Change through learning

COEUR d'ALENE - Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials will be drafting a proposal to make trapper education mandatory.

The Fish and Game's commissioners on Thursday considered restrictions on deadly body-grip traps, but opted not to go that far.

Instead, the commissioners asked for a rule-change proposal to be written on trapper education, said Chip Corsi, the department's Panhandle regional supervisor.

The commissioners heard testimony from multiple points of view at a meeting at Red Lion Templin's Hotel in Post Falls.

Often called "Conibear" traps, the body-grip traps are designed to quickly kill animals. Last winter in North Idaho the traps accidentally killed a couple of dogs.

This concerned pet owners in North Idaho, and the department and commissioners received numerous complaints from hunters and other outdoorsmen concerned about safety in areas where their activities overlapped with trapping.

The mandatory trapper education would cover not only rules, regulations, and "how-to" information, but would also place an emphasis on trapping ethics, Corsi said Friday.

He said the commissioners will revisit the mandatory education proposal in January.

Regional working groups in Idaho - consisting of trappers, pet owners, hunters and houndsmen - submitted recommendations to the commissioners earlier this year on how to reduce trap accidents.

The working groups recommended increased trapper education, increased public awareness, and developing regulations for body-grip traps.

Fish and Game produced an instructional video, which is on YouTube and titled: "Releasing your Dog from a Trap."