Alert! Oregon Trappers

W

wadecalvin

New member
Bill 672 requiring a 24 hour trap check has been introduced

http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measpdf/sb0600.dir/sb0672.intro.pdf

If you want to help stop this bill you can join the OTA

This will be a tough bill to fight.

We need much member support - Low cost membership to an outfit that is on top of the situation

PM me for contact info

I think the most important things you can do are -

1. let other trappers know about this
2. contact your legislator
3. inform other people that are sympathetic to trapping (ranchers, growers, timber, etc) and have them contact their legislatures.

Here is a link to find and contact your legislator

http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/
 
Not to start any trouble but aside from the anti's gaining more ground on taking this beloved sport of ours, I don't really think this bill is a very bad one.

I figure it's our goal as hunters/trappers to accomplish our goals as humanely as possible. Why let that critter sit and suffer in a coni that was supposed to kill but didn't? Or a fox, cat or coyote strip the meat from it's leg in a futile attempt to get free after a couple, three days. Plus, a full trap is a trap that can't catch another animal and that's no good!!! Here in CA all we can use is livetraps for fur trapping. That's a load of !@#$.

I'd fight this bill, not for the law it's impossing but because if THEY get this victory under their belts, where will it end? I'm talking about the anti's here.
 
You make some good points - thanks for reading and posting

Here are the arguments.

1-24 hour trap check will concentrate trappers near towns this will.
a.Decimate local populations of furbearers.

b.Drastically increase interactions with domestic dogs.

2-Huge safety issue, send a guy out into the wilderness in a snowstorm at 30 below zero and your asking for a dead man.
He has no option of waiting for the storm to break.

3-Gives no leeway for vehicle breakdowns, getting stuck, sickness, family emergencies, on and on. Make the point that there are very few daylight hours in the deep winter months. Getting stuck for half a day makes you a criminal against your will.

4-Other states having 24 hour checks.

a-Most states with 24 hour checks are mostly private land, this
creates a situation where the trap check is really a function of
interaction with the landowner and the trapper. This creates a
"feel good" regulation that can be largely ignored.

b.Eastern states have furbearer populations that generally are
far more dense than western states.

5-Make the point that with say a 72 hour check that the animal doesn't stay in the trap for 72 hours because he doesn't get caught the minute you walk up and leave. Most animals have no chance of getting caught until the following night which is maybe 10 hours from when you visit.

Statistically the odds are twice as much that an animal will spend 48 hours or less than 72 and three times as much that he will spend less than 24.

6-Should we be overly concerned about this if we consider the other alternatives these animals have to die in nature?

a-when a coyote loses his 1/2 step on a rabbit from old age (5+ years) his quality of life starts to suffer. As his teeth wear out from crunching bones instead of eating soft dog food his ability to kill and digest his food becomes compromised.

b-So his choices are to slowly die of starvation.

c-Die of parasite loads that thrive in older animals and suck the life out of their compromised systems.

d-Make the point that these animals live in a harsh environment without veterinary care. There chances of taking longer than 72 hours to die a miserable death are almost 100%.

7-Feet in traps. Make the point that these animals don't wear shoes. Their feet are designed to work at 50+ below zero and walk in snow and on ice. In the summer they walk on sand and rock that exceeds 100 degrees. They are exposed to abrasive materials on a daily basis. The foot goes to sleep relatively soon after capture and the trauma isn't anywhere near what most people believe.

8-Make the point that a 72 hour (or whatever) doesn't require a trapper to wait for 72 hours. Rather it gives him a framework to work within and some leeway for accidents, emergencies, or simply time to come to town for gas and restock a remote camp where we aren't bothering the city folks.

Some species require checking sooner than 72 (or whatever)

If you want us to descend on the city with a trap under every bush on the outskirts of town then pass this foolish law.

There is more in my brain but this gives you something to work with.

