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Friday, January 23rd, 2026

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Ralph Loos: Trappers’ top successes in Illinois were raccoons and . . . opossums?

In 2022-23, Illinois trappers harvested an estimated 127,756 furbearers, a 6.7% decline from the 136,294 harvested in 2021-22. (Stock photo)

The story about trappers commissioned to protect duck nesting sites from raccoons, coyotes and foxes offers fantasy fodder for any Midwesterner with dreams of running a real trapline.
There aren’t many of us around. According to the Illinois Natural History Survey’s most recent Illinois Trapper Report, trapping license sales in the state decreased from 7,016 in 2021-22 to 6,868 in to 2022-23. The report also notes the average age of an Illinois trapper is 55 and the average trapper has been at it for 25 years.

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