Ban on roadside trapping sought

[Chen rossii]

Ban on roadside animal trapping sought
NATE JENKINS
Associated Press Writer
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LINCOLN, Neb. — Kristen Gottschalk figured her Welsh corgi dog was chasing a rabbit, just out of sight as they walked down rural Road 20 north of Wahoo the day before Thanksgiving. Basil, she expected, would be back on her heels any second.
But Gottschalk couldn't hear the jingle of Basil's collar. The beloved pet who slept on her bed didn't respond to her calls.
After her husband searched the road ditches, she discovered the grim reason why: The 5-year-old dog was caught and killed by the metal jaws of a fur harvester's trap in a roadside ditch.
"It was devastating," said Gottschalk, fighting back tears.
What killed her dog was legal, at least partially so. The so-called kill trap was larger than allowed and not properly marked, but putting the trap in a ditch is legal.
"When we heard about this, we called a bunch of counties and said, 'You mean it's legal to do that?" said Sen. Carol Hudkins of Malcolm. "I couldn't believe it."
State lawmakers could consider restricting or banning so-called ditch trapping, a common practice in some parts of the state and legal in most states, under a bill introduced by Hudkins that has received first-round approval.
Nationally, the number of trappers has declined over the years: In 2004 there were 142,287 trappers, down more than 10 percent from the number in 1990, according to a survey conducted for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The activity resides on the margins of the outdoor sports realm increasingly filled with more benign activities such as hiking.
A core group of trappers remains. In Nebraska, 6,071 trapping licenses were sold last year. Some who bought them see the call for a roadside ban as an attack on their sport.
"We don't want to conquer the world, but we have our sport same as fishermen and hunters and golfers" said Joe Jack, vice president of Nebraska Fur Harvesters and a trapper for nearly 60 years.
Traps are often placed in ditches to catch raccoons — pelts last year fetched between $12 and $15 — as they head to grain fields to feed. Jack trapped more than 100 raccoons last year, about 15 of them in ditches using snare traps that are designed to hold, but not kill, animals.
"Have I caught a dog or two over the years? Yes. Did it kill them? No. Most of our trappers are very responsible and break their butts not to catch no dogs," said Jack.
Gottschalk's dog would still be alive if she had it on a leash, he said.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officials and conservation officers say complaints about right-of-way trapping are rare.
Right-of-way trapping is not generally considered unethical by trappers but is fairly uncommon nationally and mostly confined to areas underneath bridges, said Tom Krause, editor of American Trapper magazine.
Not so in some regions of Nebraska, especially the southeastern part of the state.
Conservation officer William Krause, based in Auburn and not related to the magazine editor, said that during the fall and winter he runs into trappers daily and about half are ditch trappers.
Recently Krause released a dog that had been caught in a snare trap for several days along the Missouri River. Luckily, he said, the dog was accustomed to a leash so did not harm itself while tethered.
"It happens," Krause said of pets getting caught in traps. "People assume it's going on all the time — it's not. Through the course of a year I might have two or three instances where a farm or hunting dog gets caught."

[fishsplash]

Honestly, why would you let your dog run freely around ditches in the country? That's asking for trouble in the first place. Its your own fault if you're that negligent to let your "beloved dog" roam around wildly.

EVER HEARD OF A LEASH?

[RedefiningFate]

Farmers have dogs out in the country for many reasons off leash. It is perfectly normal for dogs to be out running around or chasing things off the land such as coyotes and foxes. It is the responsibility of the farmer or land owner to keep track of his animals however. I'm impartial to this, but I think letting your animals off leash is your choice whatever the consequences.

J.T.

[fishsplash]

I just think its silly you would try to pursue a ban on ditch traps when you were partially at fault for letting your animal loose.

Just my opinion!

[GenericAngler]

""We don't want to conquer the world, but we have our sport same as fishermen and hunters and golfers" said Joe Jack, vice president of Nebraska Fur Harvesters and a trapper for nearly 60 years."

Last time I checked sport fisherman, hunters and even golfers had to be present and accounted for on the "playing field" in order to participate in their sport

Can't control (or would not even attempt to control) what someone does on their own property -- set as many traps as you like, but if you are going to set traps along the right of way (side of the road) where people are going to be walking, then you better be on the playing field to keep an eye on the traps and make sure the passerby's know they are there.

When I was a kid, I was known to play around in a ditch or 2....

[RedefiningFate]

Good Point...

[Nebraskacoontrapper]

Please remember, this trap was set ILLEGALLY and you all are putting this person in the same category as us LEGAL furharvesters. Dont paint us with the same brush as this scumbag. Poachers are not outdoorsmen they are thieves. Too many fish over limit is STEALING, not fishing. United We Stand and Divided We Fall. Later all, Mark

[Slack Jaw]

You shouldn't punish every legal trapper based on the actions of some poacher.It just aint right in my book!