Recently here in Maine we had the Wildlife Alliance of Maine and the Humane Society attempt to ban recreational trapping of bear through bill LD1635.  Thankfully the Joint Standing Committee, House, and Senate all chose to oppose this bill.  Those who oppose trapping have promised to bring this back in referendum form.  So, the Maine people will once again be able to vote on the issue of bear trapping.  I say again because if you remember this same group under a different name back in 2004 attempted to ban bear trapping, baiting of bear, and hunting bear with hounds.  They have gained more support, money, and strategically put into play a way to get there foot in the door to take away bear trapping.  Of course we have to realize they will not stop there.  These groups will not be happy until they have completely taken away all trapping, hunting, fishing, and whatever other activity they don’t “agree” with.

One of the main tactics these groups use is to say that the act of trapping is “barbaric”.  They put the image of the old steel traps in our minds.  While the fact is that the trappers of Maine compromised with these groups a couple years back and agreed to ban the “steel traps”.  These have been replaced with snares that are and have been used by game departments to manage nuisance bears for sometime now.

The problem is the majority of Maine residents still have the pictures of the steel traps in their mind.  Of course, those who oppose trapping will use this to their advantage.  When they show bear trapping footage, pictures, and videos it will be traps that look enormous and super dangerous.  While in fact that is not the case.  These snares are a very humane way of trapping these animals.  If these groups did not think this then why didn’t they go for the use of “nuisance” bear trapping as well.

This is the old type traps.  This is what they will show.  This is what they say are barbaric and cause the animals great suffering and pain.  They are also counting on people being uninformed that the Maine Trappers Association and other trappers here in Maine compromised in order to keep hold of this great tradition.

These are what in fact are used.  I have seen bears caught in these traps both on the lower leg, upper leg, and paw.  There was no damage to the leg.  The animals were not suffering and in horrible pain as they want you to believe.  This is a practice that has been going on by inland fisheries and wildlife department for many years in order to manage and move nuisance animals.  I recently came across a picture on the mass wildlife page that shows a bear caught in a snare trap.  This was trapped by the department of wildlife due to being a nuisance.  You can see how the animal is not in immense pain.

I will be covering different aspects of trapping, bear trapping, and these anti-trapping groups.  I feel it is very important that people be educated on their tactics.  They are counting on people not knowing ALL the facts about this great Maine tradition.

All this talk about bear trapping and these groups coming at trapping makes me want to try my hand at it.  While doing some search on trapper education I came upon an upcoming clinic.  The clinic will cover a variety of aspects of trapping.

The clinic will be put on by the Carrabassett Valley  Trappers.  The clinic will run June 8,9,10.  There will be a variety of aspects covered from the actual trapping practices to keeping the hide and furs in great condition.  For the $3 admission this seems as a no brainer for anyone interested in getting involved in trapping or wants more information.  I wish I could be there for this event, but my 18 year old step son has graduation on the 9th and all kinds of family will be in town.

On Thursday morning the senate quickly sent bill LD1635 to the shredders.  This comes as no  surprise as the Joint Standing Committee and House each destroyed this bill in their sessions as well.

Those who oppose bear trapping will be back on this issue though.  They have promised to bring this before the voters of Maine.

This is good news for sportsmen.  However, we do need to stay united and show the people of Maine what the true, underlying scheme these anti-trapping (hunting) groups have in mind.

On Wednesday the house voted on bill LD1635. This bill as written would ban the recreational trapping of bear here in Maine.

A couple weeks ago the Joint Standing Committee voted 11 to 1 Ought Not To Pass. After a few minutes of discussing this issue the house voted not in favor of bill LD1635 by a vote of 82 to 60.

A few posts ago I talked about two house representatives that would be voting on this issue. Robert Eaton who represents the town I live in as well as surrounding area was there and this is what he had to say:

“It is just wrong — we don’t need to do this,” said Rep. Robert Eaton, D-Sullivan. “It is barbaric, it’s archaic, and it needs to go.”

This bill has no been sent on to the senate. The bill should be defeated in the senate as well. This is where we as outdoorsmen contact our senate to let them know of our take on this issue. After all, they are our voice. Once this is defeated in the senate you will see those who oppose trapping initiate a referendum that the voters of Maine will see real soon.

