I am writing in response to Floyd Wood’s letter of October 26. Floyd Wood stated that lethal conibear traps are used only in water, thus no one need be concerned about their dog getting into one. Perhaps that’s where they’re intended to be, but that’s not the reality. I recall a woman in the Flathead who lost her dog in a conibear along a trail and another man whose dog was killed at Rock Creek. A number of years ago, my dog was caught in one along the Kootenai Creek trail west of Stevensville. I’ve also seen many small conibears along other Bitterroot trails. Traps are placed all the time where you wouldn’t think, a good example the Florence Fishing Access a few years ago, trapping a dog at the beach.
Mr. Wood explains that trapping is necessary to keep beavers and muskrats from messing up head gates and culverts, foxes, mink, weasels, and coyotes out of your chicken coup etc. Well, ok, but, Initiative I-177 does not prohibit trapping on any private lands, so I don’t see where the problem lies, as all of the incidents Wood relates are private land issues. Private land owners, under I-177, are more than welcome to invite trappers onto their property, just like they can and do now.
Wood ends with “blaming the victim.” It’s the dog owner’s fault when their dog gets snared or trapped, not the trapper who set the trap and left it unattended. Wood complains some people let their dogs run wild, and I agree with him on that. Unfortunately, I am also aware of many, many cases where responsible people are out recreating when their pet is snared or trapped. It’s happened to me twice, and I know people who have had it happen more than that. Trappers say, “Keep your dog on a leash!” Recreationists with dogs are not required to leash their dogs, nor should they be. Dogs only need to be under voice control. From the trapper’s perspective, everybody else needs to make compromises to accommodate them. Wood says, “Leave your dogs at home.” Why? Why must everyone bend to trappers? So this tiny minority can practice their inhumane, profit making activity unbothered by the general public?
I-177 came about because trappers and Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks have never been willing to address public concerns through regulation. When government fails, its up to the people to do the job. Vote yes on I-177.
Mike Koeppen
Florence