Don't assume that this is a lost cause but I will give you one piece of advice when it comes to the legislature. Don't wait until the day of the hearing to make your arguments. You need to get down there and lobby the members of the natural resource committees. They need to know that somebody gives a nuts. Remember they don't like controversial stuff, if you can create the illusion that there will be controversy you stand a better chance of getting it shoved in a drawer after one hearing never to resurface.

Get your allies involved, I know Oregon has timber, ranching, fishing, and other commercial consumptive users that should help you out. Make the point to hunter and fishermens groups and get them to testify and send letters or make phone calls.

If someone takes the lead and creates the energy this is a very winnable issue. Like I say the legislators need to know that someone is on the other side that cares.
 
Quote:
Some good and not so good points you made. Don't let the anti's win.



Thanks for your support. I cant take credit for the arguements in the big post- they were recomended to me by someone who fought for trap check laws in their state three different times and won each time.
 
Livetrap Said: I figure it's our goal as hunters/trappers to accomplish our goals as humanely as possible. Why let that critter sit and suffer in a coni that was supposed to kill but didn't? Or a fox, cat or coyote strip the meat from it's leg in a futile attempt to get free after a couple, three days.

Yancy said: Livetrap I have used foot hold traps for close to 50 years, and I have yet to see anything like you described, how long have you used foothold and Coni Traps? looks like you are quoting a page straight out of the ANTIS book, Yancy
 
In pa you have to check your traps every 36 hours(mabe 32 cant remember) but myself and all the other trappers I know check them at least once everyday. Im not a big muskrat trapper because there aint many in our area but most of those guys check their muskrat traps twice a day but i personally think that it's not a bad idea to have to check your traps every 24 hours. Just my thoughts.
 
Redfurfox said:

Quote:
In pa you have to check your traps every 36 hours(mabe 32 cant remember) but myself and all the other trappers I know check them at least once everyday. Im not a big muskrat trapper because there aint many in our area but most of those guys check their muskrat traps twice a day but i personally think that it's not a bad idea to have to check your traps every 24 hours. Just my thoughts.



I would assume your rat trappers check them twice in 24 hours when there is a chance they could catch more than one per trap in 24 hours- which makes perfect sence for that scenario.

If you read the arguements posted above closely you can see why a 24 hour check is not the best in most cases. Out west it would be almost impossible and prohibitive because the coyote and bobcats can be spread pretty thin. We in Oregon have a 48 hour check and that is not long enough. Sometimes it takes weeks to catch a bobcat or even a coyote. It will cost us time and gas money and cut down on trap numbers and prohibit our chances of catching fur -which is what the anti's want.

I'm glad you all are reading these posts. I urge all of you arent experienced to not let your judgement be swayed by anti- dogma. Get educated by the experienced trappers who have spent a lifetime improving their trapping skills. They are the guys who know. The antis are misslead and base their arguements on emotions, not wildlife management facts or experience.

Thanks Yancey for weighing in. I've read about you.

Tim
 
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Quote:
In pa you have to check your traps every 36 hours(mabe 32 cant remember) but myself and all the other trappers I know check them at least once everyday. Im not a big muskrat trapper because there aint many in our area but most of those guys check their muskrat traps twice a day but i personally think that it's not a bad idea to have to check your traps every 24 hours. Just my thoughts.



A rat trapper from Nevada, the state with a 96 hour trap check law writes....

I check my rat traps twice a day around here as well.

A longer trap check doesn't force you to wait that long, it just gives you a framework to work within.

You want to check earlier have at it.
 
I agree with redfoxfur, Here in PA it is 36 hours and that is more than enough time. 24 hours ok can be a little slim but i would push for a 36 hours. 72 hours just allows for a lazy trapper. It is ok for man to stay home if it is too cold out and let the animal die a freezing death. That is not fair. I am not an animal rights activist, but my husband and I both are avid trappers so I am not trying to be all about the animal. but I am also not going to be cruel an let them starve and freeze to death. Dont they deserve a quick death. As for your truck or car breaking down and not having enough time, I have many game commission officers and wardens as friend and I know if you would explain what happened and were honest with them they would be fair with you. I would again definitly push for a 36 hour check but 72 is going too long in my personal opinon.
 
