Trapping of marten and mink halted by court in CO

[Oak]

Legal recreational live trapping of mink and pine marten in Colorado has been halted by a recent District Court decision.

The Colorado Wildlife Commission passed regulations in July that added mink and pine marten to the list of furbearers which are allowed to be live trapped. Organizations challenged the legality of the regulation and the District Court entered a stay on Jan. 5, nullifying the regulations.

Mink or pine marten caught accidentally while trapping for other species must be released immediately. The court order does not prohibit all take of mink and pine marten, only recreational take with live traps. Mink and pine marten can still be taken with all lawful manners of take in damage situations where and when authorized by the Colorado Division of Wildlife pursuant to Amendment 14. Other lawful manners of take (specifically rifle, handgun, shotgun, handheld bows and crossbows) listed in the regulations for recreational purposes are still permitted.

The decision to determine whether the regulations are legal or not and whether the recreational live trapping of pine marten and mink will be allowed in Colorado will be made by the District Court in the future.

 

[BigHornRam]

There has been a noticable increase in anti-trapping rhetoric in Montana of late as well. May have something to do with the pending delisting of wolves and FWP's desire to allow them to be trapped. Here's a good letter from this mornings paper from a clueless Missoulian.

Trapping is morally unacceptable to most
Just a few thoughts on trapping (responding to Anja Heister's Jan. 12 letter to the editor):

Imagine your much-loved companion animal suffering in a steel leg-hold trap or a body-gripping conibear trap, or perhaps drowning in a beaver trap. This happens all too often, and the pet is usually presumed to have run away. You'll likely never know the truth since these cases are rarely reported. Trappers have learned to “shoot, shovel and shut up.”

The whole concept of trapping is morally unacceptable to most of us. The idea that an unsuspecting creature can wander into these deadly situations to suffer and die in such a brutal way is repulsive and unnecessary.

As Heister points out, many endangered and threatened species, such as bald and golden eagles and wolves, are injured and die in these traps. Trappers routinely “dispatch” animals caught in traps by clubbing, suffocation or a bullet to the head, so that the valuable pelts will not be damaged.

Remember this destruction of our wildlife is for personal profit. You don't see hunters selling their deer and elk meat, but trappers sell pelts and animal parts commercially; some of the buyers are in foreign countries. Sadly, demand for fur garments has increased and the number of issued trapping permits has doubled since the early 1990s.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks should take a hard look at trapping and listen to the majority of U.S. citizens who do not approve of this carnage on our public lands.

If you agree that trapping no longer has a place in our society and should be banned as many other states have done, please contact FWP and your legislative representative and voice your opinion.

Frank Taylor, Missoula

 

[Dinkshooter]

Ahh the good old days in Colorado when you could still trap. I sure do miss them

Some of the local yocals around here have actually been catching a few bobcats in live traps lately.

 

[mtmiller]

Frank doesn't sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer, at least on trapping. How about a rebuttal to the editorial Paul? Rememer, when these ultra liberals take over the state, you guys started it over there first.