To the uninitiated, the words ‘fisher tooth boil’ may invoke thoughts of a group meal featuring an exotic soup made using a traditional Canadian recipe.

But in actual fact, you really wouldn’t want a bowl of this.

You see, boiling fisher heads is just a convenient way of loosening the canine teeth, which are then analyzed to determine the age of the animal they came from and ultimately, the health of the population in a given area.

The fisher, a mid-size member of the weasel family is a valuable fur-bearer that fetched an average overall price of about $40 at the NAFA’s April 2016 sale. Compare that to the average price of about $10 for beaver and about $2.50 for muskrat and you can see why trappers might want to harvest them.

In conjunction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, trappers associations have been collecting the canines and cataloguing them. The Frontenac-Addington Trappers Association has been participating in the program for some time now and has held a ‘fisher tooth boil’ at its annual spring workshop for the past four years. The workshops themselves have been going on in one form or another since the mid-’90s.

“We tell the Ministry if the tooth came from a male or a female,” said president Wilf Deline at the annual Frontenac-Addington Trappers Association Workshop in Cloyne last Sunday. “The Ministry then X-rays the tooth and from the root canal, they can determine whether its an adult or a juvenile.

“The ratio of juveniles to adult females tells you how healthy the population is.

“For example, a ratio of three juveniles to one adult female indicates a healthy population.”

From that ratio, the Ministry will set quotas on how many fishers can be trapped in a defined area.

“Right now, it’s one fisher for every 400 acres,” Deline said. “If they feel the population is in trouble, that will be lowered (but) while the population is lower than it was in the ’80s, it’s been quite stable since then, with a gentle fluctuation.
“It’s actually growing in areas south of Verona.”

Deline said his association is “over 90 per cent compliant” with the tooth program and deciding to incorporate into the workshop has helped.

Deline isn’t concerned about the fisher (or most other fur-bearing animal) populations though. Prices for fur don’t really encourage many to pursue it as a business. For most trappers, it’s about preserving an aspect of our Canadian heritage and perhaps more importantly, being stewards of the land.”

“If the fisher prices got up to $200-$300, then it would be a concern,” he said. “But this hasn’t been about money since the late ’80s.

“It’s about passing on a tradition and the wise use of a renewable resource.

“We’ll tell anyone who’ll listen, and hopefully it helps.”

Unpredictable weather conditions this February resulted in unsafe ice and forced the cancellation of a number of annual winter events.

The Oso Recreation Committee was forced to cancel the Sharbot Lake Snow Drags this week due to a lack of sufficient ice depth to meet the regulations. Similarly, the new K&P trail ride that was supposed to be part of this year’s Frontenac Heritage Festival was a no-go due to sub-standard trail conditions. Add to that the cancellation of the second annual Ride for Dad in Snow Road, which was to take place February 27, and it seems as though our once reliable winter climate is becoming less so.

That being said and despite the lack of safe ice on Big Gull Lake last Saturday, members and supporters of the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council (FATC) still turned up in droves at the Henderson Hall on February 27 for what might have been the first ever dry land fishing derby anywhere. The organisers called off any real fishing and moved the event from ice to land, which FATC president, Wilf Deline, said was the only thing to do.

He said he was simply not comfortable holding the event on the lake. “We just didn't want to take a chance on the ice but we wanted to hand out all of the prizes regardless and so we decided to still go ahead.”

Deline said he made the final decision to move the derby to dry land a week ago this past Saturday. “I think we sold two-thirds of the total 430 tickets for the event after we made that announcement, which just goes to show you that people were still more than willing to support the cause.”

The fishing derby has taken place for the last 11 years and had never been canceled before. Many of the fishers who had registered and purchased a $10 ticket, turned up in part to have a chance to win some of the over 60 prizes that were donated by local businesses and individuals. In addition, the council handed out 10 top prizes, which included four cash prizes of $100 each as well as a Stihl chain saw, an 8 inch power auger, a fish finder, a generator, a 500 lb pelican sleigh and more. Close to 50 prizes for kids, including hockey sticks, puzzles, fishing rods, lures, toys and more, were handed out to the youngsters in attendance.

Deline said he hopes to see them carrying on the local tradition of trapping and conservation. “Our ultimate goal here is for us old guys to get the young kids away from their screens; to get them outside and to teach them about animals, trapping, fishing and conservation cause if we don't, who else will?”

Deline said that by the end of the day, the derby took in several hundred dollars. Proceeds will help to support many of the council’s local initiatives, including the outdoor program at NAEC, the Pine Meadow Golf Tournament, two $400 high school bursaries, pickerel spawning beds and habitat rehabilitation in area lakes, and more.

