Montana Woods N Water August 2016 Print Edition | Page 7

TRAPPING

It’s Bad for Wildlife, Bad for Ranchers, and Bad for Montana
by Paul C Fielder
Remember that title if it’s the only thing you remember from this article. Animal Rights
activists have an initiative on the fall election ballot that would ban all trapping on all public
lands in Montana. This is the first step towards whittling down our hunting opportunities and
our other uses of our public lands. Vote No on Initiative 177. If you don’t vote, this ought to be
good enough reason to get to the county courthouse and register to vote.
Montana’s rich constitutionally protected heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping, is also the
most effective means for controlling dangerous predators, preventing the spread of disease and protecting wildlife and livestock from an
exploding wolf population. Animal rights activists want to use I-177 to take these decisions away from Montana’s wildlife experts.

Here’s why I-177 is bad for Montana:
I-177 is bad for wildlife, costly for cattle and sheep ranchers, bad for taxpayers, and even dangerous for pets and people too!
I-177 would ban one of the most effective methods for controlling wolves, coyotes, and other predators to protect Montan a’s elk, moose
and deer populations, as well as livestock.
Roughly 40% of all wolves harvested in Montana were taken by trapping with nearly half taken on public lands. Without trapping on public
lands, wolf numbers will skyrocket causing damage to other wildlife, livestock, and even posing a safety risk to pets and people.
I-177 would pose a significant public health and disease risk such as rabies, plague and attacks on pets and people, especially young
children.
I-177 is being pushed by the animal rights and anti-hunting lobby whose real agenda is to ban all trapping and all hunting. Montana’s expert
wildlife biologists need regulated trapping to continue to protect wildlife, livestock, pets and people.
That is why I-177 is opposed by Montana’s major sportsmen’s organizations, cattle and sheep ranchers, wildlife management professionals,
and more.
I-177 will cost at least $422,000 in taxpayer money every year for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to do the same
things that trappers currently buy a license to do.
I-177 would not allow any trapping until after damage or even a tragedy has occurred, and even then, not until non-lethal methods have
been tried and documented to be unsuccessful. Meanwhile, dangerous predator populations will continue to grow unchecked.
Regulated trapping under existing laws is an essential tool for Montana’s wildlife experts, and dates back to the time of Lewis and Clark. It is
a cherished family tradition like hunting, fishing, and camping. Let’s keep it that way.
Vote No on I-177 so Animal Rights activists can’t restrict our use of public lands for any reason! Montana’s public lands belong to everyone,
are big enough for everyone to enjoy.
Even current Governor Bullock declared that “Recreational trapping is important to many Montanans and is also a recognized tool for
wildlife management”. Governor candidate Greg Gianforte agrees I-177 would be a horrible mistake for Montana. Greg is a lifetime
member of the Montana Trappers Association and backed up his words with a $10,000 donation to help defeat I-177 and protect good
wildlife management and sportsmen opportunities in Montana.
If I-177 passes, wolf numbers will skyrocket and big game populations will suffer. The extremely limited trapping allowed under I-177 can
only be done at increased tax payer expense by government employees, and then only AFTER damage to livestock and property has
occurred. That is crazy! By the way, under current law, trapping is already prohibited within National Parks and Wildlife Refuges, in many
recreational areas, and near high use public trails. But that’s not enough for activists who want to eliminate sportsmen’s use on ALL public
lands. Continued on page 6.
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