What Do I Need to Run a Successful Anti-trapping Campaign?
"Homework = Success"
A key to a successful trapping campaign is knowing the facts, so get ready to do your homework! Don't be overwhelmed by the seeming enormity of the resources listed below. They are quite manageable. All that's required is commitment from you to learn the material.
Gather anything and everything about trapping in your state. Contact your state wildlife agency (see State Wildlife Agencies), which is required to provide any data/statistics/reports that it collects, sometimes at a nominal cost. (See State Public Record Laws; some of the techniques you'll need are described at our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) page.)
You will want to request the following materials from your state agency, usually by contacting the "furbearer biologist." (You want as much information as you can obtain, so develop a diplomatic and professional relationship with this person):
- State trapping laws and regulations.
- Your state wildlife agency's publications on trapping, including its rules, and information provided in any trapper education course (in which you may want to enroll).
- Statistics on the number of trapping licenses issued, number of animals trapped by recreational and commercial trappers, and recent pelt prices from fur-buyer reports.
- Population data on furbearer populations in the state. (Don't be surprised if the agency has little or no such information.)
- Reports of all trapping-related law enforcement actions and any public complaints about trapping filed with the agency in recent years.
- Information on non-target animals caught in traps. (Again, the agency may have little or no information, but it's worth having this fact in writing.)
This is by no means an exhaustive list. You'll also want to research the history of trapping legislation in your state. This way you can learn from past losses or capitalize on past successes. Some states already have bans or restrictions on trapping. Talking to the people who worked on those campaigns can be invaluable. (See Where Trapping is Banned/Restricted.)
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