I post this as my supplement to Ross Gilmore’s (Wood Trekker) blog article, Trapping and The Modern Woodsman. I look forward to seeing where he goes with the series.
My $0.02
First and foremost, it worth reminding, or perhaps enlightening, those opposed to hunting and trapping, that animals in the wild don’t die of old age. In the predator prey relationship, most deaths are violent and in many instances, prey are eaten alive (see coyotes on deer below). The hunters and trappers I know, myself included (hunter), go to great lengths to ensure a humane kill and proper use of the resource.
Hunters in particular have done more for conservation than any other group in this country’s history. In fact, my next article will be touching on an organization that really got the movement going.
A researcher demonstrates the impact of the leg trap by setting it off on his hand.
As it relates to trapping, the live leg hold trap, as you will see in the video below, is humane in that it simply holds the animal, unharmed. As the video points out, and you will see, if they were cruel, why would so many wildlife managers approve of their use? It is the brief interaction the animal has with the trapper where there is stress and this is immediately addressed. Death is not always the end result either; these traps are used in wildlife studies, population control, and relocation of animals to assist a species and/or their environment…
An environment, I might add, that many who do criticize hunting/trapping know little about. True damage has come to our wildlife and environment through deforestation (they call it development), forced preservation (because they don’t know the difference between it and conservation) and other habitat destruction from an uninformed public. No group has done more or continues to contribute to maintaining wild places and wildlife resources more so than hunters and trappers.
Audio in this video gets better very quickly.
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