I was just curious...hope I don't offend anyone

[agchawk]

  I've been thinking about this for a bit and thought I'd throw it out there.

  Before I do, I want to stress that I am NOT BASHING anyone here. I just have some feelings toward live trapping and a few questions relating to same.

  I hunt and fish as often as possible and have been doing so for as long as I can remember. However, I have a real tough time allowing ANYTHING to suffer. I almost always catch and release while fishing (Steelhead being the exception) and have passed up more shots than I could possibly count over the years while hunting because I didn't feel comfortable that it would lead to a quick kill.

  When I see the pics of the various animals caught in the live traps it really bothers me. AGAIN, this is NO KNOCK on the folks here that do it. It's legal, it's a way of life for them, and I applaud them for following thier ambition(s). Heck, I don't bad mouth my friends and family that chose to keep the fish they catch when they are out fishing with me so why would I badmouth trappers? We all love and share the great outdoors...we just view things a little differently at times.

  I was curious, for you folks that actually do this regularly, did it ever bother you and how did you get past it? Seriously, I've been wondering about this for some time now. Heck, I hunt coyotes and shoot them every chance I get. However, when I wound one it upsets me to no end. Anyone else feel this way?

  Thanks guys/gals for putting up with what some might view as a stupid question/post. I just thought I'd see what you all thought.

 

[agchawk]

 I purposely started a seperate thread on this. I didn't want to threadjack someone else's thread. They are proud of what they do and I certainly do not want to screw a thread up by asking a question that might be contrary toward thier pursuit.

[bobcat]

I think it's a good question. I feel the same way and don't know that I could be a trapper. I'll be interested to read the replies on this thread, if there are any.

[runamuk]

I think this is a really good and honest question.....I know I have a set of beliefs about traps and trapping that was created through lack of information and I inherently love all animals so hate to see anything suffer I totally get where you are coming from and actually look forward to the responses.  All the recent pics and video and explanations on trapping have given me a bunch to think about.....we have some really awesome people on this site.

[jackelope]

Mixed feelings here.
I don't mind the coyotes and other predators and nuisance animals like beavers. I grew up back east and trapped woodchucks and muskrats with my grandfather as a kid. I don't  like seeing those pronghorn and deer in those traps, I will say that. I don't know how there could be no damage done to them, maybe I just don't know how it works all around so maybe there really is no damage done but I sure gotta wonder.

[Kain]

I am a complete amateur and have not trapped anything so far but here is my opinion.  I think it is a fair question but I also think it is a lot of assumption.  Traps like conibears are instant kill traps killing just as fast as any other method used by hunters.  They are basically giant rat traps.  Drowning sets and some snares kill very quickly by suffocation.  I dont think you can really consider cage trapping causing suffering unless the animals was left in there for days which is against the law.  A cage trapped animal is release unharmed or dispatch with very humane methods. So that really just leaves foot hold traps where most people perceive suffering.  I will leave it to more experienced trappers to explain how, with proper use, these traps are not the "torture devices" that people think they are.   And with newer designs, like laminating, rubber padding, offset jaws, are even more humane.

[huntinglonewolf]

Mixed feelings here.
I don't mind the coyotes and other predators and nuisance animals like beavers. I grew up back east and trapped woodchucks and muskrats with my grandfather as a kid. I don't  like seeing those pronghorn and deer in those traps, I will say that. I don't know how there could be no damage done to them, maybe I just don't know how it works all around so maybe there really is no damage done but I sure gotta wonder.

There was no damage at all to any deer or antolope, The traps are laminated and not even a scratch. I really truely belive that if people have a problem with seeing animals in traps or trapping then ask your self why you are looking at a trapping forum.

[runamuk]

Mixed feelings here.
I don't mind the coyotes and other predators and nuisance animals like beavers. I grew up back east and trapped woodchucks and muskrats with my grandfather as a kid. I don't  like seeing those pronghorn and deer in those traps, I will say that. I don't know how there could be no damage done to them, maybe I just don't know how it works all around so maybe there really is no damage done but I sure gotta wonder.

There was no damage at all to any deer or antolope, The traps are laminated and not even a scratch. I really truely belive that if people have a problem with seeing animals in traps or trapping then ask your self why you are looking at a trapping forum.

I'm here because I want to learn and formulate opinions based on solid information and not just propaganda if I avoided everything I find uncomfortable my life would be sort of dull and meaningless, challenging myself with my own beliefs and views is just something I do periodically, really glad I did otherwise I still would not be hunting or owning guns.....

[Kain]

Mixed feelings here.
I don't mind the coyotes and other predators and nuisance animals like beavers. I grew up back east and trapped woodchucks and muskrats with my grandfather as a kid. I don't  like seeing those pronghorn and deer in those traps, I will say that. I don't know how there could be no damage done to them, maybe I just don't know how it works all around so maybe there really is no damage done but I sure gotta wonder.

There was no damage at all to any deer or antolope, The traps are laminated and not even a scratch. I really truely belive that if people have a problem with seeing animals in traps or trapping then ask your self why you are looking at a trapping forum.

