“Greetings Trap Free Montana, I truly appreciate that you lobby for safer public lands. Thank you! Unfortunately, this is the third time I’ve dealt with an unnecessary trapping event. ” The first happened to my 10 yr. old German Shepherd and the second, which happened that same day and in the same area, trapped my own foot. Both traps were set at the Kelley Island fishing access and adjacent to a trail utilized by folks who access the river, but Fish Wildlife and Parks couldn’t deem it illegal….they could only deem it a lack of total common sense on the part of the trapper. The third time, which happened last week, was in the Twin Creeks area along an intermittent stream and it caught my 5 year old Shepherd. The area is heavily utilized by hikers and x-country skiers but there’s no formal road or trail along the stream, so trapping there is legal as far as I know. I’ve hiked there for the last 20 years and never run across a trap, so whoever set it isn’t familiar with the level of recreational use in the area or they simply don’t care. I try to be responsible and I’m not from an anti-hunting mentality. However, I do believe that trapping is an antiquated, rude method of hunting that’s cruel to animals and infringes on the rights of others who utilize public lands. With so many of us out there using public lands, it seems a bit unfair to all of us who don’t trap to have to endure the various trapping seasons that last three-quarters of the year. I know when the general hunting season is and I can act accordingly by staying out of the woods for much of the season, but traps are another deal entirely. They’re often near water where all of us like to play. The seasons run for about 9 months and they can be indiscriminate, as is proven by my family. I don’t go around indiscriminately injuring others on public lands. I can’t be angry at the trapper who trapped my dog because he or she did nothing illegal, but it’s definitely time for me to re-think trapping and I’m grateful to all of you out there that have already moved in that direction.” name protected Missoula Montana
