The following is a letter to the editor of the Missoulian, answering to this http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/managing-wildlife-should-include-tool-of-trapping/article_c8351566-afdf-11e1-8d80-001a4bcf887a.html patronizing opinion piece by a trapping publicist. Portions of this letter are excerpted from my book, Exposing the Big Game http://www.earth-books.net/books/exposing-the-big-game
A Trap Isn’t a “Tool,” It’s a Torture Device
Dear Editor,
Your June 6, 2012 guest column, “Managing wildlife should include tool of trapping” decried the use of “emotion” (bringing up the word at least 6 times) and seemed bent on denigrating anyone who has the capability for it. Why are trappers and their publicists so put off by emotion? Could it be that they’re afraid to admit they’re lacking in that capacity?
Psychologists have a word for people who act without emotion—without guilt, remorse or empathy—psychopaths. We shouldn’t be letting the psychopaths make the rules regarding wildlife.
A trap is not a “tool,” it’s a torture device. Unless they’re unable to feel empathy (see above) anyone who has witnessed the harrowing ordeal suffered by an animal caught in a trap should be appalled and outraged that trapping is legal. I have had more than my share of heart-wrenching experiences with the gruesome evils of trapping. I’ve heard the cry of shock and agony when a dog first feels the steel jaws of a trap lock onto his leg. I’ve looked into the weary eyes of a helpless captive who has been stuck in a trap for days and nights on end. I have come across the leg of a lynx, chewed-off to escape a deadly fate, and I’ve seen animals struggling throughout their lives on three legs.
Laws against cruelty to humans are crafted by people that rely on their sympathies for the victims and concern for the innocents. Those who have the capacity for empathy should be the ones making decisions relating to the welfare of our fellow animal species, not the cold-blooded animal exploiters.
Leg-hold traps have been banned in 88 countries and a few enlightened US states. Compassionate people everywhere must add their voice to the rising call to end this gratuitous torture for good.
Exposing the Big Game 
Reblogged this on Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic-Vote Our Wildlife.
Hunting and trapping are barbaric bonding traditions. I hunted for a long time, finally out grew it. I hunted with my son, my ex father-in-law, a veterinarian, and friends, most highly educated and professionals, but never really liked killing animals as a wholesome activity for me or family. I have also fished a lot in rivers and oceans, including SCUBA and spear fishing. Too often, animals do suffer from hunting and fishing activity. I have bonded with others in tennis and running and triathlons and dancing, and horses, and hiking and else. The picture of a grinning, searching for the word, redneck, once myself I guess, with a killed animal, now really is that healthy or wholesome? The picture of a son or daughter in front of first kill is such a prideful thing? A camera works as well. The tradition of hunting: It does get us out in the woods or prairie or mountains or oceans or rivers in a primal state of hunter or fisherman versus prey: Man with high powered scoped rifles, running around on 4-wheelers and pickup trucks. The Prey does not see what is coming. Go out there with a knife and see who the prey is. But getting out there in the wilderness, without hunting, does the same. Now the trapper, collecting furs, leaving a trapped animal (snared or steel trapped) in such a state for hours or days, in the case of a wolf, something superior to them (my opinion), what is such a mentality? I have the answer, but you get your own. By the way, if it is relevant, I am a two time Viet Nam vet. Hunting, ethical (often not), fair chase (usually not), tolerable (don’t believe it), but trapping? No, no way. Trapping is cruel even if done legally, even if it is a tradition, even if seen as a management tool. Traps are cruel. It should be banned for the public, allowed as necessary for wildlife officials who use it vastly too much with a pervasive kill attitude of their own. Why should animals suffer for private economic gain on fur sales or to artificially farm (boost) elk herds? Over 4 million animals are trapped each year for “sport” and millions more for “management” and millions more as collateral damage. Hunters worldwide kill over 100 million animals. Bow hunting is also cruel and barbaric with close to 50% of animals wounded not killed and left to wonder for hours, days, months, in a wounded state. The oceans are over fished commercially and further insult added by “sportsmen”. The current evident attitudes of sportsmen, maybe always true, have turned me against hunting in general and trapping in particular.
You bring up some great points and I agree whole heartedty with all that you wrote, except the point about allowing trapping for wildlife officials. The federal “Wildlife Services” agency has a horrible record of cruelty and decimation of undeserving animals (including wolves).
I applaud your decision to move beyond hunting! Thanks again for the comments
Trappers, hunters may objectify wolves and other victims of their sports, and deny them as sentient beings, but Fido is about 98-99% Canis Lupus, some would call Fido Canis Familiaris, although we have bred dogs over time to be vastly different from wolves and even each other. Do these sportsmen love Fido but hate wolves? Something is amiss here in their thinking. I have known wolf-dog hybrids and they were very good Fido’s. The point is to remember Fido came from wolves (canis lupus) and although different, they also share a lot. In some ways the wolf may even be more mature: The wolves outgrow their juvenile ways, dogs mostly do not. Wolves usually mate for life, dogs do not. Wolves are social animals caring for and protecting others in their pack, while most dogs tend to bond with humans more. Wolves fear people; dogs love people (we bred them to do so). However, about any characteristic of either is present in the other, just degrees of differences.
Personally, I think there are some animals equal to or superior to man (particularly trappers and hunters), like the grey wolf, Orca, dolphins. They evolved to live with their environments instead of against it. And that is a prominent feature of hunters, trappers and their ilk in the wildlife agencies; they tend to live against the environment and wildlife instead of appreciating and understanding ecology and living with it.
All very true, thanks for your comments. How can they love dogs and hate wolves? As eveolved as wolves are, they surely suffer as much in a trap as dogs do (and dogs suffer a LOT–I’ve seen it!)
Reblogged this on Animal Connection.
I love the it’s-part-of-our-cultural-heritage argument that trappers (and other “sportsmen/women”) love to spew. Female infibulation is part of the cultural heritage in many African countries, but that doesn’t make it any less barbaric or horrifying than trapping is, nor is it justification for its continuation.
The article by PCF is just one long, lame rationalization for continuing the torture of wildlife for the benefit of a very small special interest group. Fortunately, people are starting to wake up to what trappers do and the fact that they’re psychopaths, and are fighting back.
Right, Heritage has been used to justify all manner of cruelty through the years.
Roger, I’m glad you’ve seen the light.