Should footholds be banned?

pawcatch · November 25, 2001, 05:02 AM

This is not intended to start a flame war.
I won't argue with those who disagree with me.
As a trapper, I want to know if the hunters here think foot-hold traps should be banned.

Fred Hansen · November 25, 2001, 05:20 AM

NO

pawcatch · November 25, 2001, 05:22 AM

Glad to hear that.

Art Eatman · November 25, 2001, 10:24 AM

My opinion is that the only bad aspect of trapping would be that non-professional who would set traps and then not check them daily (or as appropriate; I'm not concerned, here, about trapping in perma-snow country).

So long as the amount of take allows a stable population to continue, I see no particular problem...

Art

C.R.Sam · November 25, 2001, 10:44 AM

A good trapper will run his lines regularly and waste not. A casual trapper is a blight.

Sam

Keith Rogan · November 25, 2001, 03:00 PM

I haven't trapped since I was a kid back in Michigan and that was mostly muskrats with occasional "big game" like a raccoon or fox. I thought I knew something about it, but I guess not as much as I thought I did...
I'm now managing a small sporting goods store and a local professional trapper came in and placed a rather large order for leg-hold traps (which we didn't have in stock) for fox. Anyway, I tried to interest him in snares (which we had in stock) instead of the leg-hold traps and he explained to me that at least here in Alaska snares or conibear traps are a really bad idea for trapping unless used under ice. It seems the local eagles and hawks quickly spot any dead critter and unless you're right there on the spot at dawn you'll lose a good percentage of your catch. Of course, live critters in leg-hold traps can defend themselves and are left alone.

It's just something that never would have occured to me. Why trap at all if you can't make use of the animal trapped?

H&H,hunter · November 27, 2001, 11:46 AM

Trapping is an intergal part of American history and should never be banned. In fact it should be protected as a rich American outdoor heritage.

View Poll Results: Should footholds be banned?
Yes	2	15.38%
No	11	84.62%
Voters: 13. You may not vote on this poll

November 25, 2001, 05:02 AM	#1
pawcatch Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2000 Location: South East Posts: 332	Should footholds be banned? This is not intended to start a flame war. I won't argue with those who disagree with me. As a trapper, I want to know if the hunters here think foot-hold traps should be banned. Last edited by pawcatch; November 25, 2001 at 06:37 AM.

November 25, 2001, 05:20 AM	#2
Fred Hansen Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: The middle of WWIII Posts: 3,335	NO __________________ "This started out as a documentary on gun violence in America, but the largest mass murder in our history was just committed -- without the use of a single gun! Not a single bullet fired! No bomb was set off, no missile was fired, no weapon (i.e., a device that was solely and specifically manufactured to kill humans) was used. A boxcutter! -- I can't stop thinking about this. A thousand gun control laws would not have prevented this massacre. What am I doing?" Michael Moore

November 25, 2001, 03:00 PM	#6
Keith Rogan Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: Kodiak, Alaska Posts: 1,014	I haven't trapped since I was a kid back in Michigan and that was mostly muskrats with occasional "big game" like a raccoon or fox. I thought I knew something about it, but I guess not as much as I thought I did... I'm now managing a small sporting goods store and a local professional trapper came in and placed a rather large order for leg-hold traps (which we didn't have in stock) for fox. Anyway, I tried to interest him in snares (which we had in stock) instead of the leg-hold traps and he explained to me that at least here in Alaska snares or conibear traps are a really bad idea for trapping unless used under ice. It seems the local eagles and hawks quickly spot any dead critter and unless you're right there on the spot at dawn you'll lose a good percentage of your catch. Of course, live critters in leg-hold traps can defend themselves and are left alone. It's just something that never would have occured to me. Why trap at all if you can't make use of the animal trapped? __________________ Keith

November 25, 2001, 05:22 AM	#3
pawcatch Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2000 Location: South East Posts: 332	Glad to hear that.

November 25, 2001, 10:24 AM	#4
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	My opinion is that the only bad aspect of trapping would be that non-professional who would set traps and then not check them daily (or as appropriate; I'm not concerned, here, about trapping in perma-snow country). So long as the amount of take allows a stable population to continue, I see no particular problem... Art

November 25, 2001, 10:44 AM	#5
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	A good trapper will run his lines regularly and waste not. A casual trapper is a blight. Sam

November 27, 2001, 11:46 AM	#7
H&H,hunter Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 504	Trapping is an intergal part of American history and should never be banned. In fact it should be protected as a rich American outdoor heritage.