I think Montana has done a good job with their trapping regulations. A lot of that has to do with the Montana Trappers Association working with FWP to change regulations to decrease the chances of pets and the general public encountering traps. They have worked with FWP to create no trapping areas in high public use locations and increased setbacks from roads and trailheads. In the last handful of years there have also been changes to legal trap mechanics such as break aways and swivel locations to decrease harm to non target catches. In my opinion it was also a smart call to not allow snaring for wolves. Way too many brand new guys getting into trapping just to kill wolves that don't know what they are doing. It would have led to a lot more negative dog interactions. MTA leadership could see the writing on the wall with general public opinion and groups like Trap Free Montana gaining traction. Trappers can still be very effective, and if done properly the chances of negative publicity are minimal. Of course it will happen, but the less it does the better.
Despite what I have said earlier in this thread, I really don't want to see trapping disappear. Unfortunately, trapping does not have the best optics and can be difficult to justify for many people. Like others have mentioned, many of the pro trapping arguments in this thread are not going to fly with the public.
Blaming dog owners and dogs - WAY more dog lovers than trapper lovers. That argument is not even working on a site full of hunters.
The economic benefits - don't think your average American is supportive of killing those cute fluffy animals just so someone can make a few $$, and trapping is insignificant when it comes to US international trade deficits.
Changing hunting seasons and or closing areas to the general public to decrease conflict with trappers - Just don't see that happening either. The numbers on each side just don't work in the favor of trapping.
Now, I don't necessarily agree with any of that, but you and I are not anywhere near the average citizen with our knowledge and opinion on anything related to this. It is not fair that trappers are the ones that always have to give something up, but that is just the way it is going to be. Our country and society is changing. The US population is increasing, development is spreading like crazy, there are more people recreating on public lands, there are many new types of recreational activities people are doing out there, information is spread much more easily, and on and on. Trappers need to be extra vigilant about keeping negative public contact to a minimum.
Im not sure what the best pro trapping arguments are for the general public, but I think it needs to be geared more towards biology. Some examples could be - trapping bans can lead to overpopulation and disease outbreaks in furbearers that can also impact other species and pets. Trapping keeps waterfowl and upland bird egg eating predator populations in check. Fish and game agencies use trapping often to monitor populations and catch and move animals to new habitat. There are several research papers on these topics to back up these arguments. I have also heard some great presentations by wildlife biologist exhorting the benefits of trapping.
Or you could just go straight to emotional reasons since in reality most peoples opinions seem to be based on them (mine included at times). Coyotes kill tons of pet dogs and cats every year.
Several pet owners have reported their small dogs have been killed or injured in coyote attacks
www.freep.com
There are also a bunch of YouTube videos of coyotes attacking dogs and cats in peoples backyards that might sway a pet lover.
www.outdoorlife.com
