# Fewer nutria Caught this Season



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Has anyone from Michigan had any experience trapping nutria?

Fewer nutria Caught this Season

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=3167351&nav=EyAzYHo4

High water from south winds and rain - and from Hurricane Ivan - are the reason trappers caught fewer nutria in the just-ended season than in either of the previous two, officials say.

Still, they say, Louisiana's $4-per-tail bounty has eliminated more than 900,000 nutria - and vast numbers of descendants - that otherwise would be eating the fragile marshes. And there has been a noticeable reduction in the acreage of marsh damaged by nutria.

As of Monday, hunters and trappers had turned in 260,000 red-painted tails, or just over $1 million worth. The season ended last Thursday; program officials expect to make about 290,000 federally supported bounty payments by the time collections end Wednesday.

Last year's total was nearly 332,600 tails; the one before - the program's first - just over 308,000. That's far short of the program's goal of 400,000 a year.

Nonetheless, from spring 2003 to spring 2004, the acres of marshland seriously damaged by nutria fell from 82,000 to 63,000, the state Wildlife and Fisheries Department has said. In addition to that 23 percent drop, there was an 82.5 percent reduction in severe damage. The 2005 figures will be available after a survey is completed in May.

Trappers, especially in Chalmette, say the high water water stopped them from setting traps on dry land and even drowned some nutria.

Hunters and trappers earned $1.3 million last year and $1.2 million the year before during the trapping season, which starts in November and ends in March.

The season before the bounty was set up, only 100,000 nutria were taken.

"Were very supportive of the nutria program," said Kerry St. Pe, director of the Thibodaux-based Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. "It's a positive step toward restoring our system."

The program represents an estimated $13 million investment by the state and federal government costing about $2 million per year.

The program is scheduled to expire after another two years. But Wildlife and Fisheries officials hope to continue it.


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

I've never came across a nutria in Michigan. I believe they are more southern critters.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

My fault for not being clear with the question. I know there are no nutria in Michigan. I was wondering if any Michigan trappers ever had the experience to trap nutria in the South.


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

i'll tell ya what i know of nutria, they are big, fearless (or just plain stupid), creatures that like to steal minnows if you want to keep em overnight in a baitbucket. pretty smart animals though, tried many tricks to keep em out, but hes found a way to get em everytime.

has let me and a friend get super close to em (just a few feet away), and i threw some walnuts at him and he didn't even flinch. they either can't see for squat, are fearless, or are as dumb as a box of rocks for everything other than stuff that leads to food.

they also make one helluva racket when you motor by em at night, much like a beaver sounding off. KERPLUSH!

steve


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