A call to end trapping on Public lands

88man

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Conservation groups call on FWP to suspend trapping during pandemic



Footloose Montana, eleven other conservation groups and two community leaders have written the Director and Commission of Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks requesting a suspension of all trapping on public lands during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. “A temporary suspension of trapping is a common-sense action that puts the safety of communities first.”
Citing the need for people to safely exercise on public lands with their children and dogs, the letter notes that playgrounds, movie theaters and parks are closed.
The letter states: “Confining everyone to the few small places where trapping is banned is not socially responsible. People, children and dogs should be able to go outdoors and spread out at safe distances from each other, without fear of encountering a trap or snare that can maim or kill.”
The letter recalls recent trapping incidents of family dogs that discourage people from venturing on public lands and states that trapping is a non-essential activity that “like other non-essentials, should be closed.”

The groups call on Fish, Wildlife and Parks to “mitigate the spread of the virus and provide public safety by removing dangerous traps and snares.”
Official furbearer trapping ends in April. However, trapping for predators and nongame species is unregulated and ongoing year-round.
Co-signers of Footloose Montana’s call to temporarily suspend trapping include the Gallatin Wildlife Association, Swan View Coalition, WildWest Institute, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Bitterroot, Friends of the Wild Swan, Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force, Conservation Congress, Laramie Maxwell Environmental, Wyoming Untrapped, Betsy Brandborg, Legal Counsel and Lee Bridges, Director, East Missoula Community Council.



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Ha ha Just another opportunist attack.
 
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Since when does one form of recreation trump another form?? I don't know much about trapping, but do people put traps close to heavily used trails? Should dogs be allowed to spread out and potentially disturb big game at this critical point in the year? It's too bad they're using the pandemic as an excuse to push this.
 
My prediction is that this will end similarly to the dude who wanted to use his hovercraft on the Root.
 
Some of those are an, "every chance we get and then some" type tag team of extremists...
 
I really wish Colorado still allowed trapping with footholds. The use of live catch box traps makes it a lot harder for guys.
 
I guess I have a real problem with going into the woods this time of the year with your dogs and children not on a leash. This is probably the most critical time of the year for most of the prey species. The opportunity to let your dog free to chase pregnant and starving deer and elk is unethical an immoral.

Commercial trapping is usually over in March with the degradation of the pelts. Even beaver pelts go to hell as they get into the breeding season and chew each other up. I'm not sure what you would trap this time of the year except free running dogs and annoying out of control children.

Just my 2 cents. (I commercially trapped to earn my way through college and it is a wise management technique for the resource.) Wish there was a use for environuts - toilet paper?
 
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