Attached is their petition to end all trapping on public lands here in Colorado. Many of us have sent objections to the Commission to reject this petition. Will be interesting how this plays out today.
November 18, 2020 Daniel Prenzlow, Director, CPW Marvin McDaniel, Chair CPW Commission Colorado Parks & Wildlife 1313 Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203 % [email protected] Re: Petition to stop trapping on Colorado’s public lands Dear Director Prenzlow, Chair McDaniel and Members of the CPW Commission: The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, Animal Help Now, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Colorado Voters for Animals, Endangered Species Coalition, Footloose Montana, Mountain Lion Foundation, Predator Defense, Project Coyote, Nevada Wildlife Alliance, Northeast Oregon Ecosystems, Sierra Club, Trap Free Montana, Trap Free Montana Public Lands, Western Watersheds Project, Western Wildlife Conservancy, WildEarth Guardians and Wyoming Untrapped request that the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission disallow the trapping of wildlife for recreation and commerce for the reasons that we elaborate on more fully in our citizen’s petition to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission that is filed herewith. We also file all the journal articles we have cited in the petition into the administrative record, which we have uploaded and made available to the CPW Commission as part of this rulemaking. The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation advises against the market hunting of wildlife for private profit; yet CPW allows trappers to kill wildlife and sell their pelts, a form of market hunting. In other words, we can find no distinction between disallowing the sale of an animal who was stalked, chased and then shot, but not disallowing the sale of one who was trapped and then killed. To make a distinction is cognitive dissonance. Both fur sales and trapping recruitment are in precipitous decline. Trapping is cruel, and most Americans abhor this practice. Studies and polls show that the number of Coloradans who disapprove of trapping has increased in recent years. Data from Manfredo et al.’s (2018) America’s Wildlife Values project show that in Colorado, the majority – 84% – want to view wildlife in the future and want wildlife protected over private property rights. A 2019 survey of Americans by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Responsive Wildlife Management found that trapping is highly unpopular and is far more controversial than even trophy hunting. And even most wildlife management professionals dislike trapping because of its indiscriminate nature and the cruelty involved.
So let’s pick this apart for a minute…
The Model “advises against”. OK; it’s a MODEL, not a law or set of laws. And “advises against” is a clear indication that under some circumstances, a given practice which is generally to be avoided can be entirely appropriate. The exception always proves the rule. So that is a great big Nothing Sandwich.
“ we can find no distinction between disallowing the sale of an animal who was stalked, chased and then shot, but not disallowing the sale of one who was trapped and then killed.”
OK, first , an animal is not a Who, it’s a Which, but that’s beside the point.
Then they are suggesting that the manner of death is material to the conversation, which it is not, because it is entirely lawful to sell a “shot” coyote just the same as a “trapped” one.
The distinction is that we manage ALL wildlife, and sale of consumable wildlife products (meat, primarily) is prohibited, where sale of wildlife products to be converted into durable goods (leather & fur) is permitted, at least in some cases.
“ Both fur sales and trapping recruitment are in precipitous decline. ”
So the primary rationale for banning market hunting - depletion of the resource - is already off the table; we wiped out the Bison and the Passenger Pigeon with an insatiable appetite for meat; the fur market is self-regulating within the availability of the resource.
The argument that the fur market and trapping recruitment are in decline just proves that there is no compelling reason to take a viable wildlife management tool off of the table.
Yeah, we'll see how that works for you, after a decade or so, of letting predators run amuck !
In the words of the Wicked Witch... "I'll get you, my Pretty...and your little dog, too" !!!
i know you might not be accustomed to hearing this but I absolutely understand your point, I just don't happen to agree with it...even when you put it in all caps.
Ok, I'll stop now. As someone said in a PM about the other thread, "You're talking to the wrong end of that mule".
before you get too drunk on your own wine, you should know that youre not the only one that gets pms. maybe you should stop preaching and start listening.
"These guys simply don't get that nothing a hunter posts will be tasteful enough to the anti's and that it WILL get worse."
"Exactly, This appeasement attitude will not work."
"I admire your tenacity, but many on BS just want to ague for the sake of hearing their own head rattle."
"Lots of holier than thou mentalities. I get sick of it too. I try, but struggle with BS and Archery Talk due to that very reason. I'm member of several habitat forums (populated by almost 100% hunters) and that type of nonsense doesn't exist there."
"...typical BS elitists"
"...useful idiots...you got that right."
"Ricky, Love it!"
gimme a break...you already told us what think about the hunters that dont agree with you...
"Yes, there are a few real losers here, mostly uneducated. I expect from the posts on this thread, they are the minority of hunters. At least I hope so."
Do you truly believe this? Do you really believe that in some world of utopia where all pictures of killed and or trapped animals were removed from public view, HSUS would have a change of heart towards all hunters and trappers?
absolutely not. that was total sarcasm. the belief that anything we do or don't do is going to change their minds is ridiculous. the only thing hunters can do to stop groups like them from coming after us is to stop hunting...period. to them, there is NO good hunting...there is NO ethical hunting...and NO acceptable hunting. the sooner hunters realize that...and stop throwing other legal and ethical hunters under the bus...the better off we will be.
The problem is that they are sealing ours too.
Pete