The next project for the council will be held conjunction with the MNRF (Minstry of Natural Resources and Forestry) and COFA (Conservationists of Frontenac Addington) and will be to clean up the debris located in and around Deer Rock Lake near Flinton.

Asked if he thinks the council will perhaps have to change the date of the annual derby moving forward, Deline said that the date cannot be changed due to MNR regulations. Asked if he fears a warming trend may become the norm, making for more frequent dry land derbies, Deline said he thinks not. “I think that this is just a phase and every year the conditions are different. Next year there might be five feet of ice on the lakes … you just have to be optimistic.”

The Frontenac Addington Trappers’ Council (FATC) is an organization that is devoted to the interests of trappers. It is concerned with best practices on trap lines, the price of pelts, and public relations.

They have also, along with the Conservationists of Frontenac Addington (COFA), taken on habitat restoration in the northern parts of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington townships.

“At one time the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) did this kind of work,” said Wilf Deline, president of the Trappers’ Council last Saturday.

Deline was with a group of FATC and COFA members at Boundary Creek, one of the major creeks that flow into Big Gull Lake. It was unseasonably warm and sunny for a Saturday in December, which helped make the job easier of cleaning the stones under and around the creek, which is at one of its low points of the year, and dumping and raking tons of clean stone to make an ideal spawning bed for walleye.

The FATC uses the money it makes at its annual fishing derby, along with volunteer labour, to work on the spawning bed, a project that has taken five years to complete.

“We have to make sure the stone is clean as winter is coming on, because it will stay that way until spring. The walleye like clean stone,” Deline said.

Justin Punchard, a member of the FATC from Flinton, is also an employee of the MNR, based in Kingston. He was on hand on Saturday.

“The MNR does not have the field staff it once had,” said Punchard, “so it is groups on the ground like COFA and the trappers that have come on to do this kind of work.”

Punchard also helps out by ensuring that approvals from the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the MNR are in place for the FATC to work on the creek bed,.

“Justin takes care of that stuff, which is good for us,” said Deline. “I certainly can't work my way through it.”

A number of students from North Addington Education Centre were there, wearing waders and moving and cleaning rocks in the water and along shoreline within the high water mark of the creek.

The project started five years ago, and each year more stone has been added and work has been done to extend the spawning bed. FATC members have been monitoring the creek in the springtime, and have found that the walleye have been using it. All told, they have put 120 tons of stone into the creek bed, 50 this year alone.

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority manages lake levels via a dam at the northeast end of the lake at Ardoch Road and in order to encourage spawning they keep the water in Big Gull at a minimum of 253.1 metres in May of each year, a level they struggled to maintain last spring.

“We like to get here in the spring to see them, and it is working for them, at least as far as we can tell,” said Deline.

Walleye were introduced to Big Gull Lake after the trout population dissipated in the 1930s and 1940s, victims of the dams that were introduced in the 1920's to draw down the lake each fall. Big Gull is 26 metres deep at its deepest point. The lake still supports cold water species such as white fish and lake herring, but is best known by anglers for small and largemouth bass and walleye.

The Trappers Council has been approached by lake associations from other nearby lakes for future spawning bed projects.

At a meeting of the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council (FATC) on February 26th at the hall in Henderson, a young man in camo is handing out raffle tickets at the door for prizes to be drawn at the end of the night.

A group, mostly men, stand around chatting about the weather and their jobs with styrofoam cups of hot coffee in their hands.

These relaxed meetings of the FATC take place almost monthly and are a chance for local trappers to connect and converse and it gives Wilf Deline, the president of the FATC, an opportunity to update its members on any news in the trapping industry. The meeting is mixed discussion about their Big Gull Lake ice fishing tournament, deer ticks and Lyme disease, GPS training, local bald eagle populations, accidental trappings and more.

The Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1981. Their focus isn't just on trapping wildlife but also on fostering conservation and stewardship throughout the area. These conservation efforts have led to the establishment of winter deer feeders, pickerel spawning beds, a bursary program for local schools, and many other community initiatives. Each year they host an ice fishing tournament on Big Gull Lake, which helps fund their projects throughout the year. This year's tournament, in February, sold over 400 tickets, and brought out adults and kids for a day of fishing and events on the ice.

