Sounds like a perfect plan:)

I could live with that. But toss In a Oct 25th opening In both zones.

So we are going to shorten the beaver season in the north by two weeks? Hearing beaver complaints are pretty high. WS took a record level the year before and all the folks in the DNR Furbearer advisory meeting were talking about beaver every where.
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/documents/committees/furbearer/fur052318.pdf

They tried shortening season not too long ago and there was strong pushback from the folks. Did I miss the resurgence of beaver prices and increased trapping pressure?

There Is no closed beaver season. If there are beaver doing damage some one Is going to be trapping them.

The beaver season does not need to be shortened. The muskrat season needs to be extended. Two seperate issues. I think trying to combine the two will be too difficult to reach an agreement.

That is why I chose the words "would tomorrow" and not be back again next year.

I'm trying to get it fixed. I'm facing the same barriers Chris is encountering

If you get It done then I'm betting you go to ND first. I got a place you can stay.

Ok leave the beaver season to April 30 up there but any problems making it earlier?

In todays market an earlier beaver season start might be ok, but again, why complicate the muskrat issue by matching beaver? If we do that what happens if the dnr wants to shorten the beaver season again? Muskrat dates would probably change with them.

You have to be kidding right. No one In there right mind Is going to come to WI from out of state to trap rats.

No I was not kidding, but being sarcastic. It was not intended for NR trappers it was how we could resolve when to start the season. If we waited long enough all the trapping would be through the ice and we would all be treated equally. Not saying that it is what I like, but the more we argue about it ourselves the more likely those that never trap will establish the seasons we get to use.
There is a lot of discussion on this forum on how society, culture etc. has changed and is going down hill. We as trappers need to look in the mirror and recogninze we have moved right along with all we detest. Whether the seasons of the past were fair or good is not so much the question as they were in place for a generation, now we can't agree on even a start for the season time of day late alone time of year.

Bryce

How much?

So do I. Had a fella from Florence stay with me a month some years back. He even brought his uncle. It’s a pleasure meeting good people. I often look forward to running into my competitors.

It started when I was nineteen, I got real brave and went up around Hurley to trap beaver. I had never caught one and off I goes. First off, I find this pond and make 2 sets walks back to my truck to be greeted by an ornery old Finn, he chews me a new one about how he trapped this pond and so on. After that I was about ready to quit there wasn’t much wind left in these sails lol. Well I bounced back and plowed forward went along and made a couple more sets. Hours later, miles back on this two track I hear a loud truck bouncin down this washboard road. Thinking here we go again? Well he’s coming and now he pulls over. Out jumps a big burly woodsman, he got beaver in the back end and knows what I’m up to. he hollers “ never seen you before, where you from”. I returns, “fond du lac and no worries cause I ain’t got a clue about these beavers”. He bellers “fond du lac? Are u nuts?” Now he’s moving towards me on the bank he’s looking around and says “ last time I passed through here this was froze...it’s ready now so grab me a trap “. A trap? I says. “Ya a trap”. Now I’m a little scared and a lot confused. So I asked which trap? He says “whichever one you got”. That special fella from Hurley caught me my first beaver in the trap he set for me. I tried to pass it on a few times too.

Good chance you'd be wrong.

If everyone is happy with the opener as it is leave it alone and get two weeks on the back

Ya in hindsight Mathiak mAy have micro managed some. If it was all mine I would’ve done it the same way. I have the utmost respect for his work. He used the boots on the ground for information and those were some big boots.

I also like Brian and Justin’s idea of combining the seasons. April 30 seems overdone on rats but it probably ain’t enough to worry about.

Perceived failure can be hard to swallow. It’s frustrating when well intentioned ideas meet peer resistance. Sometimes do we try too hard to get it right? I guess if we were really on point and listening this would have finally moved forward.
As an author of the resolution I realized that some edits are in order. I believe that may be all that’s needed to move this along and keep the process away from our capital?

Don't give up buddy. This resistance pales in comparison to the resistance we met up with in '89-'91 during the pursuit of mandatory trapper ed and its funding sources. At least you're not getting the angry phone calls and letters in the mail, 'course that was pre-internet too.

So far I have yet to see any season structure from you. What do you think will work.

Has anyone called Shawn yet? He would be the first to call to get his input.

Beav,
Bryce, myself, muskrat and wimarshrat were all instrumental in the “3 zone cluster”
We really can’t take and don’t deserve the credit tho. It was based on the recommendations of a Wisconsin scientist Harold Mathiak. Who spent 20+ years studying the little buddies.

Nimzy , just want to say I very much appreciate what you and others have done in trying to this going. After years of thinking about it but not making it enough of a priority, i attended the spring hearings last year for the first time largely in part because of the muskrat season proposal . I dont plan on missing them in the future and and have been encouraging other family and freinds to start attending as well . Im curious do you know or does anyone else here know how how long we had a three zone mink/ muskrat season structure in place for ? Meaning about when was it implemented? I dont recall ever hearing or reading a starting timeframe for that. You mention Mathiaks influence- so was it from like the early 1950sor 60 when it started- Up until about 2012 when it was done away with?

Keep workin brother.