Remember this is a step in the door for this group. They want you to think that it is only bear trapping that they are after. It is not, Rep. Jackson points this out in the meeting on Wednesday:

“Personally, I feel it is an attack on hunting and trapping overall,” said Jackson. “If you are so against trapping, why aren’t you against trapping foxes, why aren’t you against trapping raccoons, why aren’t you against trapping lobsters?”

I have said it a hundred times, it is now a time we need to unite together and stand up against those who want to take away our heritage and long standing traditions. One of the biggest arguments I hear that support the ban is, “Maine is the only state that allows trapping. Maine should go along with the other states.” I personally live and love Maine because we have a variety of areas where we are “different” then other states. If you are “embarrassed” that you live in a state that allows trapping of bears, I hear there are many other liberal states that would be willing to accept you.

For those out there who don’t believe that we need to stand together to fight against trapping and other outdoor activities from being ripped from our hand, here is yet another reason.  I know there are tons of outdoor enthusiasts out there who are just sitting back saying, no it will never happen Norm.  The Joint Standing Committee shot it down, it will be shot down by the house, and the people of Maine will finalize the deal when it becomes a referendum.  Well you sit there and do nothing, continue to just say to yourselves and your buddies, “that Norm, he’s nuts, that will never happen.  Trapping has been around forever.”  But, when they take trapping of bears away and continue on down the road to ban other things, you have no right to complain about it.

Our opposition is out there daily bombarding residents, committee members, and political representatives from all over the state.  The Human Society is at the forefront providing several ways for people to stand for LD1635.

So those people down in Augusta that represent you and I are hearing those who support the bill.  Are you doing your part to let them hear from those of us who want the chance to hold onto our great heritage and tradition.

I have read many articles on this issue and talked with many people.  One lady that I recently talked with said she was a new resident of Maine and loved the way of life here.  The next sentence however was, “I can’t believe Maine wants to hold onto such barbaric ways.  I cannot live in a state that does support such activity.”  My response was, “I totally understand and respect your opinion.  However, no one invited you to live here and no one is making you.  This goes farther then trapping bear.  It is about heritage and tradition.  It’s about further opportunities and the rights of my son.”  Of course, she was not so understanding of my opinion and I walked off as arguing with her was not my intentions.

There are not only the anti-hunters, trappers, and fanatics that are after this method of taking bear either.  There is a group formed of avid hunters who do not believe in trapping.  There is from this article a group of 600 people and growing that oppose bear trapping.  This group is a pro-hunting, anti-trapping group.  Bill  Randall is an avid hunter who leads this group.  Bill claims he gave up trapping due to a bear chewing his own paw off after being trapped.  I believe this situation could have happened.  I wonder how many times this happens.  What are the odds 1:1000?1:10,000?  My question to Bill would be “have you ever wounded a deer?”  Does that mean you should give up hunting?

Maine people are very opinionated.  I suppose Bill is one of the old timers that we could learn a lot from in many circumstances.  This is not one of those situations I don’t believe. Bill says he was a trapper and gave it up.  I have to wonder how involved in trapping Bill was in his day.  Why do I question this?  The next statement that Bill made.

“There is no chase with bear trapping, no real tracking skills required,” said Randall.

Certainly he cannot possibly sit there and say there are NO skills involved in trapping.  You have to first off know the bear and moving patterns.  Certainly you use a bait to attract the bear, once you find an area suitable.  Although the skill comes in keeping down your scent, not alarming bear my your movement in and out of the area, and to get a bear to step in a 2 inch square area from the entire wooded area you are pursuing him in, that takes some skill.

Get up off your butts and email, call, or go visit those who represent our opinions in Augusta.  If you sit there and do nothing, then you have no right to complain when all the outdoor activities have been taken away from us.  There will be plenty of time for sitting on your backsides then.

While doing work this morning I came upon another article focusing on LD1635, the bear trapping bill that is upon us in Maine. Yesterday it was passed on from the committee with a recommendation, Ought Not To Pass(ONTP). This meaning the house and senate should quickly pass this through and bear trapping will continue as it is, atleast for the time being. A referendum is sure to come within the next couple years. This will put the decision in the Maine voters hands. I have said it before and you will hear me say it several hundred more times that is why we need to educate the Maine people on this issue.

