Most folks don’t realize that the foothold trap is a safe and humane method of capturing furbearers, and that we trappers have the ability to release our catch alive and well as the situation permits. For instance, Maine trappers are required to release Canada lynx that are often caught in their fox and coyote sets, and routinely do so with oversight from biologists. There are also many situations where the season is closed for a particular furbearer and we as trappers must release non-target catches on our own. I’ve released fisher and marten caught in my coyote sets when they were caught out of season in the past.
I read a neat article from a Kansas trapper writing for the Hays Post about releasing a bobcat. Here’s an excerpt:
The field lays along the river and at one point makes a jog which is a good spot to look for animal tracks in the sandy soil. Coyote tracks were plentiful, and I caught a bobcat last year at nearly the exact location where this one awaited me, so setting traps here was a no-brainer. The traps were set at the very edge of the stalks which hid them from my sight as I approached. Trapped bobcats usually hunker down and lay perfectly still until you get too close, so this one surprised me as I stepped beyond the stalks to take a peek at the trap before moving on.
It was a nice cat, but Kansas bobcats are not at their best until January. Besides that, I had just talked to my fur buyer and been told that bobcat prices will probably be appreciably lower this season than in the past few years. All things considered, I really didn’t want to catch any bobcats yet so I felt I needed to release this guy and try to catch it again later when its fur was at its absolute best.
People who know nothing about trappers or trapping can easily be of the opinion that we trappers are a heartless crew, when in actuality we trappers are some of the most avid conservationists on the planet. We understand that we harvest a God-given renewable resource that must be managed much like a farmer would manage livestock, and not harvest them until they are at their very best.
Well said, Steve Gilliliand, well said!
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