Trapping Reform in Wyoming

Social Icons

Wyoming Untrapped Logo

Proposal Would Stop Cache Creek Trapping, But Far From Removing Traps Off Trails

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]

As written into the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission’s draft regulations, Cache Creek east to the Noker Mine Draw would be a no-trap zone. The closure would also cover the face of Snow King Mountain and the Bridger-Teton National Forest boundary along east Jackson.

 

The group Wyoming Untrapped, headed by longtime Jackson Hole resident Lisa Robertson, began a discussion about tighter regulations on trapping in Teton County in 2012, when the group formed. In December the nonprofit publicized a proposal that originally sought to buffer dozens of trails around the valley with 500-foot trap-free setbacks, as well as close down Snow King and Munger Mountain to the practice altogether.

[/mk_blockquote]

Read full article: Jackson Hole News and Guide

*Note: In the article, Tim Fuchs is quoted as saying that marten are the main species targeted in Teton County, inferring that there is no danger posed by furbearer trapping in Teton County. That statement is inaccurate, as beavers, muskrats, and many other furbearers are targeted in Teton County, using traps that have caused injury and even resulted in death to dogs.

Wyoming Untrapped has been in talks with Wyoming Game and Fish for months to implement trapping regulation changes that would prevent some kinds of traps from being set on hiking trails. We had a proposal that fit the needs of the community.  It addressed local conservation, and it did not impact trapping in the rest of the state.  WGFD has backtracked, and is only proposing to close one small corridor, Cache Creek trail in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, to furbearer trapping.  That means that furbearer traps will still be found on all Forest Service trails except Cache Creek, posing a danger to the pets of the non-trapping users who use those trails.

In the spirit of compromise, WU has narrowed its proposal to request trapping setbacks of 300-feet (instead of the earlier 500 foot figure), on a mere 26 trail segments that focus on areas of high non-trapping use.  It\’s a small request that would make a big difference in mitigating the dog trapping incidents Teton County has already seen too many of.

[mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”small” outline_skin=”dark” outline_active_color=”#fff” outline_hover_color=”#333333″ bg_color=”#c46a3e” text_color=”light” url=”https://wyominguntrapped.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WU-Requests-and-Recommendations-Setbacks-May-7-Update.pdf” target=”_self” align=”left” fullwidth=”true” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”15″]WU Reform Proposal[/mk_button][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”small” outline_skin=”dark” outline_active_color=”#fff” outline_hover_color=”#333333″ bg_color=”#c46a3e” text_color=”light” url=”https://www.change.org/p/wyoming-game-and-fish-department-commission-enact-trapping-reform” target=”_self” align=”left” fullwidth=”true” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”15″]Sign our petition[/mk_button][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”small” outline_skin=”dark” outline_active_color=”#fff” outline_hover_color=”#333333″ bg_color=”#c46a3e” text_color=”light” url=”https://wyominguntrapped.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WU-Requests-and-Recommendations-Setbacks-May-7-Update.pdf” target=”_self” fullwidth=”true” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”15″]WU Requested Trails[/mk_button]

Post A Comment