The FATC works closely with the Ontario Fur Managers Federation (OFMF) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) to help shape regulations around trapping in Ontario. These local trappers are often called on to help deal with nuisance beavers and problematic animals that can cause road flooding and habitat destruction. The MNRF uses data collected by trappers, in the field, to govern catch limits, monitor species population, and keep a finger on the pulse of what's happening out in the woods. This information, provided by the trappers, helps supplement the heavy workload the ministry faces in Eastern Ontario, as they monitor this massive, constantly-evolving tract of forest and lakes.

Trapping in Frontenac County and the surrounding areas has a rich history.

At the Frontenac Heritage Festival in February, the FATC set up a booth at the Arden Community Centre displaying pelts, traps and photos of some of the conservation work they are doing in the area. I was able to chat with Isaac Hale, an Arden resident and active member of the FATC. Hale is a young, friendly guy, well-versed on the rules and regulations of trapping in Ontario, and was keen to answer my questions. He explained that in order to become a trapper in Ontario you must complete the Fur Harvest, Fur Management and Conservation Course. The ministry website explains that the training course, taught by MNR-licensed instructors, is a 40-hour program “emphasizing safety and humane trapping, survival skills, good pelt preparation and sustainable management.” Hale, who has been trapping for less than a year and has a trapline set up just south of Arden, is passionate about stewardship and explained to me how trapping has deepened his emotional connection with his surroundings and magnified his feelings of responsibility for the well-being of the land he traps on. He was able to show me some of the legal traps that are currently being used to trap animals in the area, from killing traps like Conibear traps and snares to restraining traps such as leg-holds. He explained that restraining traps must be inspected daily and for Hale this means going out on his snowshoes into the woods to inspect his line and see if anything has been caught.

For the most part, fur trapping starts in the fall, with seasons for most species opening in October and going until late-winter or spring. The season can be hard to define because, although trapping for certain species have strict time periods, some trappers work throughout the year trapping nuisance animals.

Fishers and muskrat are popular with local trappers, followed by beaver and coyote.

Wilf Deline, the head of the FATC and a fourth generation trapper, asked me to introduce myself, saying “[we] need to know your name to put it on your tombstone.”

His comments, although made in humour, point to the difficult relationship an organization like this can have with the press, and the publicity around a recent incident in Peterborough has made that relationship more thorny than ever.

A dog was accidentally caught, and later died in a Conibear trap near Peterborough in December of 2014.

The dog owner, Valerie Strain, has since started an online petition, which has garnered over 45,000 signatures, asking the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to start a public awareness campaign about the dangers posed to pets by these traps and also requesting that they publish maps online showing registered trap line areas.

She is also asking the MNR to set a minimum distance that traps can be set from public trails as well as to introduce new regulations for signage of trap lines.

A similarly tragic incident occurred recently much closer to home, when a local couple from McDonalds Corners, who wished to remain anonymous, had their dog killed in a Conibear trap a couple hundred metres from their house in January of this year. Their dog, Toby, a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd cross, was active and playful, and their only pet.

The legally-set trap that killed him was baited with a squirrel and placed on private property, several feet off a rural side road that doubles as a snowmobile trail in the winter. Toby wandered off the trail, while off-leash, presumably attracted to the meat on the trap, and was caught in it at the neck.

(Photo of site where Toby was killed)

The body-gripping traps that were involved in both of these cases, better known as Conibear traps, are named after Canadian inventor Frank Conibear, who invented the trap in the late 1950s. Considered by trappers to be a great innovation in their industry, the Conibear trap is designed to lure an animal with bait and then clamp shut upon on the animal's neck, closing the trachea, restricting blood flow to the brain, and sometimes even snapping the animal's spinal cord. The animal loses consciousness after a few minutes and then, ideally, dies quickly afterwards. Unfortunately, in the case of Toby, the owners had to witness the slow death of their dog as the trap wasn't strong enough to kill him instantly.

When I spoke with the couple in McDonalds Corners several weeks later they were still visibly shaken by the event. They both struggled emotionally when explaining how things happened, but they were also hopeful that raising awareness of trapping practices in the community could make a positive difference moving forward.

“...at least some awareness would be good so we know where not to go,” one of them said.

The fate of the dog from McDonalds Corners was discussed at a meeting of the Frontenac Addington Trapper's Council (FATC) meeting in Henderson on February 26.

“No trapper ever wants to catch anyone's pet. We all have pets and we love them and don't want to see them dead. The pet owners have to take responsibility for their pet like I have to take responsibility for mine, and my children,” said Willis Deline, a FATC member.

