Relax, Everything is Going to be Okay!

[brymoore]

Trapping seems pretty terrible, but I don't know much about it.

Trapping is slowly going away everywhere. It’ll slowly get voted out in every state. Trapping is not popular even with other hunters.

 

[Irrelevant]

What I was really thinking is which Blue state hasn't actively had some of it under attack for non-science based reasons. The alerts about the WA commission and removing spring bear season support the narrative of blue states being more at risk of anti-hunting movement IMO.

If the threshold is "no limits or restrictions that come from an anti-hunting stance" then IDK of any. Vermont?
But I do find it odd that WA still has better black bear hunting than the Rocky mountain states, with regard to both in opportunity and quality, yet we're somehow inferior.

 

[SaskHunter]

Trapping is slowly going away everywhere. It’ll slowly get voted out in every state. Trapping is not popular even with other hunters.

It always blows my mind when trappers post pictures and videos of animals trapped in footholds. Regular people, and most hunters, do not want to see animals scared and suffering in a trap, yet plenty of idiots post it for the world to see. When it comes to trapping, ignorance is bliss, and showcasing the worst of it to the world will only hurt trapping. Trappers, like hunters, are their own worst enemies.

 

[Irrelevant]

It always blows my mind when trappers post pictures and videos of animals trapped in footholds. Regular people, and most hunters, do not want to see animals scared and suffering in a trap, yet plenty of idiots post it for the world to see. When it comes to trapping, ignorance is bliss, and showcasing the worst of it to the world will only hurt trapping. Trappers, like hunters, are their own worst enemies.

idiologically I see the value in it, 100% organic, sustainable, superior. But I can't get there to actually take it up myself.

 

[Archer86]

But I do find it odd that WA still has better black bear hunting than the Rocky mountain states, with regard to both in opportunity and quality, yet we're somehow inferior.

How are you judging it as being better?

I have hunted washington and wyoming bear and I will say I prefer to hunting wyoming bear then washington.

 

[brymoore]

It always blows my mind when trappers post pictures and videos of animals trapped in footholds. Regular people, and most hunters, do not want to see animals scared and suffering in a trap, yet plenty of idiots post it for the world to see. When it comes to trapping, ignorance is bliss, and showcasing the worst of it to the world will only hurt trapping. Trappers, like hunters, are their own worst enemies.

I agree. Trapper numbers are declining, demand for fur is declining, trapping is slowly whispering away. I try to trap where civilians will not be near my trap. If I think people or dogs will be around, I’d pull it.

I really hated catching red fox as a by product. I went through rodeos to release them my last trapping year. I didn’t see a reason to kill them for $10. Plus I really like red fox.

In Idaho my traps must have name tags to be legal. IDFG will provide an anonymous number to replace name and address. I use the number so that civilians aren’t in front of my house with torches.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Colorado seems to be enough of an example. What Polis has done in the last 7 years and continues to do to hunting in that state is extremely concerning.

Yep and we could note all the anti-hunting bills proposed in the General Assembly sponsored by democrats. Most have been discussed on this forum. Polis has completely remade the wildlife commission, filing the seats with anti-hunting activists.

That being said these bills and some appointments have been opposed by some Colorado democrats. Mostly one from outside the Denver/Boulder metro. It’s not a binary assessment. Nothing is that simple in politics.

 

[Irrelevant]

How are you judging it as being better?

I have hunted washington and wyoming bear and I will say I prefer to hunting wyoming bear then washington.

IDK, I suppose that's purely speculative. I can't imagine bear hunting being any easier than WA. I pass on bears every year without really trying. We have more bears (25-30k), lots of public land, and you can shoot two of them each year. And I've never run into another bear hunter.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

The last part is interesting. I disagree this is a republican Issue only. Taking managment out of professional hands has Been the anti hunters play book most recently I will go back to Washington spring bear as a great example of that.

The commission appointed by a Democratic Governor directly ignored the biologist recommendations and removed the spring bear hunt. Sounds like maybe the tides are turning with that issue we can only hope

Worse than that. The anti-hunting group Washington Wildlife First was hand-selecting commissioners under Inslee. This was only uncovered by the hard work of the Washington hunting community.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

IDK, I suppose that's purely speculative. I can't imagine bear hunting being any easier than WA. I pass on bears every year without really trying. We have more bears (25-30k), lots of public land, and you can shoot two of them each year. And I've never run into another bear hunter.

Better hunting vs hunting being under attack by prevalent politics are two different things.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

As far as trapping goes, i dont have a ton of interest in doing it for leisure. I do it in my yard to protect chickens and that's about it. I can see the value in certain places and want to protect it. Certainly can help species sensitive to nest predators and general predation.