Certain trappers consistently hide the truth and howl fallacious threats. The wolf population will not explode if trapping is limited to private lands the size of Wyoming. In fact, in the past two years, only 14% of the wolves killed were trapped on public lands—27 wolves each year. Not a significant impact on the population. Wolves stabilize their own populations without any killing, as Fish, Wildlife and Parks has stated.
Coyote populations have not changed in spite of unlimited shooting, poisoning, trapping over the past 150 years. That’s because coyotes fill the vacuum. They can have from one to 19 pups. The more killed, the more produced. Coyotes keep down the populations of rodents and skunks that carry disease. Trapping increases the spread of disease.
Montana Trap-Free Public Lands Initiative 177 will help, not hinder, hunting opportunities. Hunting dogs, deer, elk, moose, livestock all get caught in traps and snares.
I-177 will save money in several ways. If FWP’s speculation that trappers on public lands won’t trap on private lands is true, that means less administrative work for FWP, and far less time spent responding to complaints and investigating non-target trapping of dogs and endangered species. I-177 will save thousands of dollars Montanans spend on vet bills and leg amputations of their trapped pets.
I-177 is a common-sense compromise: trappers can still trap, the public can enjoy public lands without threat of hidden steel devices, and endangered species will have a chance to recover. I-177 works for everyone.
Constance J. Poten
Missoula