Jolanta Kowalski, the Senior Media Relations Officer from the MNR, said that the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Bill Mauro, had requested that MNRF staff “look into options that might ultimately reduce the chance of a pet being caught in a trap.” She did not know how often these incidents happen, saying that the MNR only becomes aware of them through public complaints and doesn't keep a record of them.

Kowalski said, “If people are walking their dogs on private property we [MNRF] suggest they get permission from the landowner and ask if trapping is occurring on the property and find out from the landowner where traps are set.” She also said, “Always keep your dogs on a leash.”

In the case of the incident in McDonalds Corners, the trapper was “properly licensed and had permission to be on the property. The trap was legally set and in season.” Kowalski explained. “No charges will be laid.”

The fatal trap in this incident was set by Lanark trapper Terry Bingley, who also happens to be a director for the Fur Manager Federation, and has been trapping since 1970.

When I spoke to Bingley in early March he was still noticeably upset about the incident. In the 40 plus years he has been trapping he told me “that's the first dog I've caught...I put 80 traps out a night from the 1st of December to the 15th of January...that's a lot of traps...”

(photo of conibear trap)

Most of the trappers in attendance at the meeting in Henderson seemed to agree that they needed to stay pro-active, post signs where the public can best see them, and to let people in their community know where they're trapping. The group is concerned that going as far as revealing exactly where their trap lines are placed would encourage tampering by activists, animal rights organizations, or thieves.

“There is a slight danger in that if you get some of these airheads... who have nothing better to do...you've told them you've got traps somewhere there so they're going to go mess with them,” said Wilf Deline.

Terry Bingley had 12 traps stolen last year and has had a few go missing this year as well. Bingley said he makes around $10,000 a year trapping and about half of that goes back into the economy in gas, clothing, ammunition, guns, etc. When asked why he continues to do it if the financial return is so small, he said “I enjoy it. It's like playing. You do it because you enjoy it,”

(photo of OFMF sign)

The OFMF printed a brochure to educate the public on trapping and how to prevent incidents with pets, as well as providing signs for trappers to purchase and post near their trap lines. The signs warn people that traps have been set in the area and these can work as a preventative measure to hopefully reduce accidental trappings.

Willis Deline said, “We're fighting hard...for us to not lose our rights to trap on these trails that we trapped long before there was a trail there. The dog was running large. He broke the law. But she [the pet-owner] never gets charged. It's always the trapper that looks bad...but we gotta keep educating ... try to dog-proof.”

I asked Ministry rep. Kowalski if it's possible to dog-proof a trap and she said, “Yes, traps can be set off the ground out of reach of dogs.” The OFMF code of conduct, as published on their website, states that, “Traps should never be set where cats and dogs or other unwanted animals may get caught.”

Terry Bingley explained how trappers can dog proof their traps by setting them up off the ground on logs and setting the traps in boxes where a dog has a harder time getting at it.

“You're never going to be able to completely stop it but we can certainly avert a lot of it...we do have to convince more trappers to do better sets.”

But calls for legislated minimum distances from trails are not reasonable, according to Willis Deline.

“How are they going to identify a public trail? Is it going to be the snowmobile trail you've been using on Crown land?” he said, pointing out that the distance from the trail rule would mean more work for the trappers, having to trudge through knee-deep snow to check their traps as well as limiting them from certain areas where target species are known to travel.

Then there is the matter of enforcement if new restrictions come in.

“The MNR does not have the field staff to deal with all the issues they've already got. Increasing the legislation and creating more rules and regulations would do nothing without more manpower. Why create laws you can't enforce?” said Isaac Hale.

The FATC composed a letter to Minister Mauro expressing their concerns about the current petition that asks for more restrictions to the trapping industry and suggests that “more unnecessary regulations are not the answer. Better communications between the trapper and the general public...would be more productive.”

One of the trappers' concerns is that it's easy to buy a trap online and use it without any prior education on how to trap safely and ethically.

The group felt that governing the purchase of these traps should be similar to the way guns and ammunition are purchased. They suggested that a buyer should have to show a trapper's license, or something similar, before being allowed to purchase a trap.

Wilf Deline summed up the way trappers feel.

“We get a little frustrated...because we're the guys that work on the pickerel spawning beds, we're the guys that feed the deer, we're the guys that blow the whistle when there's a problem in the bush with disease or anything else and we just wanna keep on doing that and we don't wanna get into this media circus.” He asked, “who else is out there doing what we do?” and a local trapper added, “for free!”

For more information on the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council and trapping in the area you can go to www.trapon.org.

