Traditional hunting and trapping activities begin in the fall when fish are hung for bait and the trapper prepares his equipment for the trapping season. A trapper concentrates on trapping marten, mink, lynx and fox from mid November to late February. The spring trapping season for beaver and muskrat goes from March to April. Throughout the trapping season, trappers hunt big game and net fish for food.

Fire is an essential part of nature and its role is commonly misunderstood. If we extinguish all forest fires, the boreal forest cannot renew itself. In 1998, extensive tracts of land burned throughout the North Slave Region. North Slave residents raised questions about the effects of fire on the landscape, wildlife, vegetation and their lifestyle.

The intent of the Trapper Training and Fire Ecology Program at Bliss Lake and Tibbitt Lake is to provide an opportunity for elders and Department of Resource, Wildlife & Economic Development staff to exchange knowledge about hunting, trapping and effects of fire, to work together to teach youth hunting and trapping skills and to investigate the effects of fire on trapping and the environment. The results to date demonstrate that fire plays an important and necessary role in the boreal forest ecosystem.

For information regarding future Trapper Training and Fire Ecology camps, contact: Danny Beaulieu - Forest Officer - North Slave Office: Yellowknife (867) 920-6103)

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Click on the photos below to enlarge them (Photos courtesty of Danny Beaulieu, Forest Officer, GNWT)