Even though I grew up in the northwoods, does anyone else find it cruel to use Bridger traps to hunt and kill with? I found it sad to see a 14 year old girl so proud to be sitting next to this beautiful timber wolf who suffered a horrific death on the front page. I am all for hunting, fishing for meat and survival of a species, but do it in a humane manner. Having this trap break a leg and hold it there for hours and hours to suffer sickens my heart,and do not see any sport, or sense to this, and surely nothing to be proud of.

I have to agree with Renee's posting. There can be arguments until **** freezes over about how to kill (opps, harvest) wildlife but using traps and snares to do it seems a little on the wrong side compared to shooting them.

As a kid growing up in Tomahawk I hunted every season and got my share of kills. I felt it was perfectly fine to do that. Today, many years later, I couldn't bring myself to shoot an animal. It's just that I've changed...but I support others who hunt. And yes, I'll eat meat but I just couldn't kill it unless it was for survival. A paradox...yes...I guess I just have my limits. It's not a black and white issue to me.

Back to trapping. There's just something that seems wrong with that way of killing animals. When I was really young I 'caught' a rabbit with a simple wire snare. All that was left of it was the leg because something came along and ate the easy meal. From that day on I never trapped or snared again...just didn't feel right. Still doesn't.

Shooting, bow hunting, stun guns at the slaughter houses are bad enough...but tapping just seems way overboard.

Why is this even allowed knowing that the prey will most likely suffer and possibly be devoured by something looking for an easy meal? Just doesn't seem right !!!

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Ken Martell
kenmartell@gmail.com
Thankful to be alive and healthy. Proud to call Tomahawk my hometown.

Go ahead , everyone tell me I`m wrong.....BUT

I`m the biggest dog lover you`ll ever meet.

And shooting or trapping a wolf for "sport" just rubs me the wrong way.
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If a rancher or farmer had to shoot a wolf for attacking his livestock or even his pet dog, now that`s a different story.

Just spoke to my brother, and he said a few weeks ago someones dog in Harrison was found dragging a bridger trap on it's broken hind leg down the road. Traps can hurt and kill anything. Breaks my heart someone calls this a sport, has a club that endorses it, and finds this acceptable for any animal species. Not just the wolves. Everything living and breathing can feel pain. I just do not see how consciously someone can sleep at night doing this type of "harvesting".

Was someone trapping on his land or was his dog on someone else's property where someone was trapping?

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"There are two parties in politics: Republicans and Democrats. Republicans have bad ideas, Democrats have no ideas." - Lewis Black

Do not know unfortunately. He was told the dog was coming down the road dragging the trap. Either way, on private land or not, dogs cannot read signs,and just awful thing to have happen. I can just imagine what else has been caught, fox, deer, raccoon...Apparently the trap was not secure for the dog to pull it out of the woods in order for that to happen. I just wish more people would get behind trying to ban these traps for the danger they present to all living creatures, instead of getting pleasure from the grab bag harvest.

Renee,

Sorry, but technically, the dog owner is at fault unless the trap was on public land or placed illegally. Lincoln Co, like most other places, has laws that state a dog owner is not to allow their dog to run at large and there is a minimum $25 fine for doing so.

As a dog owner, it's MY responsibility to ensure my dog doesn't go on someone else's property. If something happens to my dog because I failed to be responsible for my own pet, that doesn't fall on someone doing something legal on their property...

Of course it is the dog owner's fault. No doubt. Fine the owner, make stiffer penalties. Sometimes a dog may however escape through a fence, jump out, dig under intentionally, and of course you have pet owners who let heir dog out for awhile unattended, and forget about them miles out in the middle of nowhere. Some run deer, I understand that, that the pet owners are absolutely responsible, but the end result is the pet with his injuries, not the owner. We are talking Harrison where you closest neighbor could be a mile or so away if I remember correctly. Accidents happen and yes, you have pet owners who do not act like they are supposed to.This is the price to pay is a hurt dog, cat or other pet you let roam. You do not need a state statute for that, just common sense and compassion for ANY animal caught in a death trap that does nothing but make an animal suffer a long painful death. My point being, I still see no satisfaction at the "wait and see", grab bag hunt, letting ANY animal suffer in a Bridger trap, when there are a lot more humane, and sporting ways to hunt for food or sport.

Renee, you seem like a compassionate person, however you are sadly missinformed on the reality of foot-hold traps. They're not inhumane nor cruel. Todays traps have wide, flat jaw faces that are designed to eliminate injury.

I encouage you to keep an open mind and google "destroying the myth." It's video put out by the national trappers association (NTA). You can watch the video for free on-line and see for yourself what happens to animals caught in the traps you describe.

I am a trapper. An accomplished one. I have caught 100's of animals in the traps you describe. I have NEVER, EVER --- not even once in over a decade of trapping -- had an animal with a broken leg. Nor have I ever had an animal that was suffering. They are usually asleep in the trap, napping away. I have released many animals back into the wild completly unharmed - including bobcats, fishers, and canines of all types.

If you really want to see something cruel look at a coyote with the disease "mange." If I trap in an area with an overpopulation of coyotes I usually see a large %, if not the entire local population, with this disease. It's a result of nature gone awry. Ever see a hairless wild animal in the middle of a Wisconsin January winter? I have, and its not pretty. Trapping helps keep populations in balance. Where trapping occurs I rarly see this disease and the coyotes are usually healthy.

I know this thread is about trapping but it involves wolves and coyotes. Trapping or shooting wolves is a very controversial topic and has pros and cons. Personally if I see a wolf or a coyote on my property near the yard it will be shot. Season or not-permit or not. We've lost a dear family pet being our dog, two young lambs in our barnyard, and two poor bred very expensive Himalayan cats. These predators are just that, and they are not welcome at my place killing our domestic animals and pets. We miss our dog and both of the cats and the two baby lambs more than we'll miss the coyote or wolf I shoot.

Sorry about your loss catfish, but with all due respect, the wolves and coyotes are in their home territory and you are encroaching on their space with your pure bred cats, dogs and lambs. You should have them properly protected,and your domesticated animals inside. When you live in the country, you are just that. They are a natural species, and if you give them "easy food" with your pets and farm animals outside, they will take advantage. It's not their fault you provide them the bait, and then blame and kill them for doing what comes natural.

Sorry about your loss catfish, but with all due respect, the wolves and coyotes are in their home territory and you are encroaching on their space with your pure bred cats, dogs and lambs. You should have them properly protected,and your domesticated animals inside. When you live in the country, you are just that. They are a natural species, and if you give them "easy food" with your pets and farm animals outside, they will take advantage. It's not their fault you provide them the bait, and then blame and kill them for doing what comes natural.

You are mixed up. This is MY home territory. They are encroaching on my turf. I am the higher species. In the 'natural' world you speak of it is a matter of survival of the fittest. I believe that's me, and any other land owner. If you maraud my place and kill and eat my animals, you die Mr. Wolf and Mr. Coyote. That has been the 'country' way for generations.

Not mixed up at all. Take away your guns, your traps your weapons and see who survives. They look for an easy meal just like any animal, and you make it easy, and blame the wolves and coyotes for doing what comes natural? They see an easy meal you set out for them, and yes, they are a sub species and will take advantage, just like a bird going to a feeder, and baiting deer with apples. The more mankind encroaches on wild land, they are forced to move into 'your space" to hunt, especially when you purposely dangle easy prey out in your yard via dogs, cats, live stock. It is your responsibility to keep your animals safe and enclosed when you knowingly are aware you have predators in your back yard. If you are the superior species, as you say, you should know how to co exist with nature.