IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula Trappers Association will have a reorganizational meeting Saturday, March 29, to help recruit, retain and reactivate trappers — or those interested in learning about trapping — in Gogebic, Ontonagon and Iron counties.

The District 2 meeting will be at 9 a.m. Central time at Twilly’s Sports Bar and Grill, 13909 U.S. 45, Bruce Crossing.

Since 1962, the non-profit U.P. Trappers Association has been striving to educate trappers on the safe, sustainable and humane harvest of furbearers, said Bob Steinmetz, a U.P. Trappers Association member from Escanaba. The organization also promotes the role trappers play in ensuring healthy furbearer populations for the enjoyment of future generations,

Michigan has 17 species of furbearers that can be harvested using hunting or trapping methods, said John Pepin, Michigan Department of Natural Resources deputy public information officer. The term “furbearer” generally applies to those species that historically have been harvested for their fur. Most of Michigan’s furbearer species are carnivores, with a few notable exceptions such as beaver and muskrat.

“We are eager to hear your ideas on how to strengthen this trapping organization,” said Steinmetz. “Please feel free to bring along a friend, neighbor, child or fellow trapper.”

Participants at the meeting will find membership forms available, participate in officer elections, and enjoy a provided lunch. The association maintains five districts in the U.P.

For more information on trapping in Michigan, go to Michigan.gov/Trapping.

For more information about the U.P. Trappers Association, go to https://uptrappers.com/.

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Spring turkey licenses remain available in Michigan and are on sale now. As of Friday afternoon, there were 1,475 permits available for an Upper Peninsula hunt running from April 19 through May 31.

Licenses for Hunt 0234 are also available. This May 3 through May 31 hunt includes both public and private lands in the Upper Peninsula. It also includes the northern Lower Peninsula and private lands only in the southern Lower Peninsula.

You can’t purchase more than one spring turkey license per year and you can harvest one bearded turkey per license. For more information, go to Michigan.gov/Turkey.

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The Michigan DNR reported this Upper Peninsula fishing activity:

Marquette: Poor weather conditions limited fishing efforts. Anglers fishing the Chocolay River have reported good numbers of coho salmon, brown trout and steelhead. Steelhead have been caught from the Carp River mouth all the way up to Marquette Mountain. Anglers reported that night crawlers and spawn seemed to produce the best results.

Little Bay de Noc: Ice conditions have deteriorated drastically this past week, resulting in limited numbers of anglers. Anglers reported good walleye fishing up until the season closer. Yellow perch anglers reported fair fishing near Kipling and fair to good fishing at the mudflats, primarily using wigglers fished near the bottom.