trapping, or with the permission of the PastureManagerNo person (status or non-status) may trap within:• Riding Mountain National Park, Birds Hill Provincial Park,Beaudry Provincial Heritage Park or Pembina Valley ProvincialPark• areas of Provincial Parks closed to all hunting or trapping• Wildlife Refuges and most Ecological Reserves• areas closed to all persons for specific conservation purposesResponsibilitiesWith these rights come responsibilities such as conservation andsafety requirements. All First Nations trappers have a responsibilityto ensure that their actions in taking furbearers do not reduce thesustainability of furbearer populations.The rights of status Indian people are subject to conservationmeasures and other restrictions that do not unduly infringe on foodharvesting. First Nation trappers may not:• trap protected furbearers for which trapping is prohibited suchas wolverine in the open trapping areas of Manitoba• waste or abandon furbearers• sell, trade or give away the meat, fur or any other part offurbearers taken under status Indian trapping rights, except thatfood may be given to another First Nations person• sell the pelt of a furbearer unless it was caught under theauthority of a Trapping Licence and all trapping regulationswere followedSafety RequirementsMany safety restrictions contained in resource managementlegislation apply to all trappers in Manitoba, including First Nationstrappers. No trapper may:• use trapping methods that are careless, unsafe or dangerous toany person• discharge a rifle or shotgun at night where it is dangerous to do so• hunt from a provincial road or provincial trunk highway ordischarge a bow or firearm from such a road or highway, orshoot along or across such a road or highway (including theroad allowance) for the purpose of taking a furbearer• discharge a centrefire rifle, muzzleloading firearm or shotgunusing a slug from a public road within a municipality or localgovernment district, or shoot along or across such a road• carry a loaded firearm in a vehicle or discharge a firearmfrom a vehicleIt is also recommended that all trappers:• wear hunter orange clothes when trapping during the timeof year when there are big game hunters in the same areaor where there may be other people using the same area forother purposes• take a Manitoba Trapper Education course14
TRAPPING GUIDEMutual RespectThere are many resource users on the land who are carrying ontheir traditions. Commercial and other licensed users of wildlifeneed to understand and respect the constitutionally protectedrights of First Nations people. It is equally important for First Nationspeople to understand and respect the value that other users placeon natural resources and their ability to participate in trapping fortheir purposes under a licence. All users need to work co-operativelytowards building a stronger relationship if Manitoba’s trapping andhunting heritage is to be preserved.First Nations trappers are encouraged to carry the federally issuedCertificate of Indian Status to help Natural Resource Officersdetermine that they are entitled to exercise the right to trap for foodand ceremonial purposes.For more detailed information, please contact the nearestManitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship office. Telephone204-945-6784 within Winnipeg, 1-800-214-6497 from outsideWinnipeg or visit the Conservation website at: www.manitoba.ca/conservation/firstnations/Treaty Land EntitlementManitoba is working with some First Nations to provide Crownland to fulfill outstanding treaty land entitlement (TLE). ManyFirst Nations have, or are in the process of selecting, lands tofulfill their entitlements and some selections may have an impacton some traplines and trapping activity. The lands selected areeligible to become reserve land under the terms of the TLEFramework Agreement. Once the selected lands are confirmed, theFirst Nation may request an Exclusive Use Permit (EUP) fromthe Crown Lands Branch of Manitoba Conservation and WaterStewardship. Once the EUP is issued, First Nations then have theauthority to exclude all current and future uses of the permittedland, including trapping activities.The Rights and Responsibilities of Metis People Who Trapin ManitobaMetis in Manitoba have constitutionally protected aboriginal rightsto trap for food and domestic use. This does not include harvestingfur bearing animals for commercial purposes. Manitoba courts haveaffirmed the existence of Metis natural resource harvesting rights inregions of the province, which requires Manitoba’s regulatory regimeto recognize the Metis right to harvest. The Manitoba governmentwill continue to work with Metis communities to legally recognizethese rights.As part of this recognition of Metis natural resource harvestingrights, Metis people will be required to continue to follow safety andconservation closures.Metis trappers who wish to exercise their aboriginal right to harvestfur bearing animals are encouraged to visit the Metis Natural ResourceHarvesting webpage at www.manitoba.ca/conservation/resource_harvesting.html. As regulations develop, supplemental informationwill be created and posted on this website.WILDLIFE managementMarten UpdateThe American marten was once widespread throughout the forestedregions of Manitoba. A combination of overharvesting and habitatchanges forced them to be restricted to the extreme northern forestsby the 1940s and seasons were closed.Once populations recovered after 1980, the species began to spreadback down to its former range. Introductions in the Duck Mountain(from Ontario in the late 1960s) and Turtle Mountain forests (fromthe Duck Mountains in the early 1990s) were also successful. It isnow the most important species for trappers in the province.A record of 33,040 marten were trapped in 2000/01. Harvest ratesnow show a 3-4 year cycle, largely related to the number of smallmammals upon which they prey (especially voles). This cycle issynchronized throughout the registered trapping areas, with a fewexceptions (including Duck Mountain and Churchill).Despite their seeming abundance, the marten harvest rate decreasesas you go from northern Manitoba to the south. Therefore, trappersare reminded to manage the harvest, by reducing efforts when moreadults and/or females begin to show up in the catch. These actionswill help to ensure sustainable marten populations for the future.Marten/Trapper6.005.004.003.002.001.002000-012001-022002-032003-042004-052005-062006-072007-082008-092009-102010-112011-1215
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Trapping Guide - Government of Manitoba

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