Hayley Lynch recently wrote a great article printed in the Bowling Green Daily News, focusing on the role of trapping in wildlife management in the state of Kentucky. She interviewed personnel from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and revealed some interesting information about their role in promoting trapping as a wildlife management tool.
“Trapping is used as a management tool to both increase populations and reduce populations,” said Laura Patton, furbearer biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Kentucky’s otter restoration could not have happened without foothold traps.”
Traps can be used to eliminate problems when populations become too high in an area, or when nuisance animals cause livestock loss or property damage.
My favorite part about the article is the explanation of Kentucky’s cooperative program that helps both trappers and landowners:
Farmers or landowners experiencing damage from furbearers may search Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s fur trapper database at fw.ky.gov/app/trapperlandowner.aspx to find a trapper in their area during the regular trapping season. The database helps pair up trappers looking for a place to trap, and farmers looking for no-cost help with nuisance wildlife. Nuisance wildlife control operators are permitted to remove nuisance animals outside of furbearer trapping season. Operators charge a fee for their services. A listing of permitted operators is available at fw.ky.gov/app1/nuisancelookup.aspx.
More states should take advantage of such a great program.
It’s interesting to learn that trapping can reduce populations when trying to manage wildlife. My brother is wanting to take care of local forests and he was wondering how he could manage wildlife better. I’ll be sure to tell him that he should talk to his city about trapping for better wildlife management.