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Wolverine Sample Collection

Registered Fur Management License holders who harvest wolverines are now required to deliver the skull along with the pelt when completing the mandatory registration process. This is to facilitate the extraction of a tooth.

Specifically, Forestry and Parks requires the first maxillary premolar so that the age of harvested wolverines can be determined. Should trappers prefer to extract this tooth themselves for direct submission, then there is no need to deliver the skull.

Trappers are also required to cut a small strip of fur from the edge of the pelt and submit this along with the tooth. The pelt sample will be used for DNA profiling.

For the tooth sample

  1. Locate the first maxillary premolar. This tooth is on the upper jaw, immediately behind the canine (see photo). There are 2, one on each side of the skull.
  2. Loosen the tooth with a dental elevator (available at Fish and Wildlife office registrars) or a small screwdriver, being careful to not damage the skull.
  3. Grasp the tooth with a dental extractor (also available at Fish and Wildlife office registrars) or a pair of pliers and pull/wiggle it free from the skull. The root of the tooth is required for age analysis so be careful to not break the root off within the skull.

Image of a wolverine skull

For the pelt sample

  1. Locate an area along the edge of the pelt of least significance to the pelt value.
  2. Trim off a small strip of pelt containing hairs (1 cm maximum).

Submission of samples

  1. Label the envelope with the Registration Certificate number, the pelt seal number and the Registered Fur Management Area number.
  2. Place the tooth and pelt sample in the envelope and staple it to the yellow copy of the Registration Certificate.
  3. Submit the certificate and attached envelope to the service through the normal process of submitting Registration Certificates.

For those trappers who have already registered their wolverine harvest and would like to participate in this project, please send the tooth and pelt sample to:

Dave Kay
Commercial Wildlife Policy
Hunting and Fishing Branch
Alberta Forestry and Muriel Stanley Venne Provincial Centre
12360 – 142 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T8L 2H1
Phone: 780-644-4646 Fax: 780-422-9559
Email: dave.kay@gov.ab.ca


Updated: Feb 27, 2026