Editor’s note: This article is by Brenna Galdenzi, who is the executive director of Protect Our Wildlife, a grassroots, Vermont nonprofit organization founded in February. She lives in Stowe.
[T]amara Burke’s column Nov. 5 in VTDigger downplayed the dangers caused by leghold and conibear traps. I hope to clarify some of the information and offer the reality of trapping from someone who does not benefit monetarily from either collecting trappers’ licensing fees or selling the fur of trapped animals.
Two types of traps are legal to use in Vermont: the leghold and the kill trap (commonly known as conibear traps). Both are normally set on the ground, which presents a real danger to any unsuspecting dog, cat or other unintended victim, including eagles and other birds of prey.
Dogs and cats are caught each year in baited traps set for wildlife. There is no official record or database capturing how many dogs and cats were caught in traps set in Stowe because reporting is not mandatory.
While Stowe may not be a “hotspot” for trapping, other towns in Lamoille County are. Here is a photo of a Vermont barred owl that was caught in a leghold trap that was set for another animal: bit.ly/owltrap. Owls are a protected species, yet this happens under the “incidental take” provision. I think this owl represents more than an “incidental” take. This incident sadly displays the indiscriminate nature of trapping.
Leghold traps are triggered when an animal’s paw, nose or other body part triggers the pan. Once that happens, the animal’s leg, paw or other body part is slammed shut in the trap and the animal is immobilized for 24-plus hours until the trapper comes back to either find the trap caught a domestic pet or the intended victim (a fox, raccoon or other furbearing animal). They will normally crush the animal’s chest or strangle the animal so as not to ruin the pelt; if the animal is “lucky,” it’s killed with a .22-caliber bullet. See video link of a trap at bit.ly/22shot.
As a hunter once told me, there is no one at the other end of a trap pulling the trigger. There is zero fair chase in trapping and it is too often done for recreation or for modest monetary gain.
During the 24 hours that animals are restrained in the leghold trap, they are subjected to predation, hypothermia, torn tendons/ligaments from desperately trying to escape the trap, or endure broken teeth from chewing at the trap trying to free themselves. Does this sound humane? Whether it’s a dog or a cat or a fox or a raccoon, hey indiscriminately cause prolonged suffering. There is zero humanity in this.
Conibear or kill traps are designed to kill an animal immediately, but that is not always the case. A few examples of this are a Vermont dog whose face was caught in a conibear, but luckily his owner was nearby and the dog was released and taken to the vet for proper care. In another incident, a trapper was setting these body-crushing traps at a ferry dock in Burlington and caught a cat. We often hear about cats that go missing and I can’t help but wonder how many ended up dying in traps.
There is also a concern about kill traps left in ponds after the season ends, putting unsuspecting dogs (and people) at risk who are swimming in these ponds during the summer.
“Nuisance” animals offer a popular excuse for trapping. Did you know that beavers, raccoons, red foxes and other animals perceived as doing damage (eating your garden veggies, etc.) may be trapped and killed year-round? Since this trapping falls outside the normal trapping season, this trapping is done at biologically inappropriate times, resulting in countless animals being orphaned.
There are plenty of humane ways to deal with wildlife doing damage. Is it our right to kill every animal that is an inconvenience to us? Beavers are a keystone species and play an invaluable role in our environment, yet they are ruthlessly trapped and drowned for doing what comes naturally to them. There are nonlethal ways to deal with beaver damage, such as water flow devices and other options. Sadly, people too often choose the quick and easy path, which is not always in the best interest of our wildlife.
As a hunter once told me, there is no one at the other end of a trap pulling the trigger. There is zero fair chase in trapping and it is too often done for recreation or for modest monetary gain.
I hope people can start to think beyond archaic, accepted practices and evolve to learn to live more humanely with wildlife.
