Wild hog populations are out of control in the United States, and it's estimated that they cause $1.5 billion worth of damage nationwide. Research in Mississippi indicates that hunter harvest of hogs is not adequate to control their populations, but trapping holds some promise. From the Mississippi Business Journal: Traps can remove a greater number of pigs from an area … [Read more...]
Judge Upholds Idaho’s Wolf Trapping Program
In a recent district court case, judge Edward Lodge rejected an environmentalist challenge to the state of Idaho's wolf management program that includes trapping two packs of wolves in the Frank Church Wilderness. Basically, the state wanted to trap two wolf packs that were impacting the elk herd. Defenders of Wildlife sued, and the judge ruled in favor of the state. It's an … [Read more...]
Mobile Technology Making its Way to the Trapline
The new Trap-Alert System developed by New Frequency probably won't explode onto the fur trapping scene any time soon, but it's proving effective for some government trappers. The technology allows trappers to use mobile devices to find out whether their traps have caught animals or not. Here's the press release: Trap-Alert® System Becomes a Valuable Tool for a USDA … [Read more...]
Feds Cut Animal Damage Control Programs
UPDATE: Looks like the feds will find some money for the program after all. Read the story here. Shortfalls in the federal budget will likely have an impact on animal damage control programs throughout the United States. According to an article in Minnesota's Duluth News Tribune, the USDA Wildlife Services program that hired government trappers to capture and remove … [Read more...]
Massachusetts Legislature May Ease Animal Damage Permitting Process
This fall, we covered a story about the Massachusetts legislature attempting to ease the red tape associated with trapping permits issued for animal damage control. That bill appears to have stalled in the legislature, but Sen. Stanley Rosenberg is making an effort to move things forward again. The legislation concerning the issuance and appeals process for landowners to … [Read more...]
Coyotes Kill Twenty-two Pets in Washington Town
Coyotes have been blamed for the death of 22 pets in a Washington neighborhood, according to the local news. LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- Coyotes have killed so many pets -- seven dogs and 15 cats, by one resident's count -- that people who live in the Oakbrook neighborhood of Lakewood have hired a trapper to get rid of the predators. The state of Washington banned recreational and … [Read more...]
Massachusetts Works to Amend Trap Ban
Animal rights groups are "all up in a tizzy" over the recent work of the Massachusetts legislature to make a minor change to the ballot initiative passed by voters over a decade ago that banned trapping in the state. Based on the rhetoric, you'd think the legislature were trying to overturn the ban and re-instate legalized trapping in the state. If only. The change would … [Read more...]
Raccoons: A Growing Problem in Growing Cities
As cities and towns expand, many are noticing the expansion of wild animals in the urban/outdoors interface. A great example of this is in the town of Bozeman, Montana, a growing area with a growing raccoon problem. A recent Bozeman Daily Chronicle article highlights the raccoon issue with input from two local animal damage control trappers who deal with raccoons … [Read more...]