This commentary is by Anne McKinsey of Corinth, who has lived in Vermont for 20 years and runs a micro web/graphic design studio.
Have you heard of a body-gripping animal trap? I hadn’t until my dog was killed by one last December a mile from my home.
As my sweet girl lay dead that night with the medieval-style contraption locked around her neck, I searched for an image of the trap online to identify what it was. Sure enough, it was a Conibear-brand body-gripping trap that is in common use in Vermont for recreational purposes and for controlling wildlife populations.
This type of trap is designed to kill by crushing an animal’s neck or body as the animal reaches for bait. This kill strategy might seem humane, but these traps often injure and claim lives of unintended victims by crushing a face or a leg.
Several days following the death of my dog, I posted information on our local Corinth listserv with photos of my dog’s trap site, so people would know what to look for when hiking. (You can also see photos here: https://amckwebandprint.com/trapping/)
Turns out that many people don’t know about body-gripping traps (I didn’t), let alone that Vermont even has a trapping season.
It is legal for body-gripping and leghold traps to be placed alongside a trail, roadside, etc., and on any public or private land (with owner permission) with no required setback. This makes me and my friends feel like we’re at the mercy of traps: hike at your own risk.
Recently, I spoke (remotely) at a Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board meeting, as the board is currently in the process of updating trapping regulations. This revision is a good thing. Among my suggestions were:
1) Trappers need to post their trapping areas with signage: “Beware — trapping in progress,” including name and phone number. Fish & Wildlife seemingly opposes such a simple regulation — why? Because trappers are afraid that drawing attention to their trap line will result in its being sabotaged? Surely trappers are conscientious citizens who care about the well-being of their neighbors’ safety.
2) The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department should increase public awareness so that we all know as much about trapping season as we do about hunting season. Inform the public about where we are likely to encounter traps in the landscape and post videos on how to release a leghold trap.
My preoccupation with my dog Clara’s death remains deep, and I realize it falls short of addressing the larger issue of trapping in general. As I learn more about current regulations, I say the time has come for trapping to be banned in Vermont (all forms? recreational only?).
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says that trapping is a vital tool for studying wildlife populations. But, there are other tools that don’t involve killing/maiming; click here.
To those who do it as recreation: Find another pastime that doesn’t involve killing innocent life.
To those who say it’s tradition: In the United Kingdom, fox hunting was “a formalised activity since the 16th century.” It was banned by the government in 2005 on moral grounds.
Trapping has been going on for years in Vermont, protected and promoted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, yet it hasn’t taken responsibility to proactively inform the public about it. Even the Vermont Agency of Transportation hires trappers to kill beavers for roadside work maintenance. That’s a shame.
Fellow Vermont residents: Take care along streams and culverts, since trapping season for beaver, otter and muskrat continues through March 31. Typically, body-gripping traps are set underwater and cannot easily be seen.
A bill will be introduced in the Legislature soon to ban or restrict trapping. Contact your legislator to voice your opinion.
As a point of interest, here is a promo for the Green Mountain National Forest that appears on an information-based website for hunters/trappers. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department relies on this website for its users to get hunting/trapping information:
“Hunt and Trap in the Green Mountain National Forest — It’s All Yours. Over the past several years, GMNF has improved annually about 2500 acres of wildlife habitat. The resulting young forest is providing excellent hunting and trapping opportunities forest-wide and benefiting local economies. Deer, ruffed grouse, rabbits, woodcock and wild turkey populations are thriving and we encourage hunters and trappers to come enjoy the GMNF — “IT’S ALL YOURS.””
The regulations are here; scroll to the bottom of the page.
