Trapping has been a method used by humans to capture animals for hundreds of years and the traps used today are not dissimilar to those used back in the 1700s. With modernization and the growing concern for animal ethics, the practice of trapping animals is largely viewed as outdated and is ethically opposed for several reasons. While trapping might have been a way for settlers to make a living in the 17th century, consequently causing the extinction of beavers and other species in Vermont, trapping provides little monetary benefit in modern times. A study done on behalf of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies found that 78 percent of people say that the source of income from trapping was not important to them; this behavior is simply a hobby or sport done for recreation.

The fur market has been on a steady decline and the…