Sportsman Alliance?

[VikingsGuy]

After reading through the Minnesota trapping regulations in my opinion there is one adjustment to the conibear rules that might help.

1. increase the minimum height from 36" to 48" off of the ground.

The rest of the regulations look pretty solid and if the accidental dog catch is as high as you are painting in your thread response, it is not caused by the legal trapping efforts going on out there it's likely being caused by illegal trapping practices.

Your suggestions and tjones are the things that would help. As for numbers, it is a dog or two a year. I don't have any idea what portion is legally or illegally set.

 

[shoots-straight]

Hello VikingsGuy, I'm a trapper. I understand your concern with the use of conibear traps. I know it's probably blowing wind, but I'd suggest that cars kill far more dogs in your state than conibears do. Nobody uses a car to intentionally kill a dog or cat, owners can be neglectful and let those animals run freely, often it's those neglected animals that end up dead on the road, and also those animals that end up in traps accidentally.
I use conibear traps. They are very human on our furbearers, and their use makes sense in many instances. I'v caught a grand total of
3 critters in my conibears that were not intended to be caught in that particular set. All of those animals were targeted by other traps/ sets that I had in the vicinity but they chose the conibear that was set for another fur bearer. I did catch a human once (me) as I was removing debris from the trigger of a 220 set for Beaver. That's a story in it'self on how to remove a conibear off ones arm with only one other arm to use.

Anyway, I feel that educated trappers are going to limit the chance for dogs to be caught and have supported Trappers Ed laws in Montana. It's usually a uneducated landowner, kid or a rogue trapper, slash law breaker that is responsible for the majority of those instances. Knee jerk reactions over highly blown out of proportion trapping accidents shouldn't induce legislation. My .02 cents worth.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Hello VikingsGuy, I'm a trapper. I understand your concern with the use of conibear traps. I know it's probably blowing wind, but I'd suggest that cars kill far more dogs in your state than conibears do. Nobody uses a car to intentionally kill a dog or cat, owners can be neglectful and let those animals run freely, often it's those neglected animals that end up dead on the road, and also those animals that end up in traps accidentally.
I use conibear traps. They are very human on our furbearers, and their use makes sense in many instances. I'v caught a grand total of
3 critters in my conibears that were not intended to be caught in that particular set. All of those animals were targeted by other traps/ sets that I had in the vicinity but they chose the conibear that was set for another fur bearer. I did catch a human once (me) as I was removing debris from the trigger of a 220 set for Beaver. That's a story in it'self on how to remove a conibear off ones arm with only one other arm to use.

Anyway, I feel that educated trappers are going to limit the chance for dogs to be caught and have supported Trappers Ed laws in Montana. It's usually a uneducated landowner, kid or a rogue trapper, slash law breaker that is responsible for the majority of those instances. Knee jerk reactions over highly blown out of proportion trapping accidents shouldn't induce legislation. My .02 cents worth.

The ones I am aware of have been grouse hunters with their dogs, not abandoned strays, but nonetheless I appreciate your view and thoughtful post.

 

[VikingsGuy]

How about reasonable regulations instead of banning?• The use of Conibear or “body-gripping” traps are not allowed unless:
► they are placed as part of a water set.
► they are placed as part of an elevated set that does not
include a leaning pole.
► they have a jaw spread of less than or equal to 5 inches (a Conibear #120 or smaller).
► they are placed in a leaning pole set with a pole diameter of no larger than 4 inches and with trap and bait set at least 48 inches above the ground; or
► if they have a jaw spread of >5 inches, they are placed with the trigger recessed a minimum of seven inches and contained in a wood, plastic, or metal enclosure or cubby with an opening no larger than 52 square

Thanks, this is helpful.

 

[GAoutdoors]

The NRA very effectively treats any issue on guns as a war cry and gets all members involved. If hunters don’t get behind each other we will be cut off from our opportunities to be able to hunt. I used to be the opposite. I didn’t think that an issue for hunter in Maine would effect me. But I have changed. Cause one day they will come after my style of hunting. We hunters have an uphill fight. The media is against us. The deep pocket Hollywood crowd is against us. So the voting majority can be swayed against us. The media today isn’t not about facts or checking. It’s about what story can get the most hits to our “insert medium” what is buzz worthy is more important than is it factually correct.

We have to stand for each other in fights against us. We should decide our own fate in our hunting realm not an Anti.

This is right on! I recently became concerned with the fights in other states that may not affect me. One day the fight will be on your own backdoor.

 

[nturpin]

It cuts both ways. I am asking you to stand by trapping that does not unnecessarily kill hunting dogs, do you stand with me? If you won't stand with me, then why would I stand with you?

My point in this was I feel like this is an issue that should be decided on your local level by people that have a direct interest in your hunting/trapping. Not outside groups that want to see the banning of your local lifestyle.
If you feel like there should be changes to your trapping guidelines then you have a right to talk with the wildlife management office and should get in touch with local trapping chapters to see if change can be reasonable made. But, like stated above, How much is caused by illegal sets? Knowing your trapping laws and getting the wardens involved in Illegal set might do more than changes in regulations.
I am not against you. I can understand the anger that comes from losing a pet to an unnecessary death. I just feel like back to the OP post the Sportsman Alliance. They give hunters the chance to have a voice in their regulations and not be forced by Anti Hunters. Its Your Right, You pay the majority share in. As I have found out in life the people that Gripe the loudest and complain the most, pay and do the least. That is where we are at. Hunters pay the most and the anti's do nothing but complain and lobby against us. All without science and purely on emotion.

 

[VikingsGuy]

My point in this was I feel like this is an issue that should be decided on your local level by people that have a direct interest in your hunting/trapping. Not outside groups that want to see the banning of your local lifestyle.
If you feel like there should be changes to your trapping guidelines then you have a right to talk with the wildlife management office and should get in touch with local trapping chapters to see if change can be reasonable made. But, like stated above, How much is caused by illegal sets? Knowing your trapping laws and getting the wardens involved in Illegal set might do more than changes in regulations.
I am not against you. I can understand the anger that comes from losing a pet to an unnecessary death. I just feel like back to the OP post the Sportsman Alliance. They give hunters the chance to have a voice in their regulations and not be forced by Anti Hunters. Its Your Right, You pay the majority share in. As I have found out in life the people that Gripe the loudest and complain the most, pay and do the least. That is where we are at. Hunters pay the most and the anti's do nothing but complain and lobby against us. All without science and purely on emotion.

We generally agree. Sadly, on too many issues the emotions of the uneffected and ill-informed trump (pun not intended) the science/knowledge of the involved and impacted.