More than 400 tickets were sold at the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council's annual fishing derby on February 28. The weather cooperated for this year’s event, which since its inception over a decade ago has been taking place on Big Gull Lake near Henderson. The derby is perhaps more about getting together with family and friends than about strictly fishing. Everyone who bought a $10 ticket, whether they caught a fish or not, had a chance to win over 70 prizes donated by local individuals and businesses, which were given out in random draws throughout the day. The grand prize of a Hummingbird Ice 35 Sonar Flasher, which was donated by the council, was up for grabs to all ticket holders.

For those who came to fish, landing a pickerel in the 40-50 centimetre slot size won them a chance at a number of other big ticket items also donated by the council, including a Poulan chain saw, an 8 inch power auger, an air compressor, a portable ice shack, a two door gas smoker, an 8 gun cabinet, a 500 pound capacity sleigh and more.

Wilf Deline, who has been president of the council for close to a decade and on the executive for close to 30 years, organized the event with the help of his wife Debbie and numerous volunteers. An on site canteen offered up hot meals, and for the kids, who fished for free, there was an endless supply of free hot chocolate, snacks, special prizes and trophies.

Wilf Deline said that the derby takes place on Big Gull Lake because it is central and is also a great lake for fishing. Proceeds from the derby go towards supporting a number of the council’s projects and programs, which include local school scholarships, and their many ongoing conservation projects that include supporting and maintaining local spawning beds, winter deer feeding and more. Anyone interested in trapping, hunting and fishing and who might want to learn something new is welcome to attend the council’s meetings, which take place usually at the Henderson hall.

Deline, a fourth generation trapper who has been hunting, fishing and trapping for decades in the area, said that he has become “the go-to guy” for those with questions and when I visited he was fielding numerous questions about the local lakes, the price of fur and the thickness of the ice. Wilf said it comes with the territory and he is more than happy to oblige.

For more information about becoming a member, upcoming meetings and more visit www.trap.org and visit them on Facebook.

The Frontenac Addington Trappers' Council are counting on good weather, and a good turnout, for their annual fund-raising fishing derby on Big Gull Lake on Saturday, March 1.

Not only do they want the event to be as enjoyable as possible for the families that attend, and for the fishing to be good, but the council also needs money to carry on the work they do. They also want to continue to be able to support the outdoor education centre at North Addington Education Centre, the Pine Meadow Nursing Home, the Conservationists of Frontenac/Addington deer contest, anglers and hunters programs, student
bursaries, walleye spawning beds, as well as public education programs and workshops throughout the region.

Wilf Deline of Dead Creek Outfitters is the council president, and he said that there have been challenges for the council and for trappers in general in recent years due to low prices for pelts, and other factors.

“We like to point out how much work trappers have done over the years in the area of conservation. There are more fur-bearing animals in Ontario now than ever before, and because trappers are on the ground we are in the best position to track the numbers of different species. When there are threats to any of the populations we are the ones who let the MNR and others know,” he said.

The council was formed in 1981. It has a number of goals, including: fostering conservation; encouraging the wise use of land and resources; maintaining and enhancing the habitats and populations of fur-bearing animals and fish; and maintaining relationships with auction houses, buyers, suppliers and bodies such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and others.

The council is currently involved in a number of projects, including setting up duck nesting boxes and establishing walleye spawning beds on selected lakes. In addition to donating money to outdoor education and other causes, they run a youth trapper education program.

“There seems to be a bit of a renewed interest in trapping in the area,” said Wilf Deline. “Our youth program has been well subscribed, and there have been a number of baby boomers coming back into it as well.”

One incentive has been improved pricing for pelts in the last couple of years.

“The prices have been better for fisher, muskrat, coyote, mink, raccoon, all the species we tend to trap around here,” he said, “and also for beaver, which is sort of the base of the industry. There is also an over-abundance of fur bearers in this region, so there is plenty of room for more trappers to get into it.”

Prices for beaver pelts, which had dropped to $12 - $15, have rebounded, in large part because of the Asian market, to three to four times those prices.

The trappers' council members also work for landowners and local townships to help deal with beavers that cause damage to roads and property as they expand their territory and cause flooding.

“We are not going back to the time when you could make a full living from trapping. I get out about 2 days a week, there's only enough money in it for that; but if I could I would be on the trapline all the time. We like to say it's the oldest land-based industry in Canada. It is part of our heritage as a country, and we work hard at the council to keep it viable,” he said.

Tickets for the Big Gull Lake Fishing Derby are available at Kaladar Auto Parts, Bishop Lake Outdoors Centre and Hook's Rona, or call 336-8359 or 335-2695. Please reserve tickets by February 28.