Ban Trapping on Federal Land

Please demand that Congress stop the use of bone crushing animal traps on federal lands, whose avowed mission is to “conserve, protect and enhance” wildlife and their habitats.

The National Wildlife Refuge System, whose vast networks comprise millions of acres in every state, is charged with the conservation, management and restoration of wildlife for the benefit of Americans. Yet 54% of these lands allow body gripping traps, including neck snares, conibear, and steel jaw leg hold traps, all of which cause excruciating pain to anything caught within them. Their brutality is shocking, with animals known to chew off their own limbs to escape. Check times vary according to state, but it’s not uncommon for animals to linger, sometimes for days, in massive misery. These traps are also indiscriminate, catching pets, endangered species (there are more than 240 different kinds in the system), even people, in their grip.

Such arcane evil has no place in our country, especially on government property whose intended purpose is to protect and preserve these innocent animals. Fortunately, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have introduced The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act, (H.R. 2016/5 1081) which would ban the use or possession of all body-gripping traps on lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Let us all encourage swift passage of this legislation and an end to these barbaric practices.

Therefore please urge your Federal Senators and House members to join Representative Lowery and Senator Booker in support of this bill.

As part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a core principle of the refuge system is “that land is a community of life and that love and respect for the land is an extension of ethics”. Demand that there be a return to the morality upon which this park system was established and to the responsibility with which it was charged.

The above information was taken from a petition submitted by bonnie engelman on Change.org

Link to Access Petition:

change.org/p/congress-suppo … MfSKMJuYiJ

Please write or call your Congressional Representatives anyway. The more input they receive the better the chances of the bill’s passage.

This is such a comical article, I had to reply. First, I want to point out that leg traps are not bone crushing traps. Leg traps were designed tether an animal by the foot, much like a leash would, except this is on the foot. All traps must have swivels on them, which prevent the animal from wringing their foot off. Let me say, I have caught my hand multiple times in them, on accident, and on purpose to prove it could be done. Animals are not in pain when they are caught, I find them sitting there waiting for me or sleeping when I pull up a lot of times. Snares, except for certain states, are a lethal device and kill animals quickly. Very humane. Body grip traps are meant to bone crushing, so they kill the animal like they are designed to do. It is an instant kill. I am not advocating 2-3 day check schedules, and check mine every day. Most states do not allow multiple day checks unless the trap is a lethal trap. Also, FYI, many wildlife managers have used leg hold traps to capture, release or relocate animals, including endangered animals, and have for many years. If the trap broke their leg or crushed something, they wouldn’t use them to relocate animals for re-population would they? Occasionally there will be accidental catches of pets. Unless it is an unethical trapper who doesn’t care where he sets a trap, those kind of catches can usually be avoided, if not it’s an accident, they happen in life, they weren’t set to catch the pet. If traps are set responsibly, the pet should have much more injury than wounded pride. Now I realize you are more specifically addressing wildlife refuges, which I don’t exactly like, but I’ll respect that you don’t want animals trapped there. I just wanted to straiten out a few facts here. Trapping should be done responsibly, and if so, most accidents can be avoided. Trapping is a humane and logical way to control wildlife populations, esp in a nuisance situation. Trapping on all federal land should not be banned. Wildlife would soon grow out of hand, and begin to die from disease, or move into urban areas. I don’t know if you have ever seen an animal die of disease, or be torn to shreds by another animal. I have. I would rather be killed quickly. Anyway, your argument about traps had so many holes it could have been a spaghetti strainer, LOL. I did like your article on baby parts being used in certain food items, and think we should be spending more time and effort protecting innocent babies who can’t do anything for themselves like animals can, rather than complaining about trapping. This is natural, murder of babies is not. Thank you for writing it, I was not aware of what all they were used in. Thank you for reading.