Reasons for Trapping

Trapping is one of the most highly regulated of all wildlife-related activities. Trappers must follow strict rules established and enforced by state fish and wildlife agencies.

• Beyond simply following the law, trappers must realize that any unethical behavior that places trapping into a negative light will be quickly condemned by the non-trapping public. Ultimately, the successful future of trapping as an outdoor activity hinges upon continued public acceptance and, therefore, demands ethical and responsible behavior by all trappers.
• Carefully regulated trapping is an important tool for managing our nation’s natural resources and does not result in wildlife becoming threatened or endangered. In fact, there are many reasons for trapping wildlife.
  • Live trapping is often used to catch source animals to re-establish or supplement populations that have been eliminated from an area or are in decline.
  • Trapping may be used to control predators that may prey excessively on threatened or endangered species.
  • In some cases, local populations of furbearers grow into superabundance and need to be controlled in order to:
    • Minimize human-wildlife conflicts or…
    • Lessen the habitat changes caused by the furbearers.
  • Trapping may be used as a way to reduce the exposure of humans and pets to rabies and other diseases.
  • Trapping is widely recognized by the wildlife conservation community as a beneficial outdoor activity, providing food, clothing, cosmetic items, artist supplies, and other products. Natural fur and other products that are produced from trapping are renewable resources.