there is nothing humane about trapping an animal in a leg trap. it is suffering for who knows how long until someone comes ands shoots it. do you think they tear up the ground and run circles for exercise ? i am betting they do so due to being terrified.
it is nothing like hunting as when hunting we take a shot and it is over for the animal. there is no chance of it suffering like it would spending the night stuck somewhere then panicking when a human walks up to it to kill it. dont know about others but when a shot is made while out hunting i dont think the animals even know what is coming.
i am a hunter and i am proud of it. i just dont see the need for animals to suffer and this is just my take on things and an opinion. i dont mean to say i am any better than the next guy.
I see the same attitude from a lot of people that know little or nothing about trapping.
Are you even aware of the testing of modern traps.
In 1991, the European Union passed a Regulation (3254/91) that prohibits the importation into EU member states of fur products derived from thirteen furbearer species, (twelve of which are North American), unless the EU Commission determines that: - “there are adequate administrative or legislative provisions in force to prohibit the use of the leghold trap; OR - the trapping methods used for the species listed meet internationally agreed humane trapping standards.”
Five more species were added in subsequent negotiations. Ultimately, the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) was signed in 1997 by Canada, the EU and Russia. The USA signed a separate, but similar Agreement with the EU the same year. The EU Council ratified them in 1998. Under these agreements, all traps must be tested against the standards set out in the Agreement on International Trap Standards (AIHTS) and, if they conform, must be certified by a designated competent authority. If they fail to meet the Standards, they must be replaced with traps that do.
As a result of these negotiations The Association of Fish and Wildlife agencies was named the designated competent authority in the US and undertook to develop Best Management Practices for trapping. This program aimed to improve and modernize trapping through the identification of the most humane and efficient traps by evaluation of animal welfare during the testing of traps.
There was testing going on here in Washington prior to the passage of Initiative-713.
In 2000 before any results were available, Initiative 713 passed and locked us into the current laws. In the intervening years the testing has went on outside of Washington and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has completed testing on 17 species of furbearers.
During the same time frame The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) and the Canadian Association for Humane Trapping (CAHT) began a scientific approach to research and development for improving the humaneness of trapping systems.
The Canadians have primarily done testing on instant kill traps and the US has done testing on restraining traps.
The most humane and efficient traps have been identified for these animals. It is not apparent to the uninformed public what makes up a humane trap and in fact it is not obvious to many trappers. These traps though have been scientifically tested and found to be the most humane and effective.
I wonder if you could say the same thing about different types of hunting.
These traps are tested by catching animals and doing necropsies on them afterwards. They are judged by amount of injury to the animal.
Here's the criteria they go by. These are all disqualifiying factors for a model of trap.
self-directed biting leading to severe injury (self-mu-tilation);
excessive immobility and unresponsiveness.
Inquiries recognised as indicators of poor welfare in trapped wild animals are:
(a) fracture;
(b) joint luxation proximal (joint dislocation next to the wrist or foot) to the carpus or tarsus;
(c) severance of a tendon or ligament;
(d) major periosteal abraison; ( major abraison of the connective tissue around the bone)
(e) severe external haemorrhage or haemorrhage into an internal cavity;
(f) major skeletal muscle degeneration;
(g) limb ischaemia;(inadequate blood flow to a limb)
(h) fracture of a permanent tooth exposing pulp cavity;
(i) ocular damage including corneal laceration;
(j) spinal cord injury;
(k) severe internal organ damage;
(l) myocardial degeneration;
(m) amputation;
(n) death.
One of trappers biggest problems is traps have changed and no one knows about it except trappers. The uninformed public is still living in the past as far as trapping goes.
Do animals try to get away when the are held in a restraining trap. Sure they do but does that equate to inhumane and painful. I don't think so. If you grabbed a stranger by the wrist they would pull back. That is instinct not pain.
Worst thing about it all is we as in the Washington State Trappers Association has been trying to get these standards adopted for the last 4 years to no avail. HSUS does not want humane traps. They want people like you to believe all traps are inhumane which is a total lie.
There is a problem with the thinking that it is somehow better to just shoot furbearers rather then use traps. Furbearers cannot as a rule be controlled by hunting and in many locations it is not safe to fire a weapon. Management of furbearers species requires traps whether you like it or not. Please take a look at the links below. I hope they will educate you that traps can be very humane.
http://jjcdev.com/~fishwild/?section=best_management_practiceshttp://www.caht.ca/caht/cahttrd.jspCopied a few things but WOW that was a load of typing!
