DERBY: Hunter no fan of trapping

To start off, I am a hunter and fisherman, and have nothing against either one. My parents used to take my sister and me with them when they went hunting and fishing when we were kids (they hunted, we just tagged along). Of course, that was when you walked instead of riding ATV’s. I learned back then it was being outdoors, watching the dogs work. It didn’t matter if we got anything, it was the exercise, and the peace and quiet that mattered.

Back in the 1800s I can see why people trapped; that’s how a lot of them made their living. But now it should be outlawed. If you are hunting, you can identify your target before you kill it, but not so with trapping. For example, the lynx, fisher, kit fox and wolverine are on the protected list. If I shoot one, I can be cited. But if I kill one in a trap, I can take it to Fish and Game and receive a $10 reward. Also, there are the other animals that might scent the bait such as dogs, cats, hawks, eagles, etc., that get caught and die in those traps, suffering for days until the trap is checked.

One of the ways we can protect these animals from humans is to outlaw trapping. Lets put the trapping issue on the ballot this year and see what happens. Just trapping, not hunting and fishing issues to muddy the law. Laws that have been made can also be repealed (just ask the Republicans in Congress).

The law also states that you only have to check traps every 72 hours. It should be 24 hours. Three days is a long time for an animal to suffer in a leg hold trap.

Oh, and also kudos to Jimmy Pappas and his My Turn article. As always, he stated the facts and is spot on.

DAN GRESSLER

Rathdrum