Becky Semke
4-18-11
There are many ways to enjoy wildlife and for some people it includes being able to trap them. People trap furbearers mainly for their warm, weatherproof, and attractive pelts. They are also used for food, bait, soap, and medicines. Very little, if any, of a trapped animal is wasted. Whatever a trapper doesn’t use is usually left in the woods for other wildlife to feed upon. Each person has their own opinions about trapping and whether or not we should allow for people to trap wildlife.
There are many reasons people believe that trapping is a bad thing and never want to have anything to do with it. People with this opinion sometimes believe trappers are greedy and just want the fur to sell in order to make more money; however, this is not necessarily the case. Most trappers are involved in trapping for the recreational side of it. It is a way for them to enjoy wildlife while also getting exercise by hiking around to check on their traps. The extra income is just a benefit of doing something that they already enjoy. A reason people are against trapping is because a trapper may end up trapping and killing a species that they did not intend to trap. This does happen, but if the trapper does not have a tag to keep that species or if they have already reached their bag limit then they must report it immediately. The animal is usually kept for educational purposes to teach new trappers how to properly skin a furbearer in a trapper’s education course.
It is also believed by some people that trapping is associated with species becoming endangered. Wisconsin currently has 17 different species of furbearers that can be trapped. These species are managed properly to prevent them from approaching the endangered status. There are many regulations of trapping; some of which are trapping seasons, number of tags distributed, daily checks of dry land traps, and types of traps that can be used. The type of trap used can mean the difference of life or death of an animal. A foot hold trap will allow for the trapper to release an animal that was not set out to be targeted. In addition, Wisconsin requires all trappers to participate in a trapper’s education course before they are allowed to get a license to trap.
Trapping also provides many benefits to society that some people may not even realize. It helps remove animals that are causing damage and problems for farmers and homeowners. Being able to manage and monitor populations of wildlife is also beneficial. By using foot hold traps, it allows Wisconsin to cooperate with other government agencies to trap, relocate or reintroduce endangered species with the goal of restoring biological diversity.1 Trapping is also a recreational activity that allows for social opportunities while enjoying the outdoors. It is a way people bond with members of their family.
Trapping can be looked at from two different perspectives. I know that not everyone is going to agree with it, but personally I believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Please respond, I would love to hear your opinions about trapping.
1“Traps, Trapping and Furbearer Management in Wisconsin” Brochure distributed by WDNR and Wisconsin Trappers Association
Wisconsin Cooperative Trapper Education Program put on by the Wisconsin Trappers Association
1 comment:
I definitely agree that the benefits from trapping outweigh the negatives. Most people who do not trap, or know anything about trapping do not like it. The main reason why I feel people do not like it is because they are uninformed of what trapping all entails. The general public believes that trapping is setting hundreds of traps around the woods, for which an animal will suffer in until the animal dies. They also believe that trapping is a sense of laziness compared to regular "hunting". I disagree with the general public in this sense. If they feel that trapping is a form of laziness, then so is every other recreational hunting sport. Fisherman use bait on the end of their lines, bear hunting is used with dogs, and turkey hunting is mainly used with a device to call the turkeys in. I really enjoyed reading your post.
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