What works for you in Pa (timberdoodle) does not work for the west at all.
CO's(wardens) don't see it that way in the west, you will get a ticket period.
We don't have the animals to the square mile like you do in PA.
People with your mind set we don't have to worry about the anti's, you way of thinking will kill trapping.
Just because a 72 hour check is the law doesn't mean you can't check as often as you like. You can check every 9-12 hours if you want.
 
I never said we do not have to worry about the anti's. I am not attacking you (hdwolfer), so there is no need to attack, i was just stating what is here in PA. If you read my post I agree 24 hours is slim time to check traps. I was agreeing with him on that. I do believe 24hours is not enough time. But also you say about checking traps every 9-12 hours thats great but realize all it takes is that one person who does not check them in 72hours and that is the person the anti's show as the "bad trapper and how horrible it is" not people like you who check your traps when you are suppose to. They will put him/her on display and say about how they left the animal in the trap for days to suffer. Then they make all trappers look bad when for the 99percent of us we abide by all laws. And I do not see you attacking others comments that say about a 24hour trap check. I was just stating my opinon and do not feel I am KILLING TRAPPING because it is still a very popular hobby in PA.
 
I guess my take on this is a bit different than most.

Our current trap check laws were put in place by profeesional wildlife managers, after confering with folks who are out there trapping. Then they apply the best science and come up with soomething that works for our country, our furtakers and our target animals.

We don't need someone trying to manage our wildlife laws from a emotional level, be it a legislater trying to make points with animal rights folks,Or anyone who dosn't understand the conditions on Oregon traplines or our furbears.
24 hr Check on a preadator line is like saying you need to check your muskrat line ever 3 hrs. ( only muskrats don't seem to mind human scent)
 
We trappers in the east do not know what the conditions, or circumstances are concerning western trapping.

My personal ethics, and beliefs about trapping, are imposed on my trap line, within the laws I have been forced to obey.


Check times, leghold, snare, livetrap, club, shoot, drown, ect., are all things that people have opinions on. My opinion on some issues may be different than yours, it does not make me right, or you wrong. A law does ! At least legally.


We in the shooting, hunting, fishing, and trapping community can not afford to give ground. We have given up far to much already. Today it's Oregon, tomorrow it might be your state.
 
I can admit I do not know what its like to trap in other states as I only live in PA. I just know what works for us and that may not work for everyone. I think a lot of us my self included see how one thing works but maybe something else would too. I hope you all get passed what you want passed. The important thing is we keep trapping alive so our children and grandchildren can enjoy it as much as we do and are as passionate as we all are about it. Good luck to you all hope it turns out for the best.
 
Don't bet on the 24hr trap check kepping your trapping rights aliive and not haveing to put up with anybody that don't believe in trapping, We had a 24 hr trapping law in Cali and was told that the anti's would not bother us with that law in place. then in 92 they came back with a soft catch law, [speaking for myself I didn't mind that law] then in 98 we lost all our body grip trapping, except for Predetor control and you cant sell any fur caught under this pretor control law, I strongly agree with hdwolfer you can check your traps as many times as you want even without a 24 hour check, we can use cages here in good ole cali, same as washington, and some other states. and when I have my cages out you can bet I check most of them two times a day and more than once i have caught something in the AM and something in the PM so just because its a 24-48-72-or 96 hour trap check doesn't mean that you can't check them as often as you want, Yancy
 
and while I'm at it could you explain how a 36 hour trap check would work's If you don't mind, is it one night and two days? or one day and two nights? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif I just don't see where you are coming from. on the animale being left in a trap, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif are you kiddin me? you being a trapper as you stated. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Yancy
 
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