Posted: 3/24/2014 4:25:15 PM EDT
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
My wife who works in a veterinary clinic with a bunch of tree/bunny huggers(my wife is not tree/bunny hugger) informed me yesterday that there is a petition going around to outlaw trapping in certain areas etc. etc. etc. I am not a trapper, but I am a bowhunter. I have seen this kind of shit before as well as many of you have. Trappers, get your shit together and put a stop to this petition with knowledge and facts now! Don't sit on your ass and think somebody else will do this for you. Get the word out to all trappers in the state and to the Montana Trapper Association and get the battle started now. The average American has no clue as to the trapping heritage and will believe the crap these bunny huggers spew unless trappers get together and do something about it. |
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At times like this, words truly fail me. The livelihood of close to 7000 people in this state alone are being threatened, by a bill that, as I see it, places the lives of animals on a similar level to that of humans. What I would like to see is the livelihood of each and every bunnyhugger that signed off on the bill threatened in a similar fashion. The bitching, moaning, and screams of "that's not fair to us" from them would likely reach epic proportions. If only they had to rely on their own pocketbooks, like the rest of us do, then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't be 1: nearly as vocal, and 2: able to toss around money and influence as easily as they seem to.
Trap it. Mine it. Log it. Whatever keeps the decent guys going, I'm all for. I don't care to wipe my ass with plastic, nor do I care to build my house out of recycled Pepsi cans, and I'd prefer my footwear be made from leather. We were put her to use the land and the wildlife to our use and benefit, not the other way around. |
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for looking at this post. Please help getting the word out and support our friends who trap. The petition is being surveyed by individuals, The one my wife encountered was being carried by a humane society employee. These fucks are good at what they do and we as outdoorsmen are a little lax at watching the horizon for storms. |
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well the sad truth is they're going to ban trapping in this state
that's how the numbers run maybe not 2014 but soon there's a big difference between the people who vote, and the people who trap... people love to look at california and call it all the names in the book but most people dont realize california is a mostly red state there's just two huge population centers who like to vote and who have money montana has a few population centers...and a lot of open space... guess who checks their email every day and signs on to every move-on petition... it's not the people in the open space... there's a reason why both political parties spend millions of dollars gerrymandering districts... but enough of that it just saddens me most people have no idea how nature works. |
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Quoted:
well the sad truth is they're going to ban trapping in this state that's how the numbers run maybe not 2014 but soon there's a big difference between the people who vote, and the people who trap... people love to look at california and call it all the names in the book but most people dont realize california is a mostly red state there's just two huge population centers who like to vote and who have money montana has a few population centers...and a lot of open space... guess who checks their email every day and signs on to every move-on petition... it's not the people in the open space... there's a reason why both political parties spend millions of dollars gerrymandering districts... but enough of that it just saddens me most people have no idea how nature works. Even if they get a miracle and pass it, the legislature can still override it. I don't think it would even have to get to that point as it most likely violates the Montana constitution. |
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Quoted:
Even if they get a miracle and pass it, the legislature can still override it. I don't think it would even have to get to that point as it most likely violates the Montana constitution. Quoted:
Quoted:
well the sad truth is they're going to ban trapping in this state that's how the numbers run maybe not 2014 but soon there's a big difference between the people who vote, and the people who trap... people love to look at california and call it all the names in the book but most people dont realize california is a mostly red state there's just two huge population centers who like to vote and who have money montana has a few population centers...and a lot of open space... guess who checks their email every day and signs on to every move-on petition... it's not the people in the open space... there's a reason why both political parties spend millions of dollars gerrymandering districts... but enough of that it just saddens me most people have no idea how nature works. Even if they get a miracle and pass it, the legislature can still override it. I don't think it would even have to get to that point as it most likely violates the Montana constitution. I think you're right. But if it can be stopped at the ballot box, it's a better bet. |
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I am a trapper. The trapping organizations (there are 2 of them) are doing everything they can to educate people about this. This is the second time the animal rights extemists have tried this. The last time they only missed getting it on the ballot by a couple thousand signatures, as I recall. Trapping has been successfully banned in several states, so it CAN happen here. We've discussed the outcome of it passing being against the Montana Constitution Amendment that protects hunting and fishing. Unfortunately, that uses the word "game" and according to MT law there are game animals, fur bearers, predators, and non-game animals. Only fur bearers, predators, and non-game can be trapped. It'll take a long court case to decide that outcome and that means money. As a general condition, trapping organizations don't have alot of money and big budgets.
The key to defeating this is in all sportsmen/women coming together and explaining to eveyone they know that trapping is a good thing in the wildlife management arena. FYI, several years ago I responded to an article on the Missoulian web site against trapping. One the the people that responded to my post was a woman that I think gave their agenda away. She said that banning trapping wasn't enough and that it was time to end all of what she called the "barbarian" practices including chasing animals up a tree with dogs (other animals) and then shooting them and "cutting holes in animals" and letting them bleed to death. That's hound hunting and archery she was talking about. There is no doubt in my mind that banning trapping is the camel's nose under the tent. |
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I am a bowhunter, not a trapper.
I came from the state of California. I was a legislative representative of the California Bowmen Hunters and I am well versed in how these dolts work their evil. I know the trappers are educating want to be trappers but very little is being done to educate the public. 10% of the public are hunters. 10 % of the public are strict anti hunters. 80% of the public are non hunters. We NEED to reach the 80% of the public and educate them about trapping and what it means to Montana and the environmental impact that it has on species health and welfare. What are WE going to do about this? The bowhunters lived through the mid 80's attack on bowhunting. I would like to feel comfortable that trappers will be able to someday say the same. WE are behind on this subject. |
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Xsabers,
Please give us some facts and figures we can use to talk to people about. Like I said, I am not a trapper but we are a band of brother so to say. Please post some facts and figures, or maybe sites we can go to, to read for ourselves Thank you JW Semper Fi |
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mtwarych thanks for your support. I agree with you 100%. This effects all of us regardless of how we harvest wild animals. Check out the trapping info at the FWP website. Click the Hunting tab and it drops down a Trapping tab option. There's lots of good info there. That first section, Wildlife Management and Regulated Trapping, has some good documents with lots of info. The first one is actually the fact sheet that FWP put together the last time this trapping ban was tried. Under that second section, Trapping and Furbearer Management in North American Wildlife Conservation, is awesome. IMO it should be mandatory reading for anyone calling themselves a sportsman/woman.
You can also check out MEWM. They're part of the MT Trappers Assoc.. The Montana Fur Harvesters (the one I belong to) is a smaller and newer outfit that doesn't have a web site. They're involved in some other public outreach programs though (staying within their limited budget) and working to get other sportsman's groups and rod & gun clubs on board. |