Sounds like another wrench in the rat season structure. Advisory question?
How many times does this need to pass the CC?

Why the hesitation, what is the fear?

Come on Wisconsin!

The ghost still haunts us.

Ghost of specialist PAST!? OMG

Could be. But why?

Common opener or increased opportunity?

greed

Rat season should open state wide Oct 15th and close April 30th. With in those dates let the trapper decide when to start and when to finish.

now there's some words of wisdom

Pretty liberal stance Beav but I’m wondering if ultimately something like that would pass?
Sometimes/always we do have to make concessions and I’m tired of spinning my wheels.

Open water rat trapping is a great experience, if I had my druthers I'd take 2 weeks in April over 2 in November. One thing I do know, you're never going to get a consensus from trappers, everyone has an agenda.

Need more info. What happened

Absolutely spring is incredible. Wish we could get a little of both.

Addressing the other statement... What’s the most frustrating is the pettiness




Our muskrat season adjustment/extension has been pigeon holed so to speak.
After years of effort and more than one CC passage it’s been sent to the back of the line.
Eventually it may fail?

You'll have to excuse me as I forget. Who sets season? Or rather is it administrative rule or statutory

I don’t know the technical politics. WI has a conservation Congress process that makes recommendations to the wdnr. About rule changes through public suggestions. It’s a rigorous process

Marshrat you out there?

The reason for the setback was...”guys in the north never knew this change was coming”
So now it’s the CCs fault someone wasn’t paying attention?? Interrupting this forward movement is simply a critical flaw in our system.

Great consideration and debate went into this proposal. Design was not/should not pit north v south. It is attempt to reinstate science and common sense our season structure. It adds and includes opportunities for those trappers in seasonal trades that don’t get the luxury of the Fall exiperience

The old fashioned way.
http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoN.../reference/econatres.dnrbull36.i0009.pdf

It's unfortunate that a few short sighted individuals take away opportunity for the rest. Keep working at it buddy

I also heard that many stated they never heard about the prospective change. I don't know a more public way or process then using the WCC and going to the hearings etc. If the vote is not to create split zones then that is what it should be. I was one who presented the argument for returning to our traditional 3 zone system, but if there is not support for it then let us find out. If the resolution was on up for a vote any and all interested could participate and vote accordingly. By delaying the vote we don't know what the rationale for that delay is. Delay is a way of not allowing the democratic process to function. I can live with the outcome either way but it seems that for some reason we are reluctant to move forward and or take the risk if you will. The data I put together looking at temps, ice etc. to me made good sense if one is looking at access in the fall for open water rat trapping.
The other benefit with the resolution was it expanded the seasons later or into the spring as well. Now there will always be debate regarding when traps should be out on the landscape spring and or fall. It gets political when we want to control whose traps are where and when.
If we look at the not too distant history seasons closed much, much earlier for rats and mink.
Bryce

I also heard that many stated they never heard about the prospective change. I don't know a more public way or process then using the WCC and going to the hearings etc. If the vote is not to create split zones then that is what it should be. I was one who presented the argument for returning to our traditional 3 zone system, but if there is not support for it then let us find out. If the resolution was on up for a vote any and all interested could participate and vote accordingly. By delaying the vote we don't know what the rationale for that delay is. Delay is a way of not allowing the democratic process to function. I can live with the outcome either way but it seems that for some reason we are reluctant to move forward and or take the risk if you will. The data I put together looking at temps, ice etc. to me made good sense if one is looking at access in the fall for open water rat trapping.
The other benefit with the resolution was it expanded the seasons later or into the spring as well. Now there will always be debate regarding when traps should be out on the landscape spring and or fall. It gets political when we want to control whose traps are where and when.
If we look at the not too distant history seasons closed much, much earlier for rats and mink.
Bryce

Thanks for your effort Bryce. Muskrat and wimarshrat also put a good deal of effort in its support.



We definitely missed the boat there. In the 40s Mathiak mentioned how we aiternated seasons to stockpile this resource....thank goodness we got away from that. Don’t forget that we are discussing a rodent with a 2 year lifespan. Yes historically we have had a protectionist attitude towards muskrats.

As opportunities increased methods evolved. Back then trappers quit when the swamp froze. However it is an indisputable fact that muskrats in under ice conditions are superior skins and growing. To ignore that fact is carelessness.

Too harvest beaver longer than muskrats is hypocrisy!

I am still here. Where do you want to start? 49ers question?

Currently, the season is set by administrative code. I have heard rumors that legislators might be interested in setting it in state statue if folks don't get this right this time. Not sure what is right or if they think the Congress has it wrong already. Lol

My gut tells me this is going legislative route.

That would be my suggestion but get it right