After the accidental trapping death of a Canada lynx in northern Maine on November 17th, in the midst of a lawsuit by environmentalists aimed at halting trapping, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has adopted new regulations to avoid another such incident. You can see the photo below, provided to the media by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and … [Read more...]
Lynx Killed in Northern Maine Could Affect Lawsuit
Talk about bad timing for Maine trappers. Just when it looked like trappers were making headway defending a lawsuit by animal rights groups to ban land trapping in northern Maine, a lynx was reportedly killed in a trap set for other furbearing species this week. The dead lynx will undoubtably be used by animal rights groups to show that Maine's trapping activities are harming … [Read more...]
Maine Lynx Lawsuit Update
Skip Trask, of the Maine Trappers Association, put together this update on the Maine lynx lawsuit hearing held in Bangor this week: UPDATE 11/10/2008 - First of all, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you that suspended your trapline activities to attend the hearing in Bangor this afternoon. The hearing was held in a very small courtroom, and there was not … [Read more...]
Judge Hears Arguments in Lawsuit to Restrict Trapping in Maine
Yet another lawsuit aimed at ending trapping in Maine is being battled in court this week. On Monday, a federal judge heard arguments from animal rights activists suing the State of Maine for allowing trapping practices that resulted in the capture of the 'threatened' Canada lynx. Just last year, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife settled with the Animal … [Read more...]
Fur Price Forecast: No One Really Knows!
It's a busy time of year. Hunting and trapping seasons are in full swing in most areas, and many of us are finding little time to get on the computer in between work and time chasing critters in God's great outdoors. One of the biggest things on many trappers' minds at the onset of this season is the price of furs. While many of us trap for fun, fur prices do play a huge … [Read more...]
Newspaper Tubes for Trapping Marten
This season, I've decided to try using newspaper tubes for cubby sets on my marten trapline. The tubes make for a great cubby, with the open end being the perfect size for a 120 conibear trap. I got a great deal on 20 tubes and plan to set them up on my line before the season starts, but not without a little bit of modification. I've drilled a series of holes through the … [Read more...]
Montana Trappers Association Rendezvous
The Montana Trappers Association held a very well attended annual Fall Rendezvous at the Fergus County Fairgrounds in Lewistown this past weekend. Dealer booths opened on Friday, followed by a few demonstrations and a chicken dinner before the annual membership meeting Friday evening. Roy Brown, state senator and candidate for governor, attended the dinner and gave a short … [Read more...]
Trapping Fever and Preseason Preparation
Well, it's getting to be about that time. We got our first cold snap of the year the other night, and you can feel the days starting to get shorter and shorter all the time. That only means one thing: trapping season's just around the corner! Truth be told, I've had the trapping fever since sometime in May. I recently moved to Montana, and have been excited about the new … [Read more...]