I dont think most on this site have problem with seeing animals in traps.  You have to also remember that this state does not allow foothold traps without a permit so they might not have expected to see other forms of trapping on this site.  Educating them on HOW the traps are designed to not cause damage would be better than berating them for asking honest questions.

[Lowedog]

I really truely belive that if people have a problem with seeing animals in traps or trapping then ask your self why you are looking at a trapping forum.

I don't know about the others here but when I visit a topic on this site I usually do it by reading through the topics that are current on the right.  I click on the ones that sound interesting to me.  I don't usually choose a forum to view.  

I think this is a very good question.  

[jackelope]

Mixed feelings here.
I don't mind the coyotes and other predators and nuisance animals like beavers. I grew up back east and trapped woodchucks and muskrats with my grandfather as a kid. I don't  like seeing those pronghorn and deer in those traps, I will say that. I don't know how there could be no damage done to them, maybe I just don't know how it works all around so maybe there really is no damage done but I sure gotta wonder.

There was no damage at all to any deer or antolope, The traps are laminated and not even a scratch. I really truely belive that if people have a problem with seeing animals in traps or trapping then ask your self why you are looking at a trapping forum.

With all due respect, sir...read my post. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Like I said, I really don't know.

[jackelope]

p.s. I read all of the forums, I am an admin of the site. It comes with the job.
 

[rasbo]

well here's my point of view,anything that gets caught stresses some,fish also,hook in your mouth being dragged in then clubbed,,Shoot an animal hunting they don't always die right away,so stress there..But a leg hold trap is stress at first because they lose their freedom,then they are let go or put down.I use a 22 to the brain on those I trap..watch this video,,biologist use these traps..and relocate many species of animals.There is always some stress involved in any game pursuits..animals trapped are put down fast.they don't run away and die, its immediate
Destroying the Myth

[GoldTip]

I grew up helping my Uncle run his trap line in Montana.  My Uncle trapped everything from Lynx to wolverine to marten to coyotes to beavers and Muskrats and most anything else which was legal.  Mostly I was bait/trap carrier and dead animal carrier whenever we trapped something.  Neck snares and connibear traps really should be set in a correct manner which causes instant or damn quick death to whatever enters them.  Foothold traps, yep, they cause harm and the animal does some suffering, just isn't any two ways around it.  You dispatch the animal quickly and as humanely as possible once you check the trap and that's that.  I never ever felt bad for anyone of the animals, that was how my Uncle made winter money and that was just fact of life.   I was always kind of excited to see what we caught.  There is a whole lot more to setting a trap than most would think.  I understand how some may feel badly for an animal in a foothold trap, not sure how to tell the person to work around that or even if I should tell them that.  It's just one of those parts of life that if you grow up around it, you just don't have the same feelings about it that maybe someone who didn't grow up around it does.

I also know that there are many ways to set a foothold trap that would never trap a deer or and elk or an antelope or any ungulate.  I wouldn't be able to do it I am sure, but in the several years I helped my Uncle, I do not recall anything trapped that the trap wasn't set for.

[tlbradford]

I'm glad to see this topic pop up, because I believe this should be an open and honest discussion, and can be used as a learning experience.  I debated whether or not to remove some photos in the trapping forum, simply due to the fact that they can be used out of context by the antis.  However, I decided against it because I don't believe you should hide the somewhat uglier side of any activity.  These animals were not harmed and it does happen.  Maybe with more discussion the photos might be removed, but for now we'll see how it goes.  To me the more education the better.

Jackelope...Humane traps are nearly foolproof in preventing harm to the animals.  If a trap is not causing an animal pain than they will rarely do anything to harm themselves.

aghawk...To answer your question, I think it is your upbringing and what you have been exposed to in life.  I grew up on a small farm where we butchered chickens and the occasional livestock animal.  You build up a tolerance for the violence that ends an animals life, because they are there for food and that is there purpose.  It is not unlike hunting.  I remember the first animal I shot.  It was a rabbit with a .22.  I struggled with taking the shot for about 20 seconds because it was sitting there looking at me.  I brought the rifle up, lowered it, thought about what I was going to do, realized that I was going to eat it and there was nothing morally wrong with what I was doing, raised the rifle again and shot.  I then skinned it, cleaned it, and helped cook it.  I have had no hesitation shooting an animal since, and always strive for a perfect shot and humane and quick kill.  I don't know that anyone "likes" the moment of the kill.  It is something you steel yourself to do and over time it gets easier.

I have intentionally exposed my 4 year old to skinning coyotes and big game, cleaning turkeys (which usually smell pretty bad) and other birds.  I take the time to explain the hunt to her and that we will eat it later.  We make it a scientific and I will show her the organs, let her touch the fur, feathers, or hide.  We will go online and find videos of the animals in the wild, and we will talk about going and looking at them in the woods.

I disagree with huntinglonewolf in the fact that I believe everyone should take the time to educate themselves on other hunting pursuits, not ignore them and attempt to label them without knowledge of what they entail.  Whether it be trapping, hound hunting, baiting, archery, or another activity.  The more you learn about it, than the better you are equipped to make an informed decision about it.