You can bet those who oppose trapping will be loud in their opinion. Of course, I am one who honors and respects everyone’s opinion and am a firm believer that this is a God given right. I just wish that they would get their stories correct. If you are going to state “facts” do some research and know what your talking about. One such incident is from the author of this article. The part that really shows this person has no idea and is completely biased in their decision is where they say

The argument against bear trapping, however, is not about the numbers but about the nature of trapping. There is no sense of a fair chase in catching and then harvesting an animal ensnared in a steel leg trap. It’s an execution, not a hunt.

The writer obviously is not aware that Maine trappers have already made the compromise of getting rid of “steel” leg traps. This is what the Maine people will hear. They will hear what horrible things the animals go through while waiting, caught, unable to move. Trappers are mandated to check their traps daily.

I personally am not a trapper, yet anyways. Although, I have friends that do and have seen first hand the “damage” done with a leg trap on a bear. That is easy to explain, there is none. I have seen catches above the knee and catches on the paw and everywhere in between. The skin is not even open.

These are the things the general public need to know about. Rest assured those out there who are on the side of the anti’s that have NO IDEA about trapping, these people have never set foot in the woods in most cases. They are going to pass on wrong information such as the one in this story. Educate the people in your area. If they take trapping away they won’t stop there. Next it may be what you love to do.

Today, we find the official numbers of yesterday’s vote to Ought Not To Pass recommended by the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Joint Standing Committee was 11 to 1. In yesterday’s post I stated that Rep. Eberle had stated in the session that I was listening into live that she was not going to support such a motion.

With such a one sided recommendation it should not last long in front of house and senate as well. However, you can bet that The Wildlife Alliance of Maine will not rest with this decision. In fact, the alliances spokesman Daryl Dejoy has already states that this representation from the committee does not show the majority of Mainers view on this issue. What does that mean? It means we will see this turn into a referendum where the people of Maine will get to vote on the issue of banning recreational trapping of bear. In a recent article Dejoy said:

The vote didn’t faze bill supporter Daryl DeJoy, who said the members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee don’t represent the views of most Mainers. He thinks the House and Senate will feel differently.

“I’m pleased we have one representative on the committee who’s capable of making an informed and impartial decision,” said DeJoy, who leads the Wildlife Alliance of Maine, which works on behalf of wildlife and wildlife watchers.

We have not seen the last of this issue. It is important for us to continue to come together and form a strong alliance to keep all of the outdoor traditions in place. The only difference now is our focus changes from letting our representatives know how we feel to educating the voters of Maine. To educate them on the big picture which has nothing to do with trapping. It has more to do with a foot in the door to leading to a hunting, trapping, and fishing free state of Maine.

Today around 3:30 p.m. I sat here in my office listening via an audio feed to the working session of the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Joint Standing Committee. To start off their working session of there day was the controversial LD1635, an act to prohibit the recreational trapping of bear.

The session did not last longer then ten minutes. Rep. Jackson started off talking by saying “We did have a referendum regardless of many peoples thoughts, I’m not ready to vote against this myself. I’m not ready to go against Maine people.” Then Rep. Jackson moved to ONTP ( Ought Not To Pass). Then there was a quick second of this motion.

Then Rep Eberle from S. Portland stated that she supported the bill as it was written. The speaker heard her out and then moved onto Rep. Gooley. Rep. Gooley talked about how there was already provisions made on the trappers part, for instance the elimination of steel traps. He talked about there being an average of 140 bears out of the 3000 taken each year in Maine that are a result from being trapped. He then stated “It is still a part of bear management overall, I think it should be continued.”

The committee then voted on the motion to ONTP. This was not a unanimous decision, however the specific numbers are unknown at the time it appeared to be the general consensus.

Well it is to early to say about the outcome of the vote today from the committee, but it is looking in our favor that this bill will die where it is.  This is good news and I told my wife when I hear that news I am going to do a little jig around my living room.  Her response was, Why do you care so much, you don’t even trap?  I said your right, I don’t.  However, if I chose to I could.  Beyond that, I want my son to be able to do so when he’s my age.

Even though those that support trapping far outnumbered those who did not and it looks as though this bill will be shot down it is not time to celebrate and completely forget it.  Those who oppose trapping have been real clear that they will be back if this bill does not pass.  This time they will come back as they did in 2004 with a voter referendum.  If you remember back to that vote they attempted to ban trapping, hounds, and baiting of bear.  The Maine people spoke out and defeated this bill by a 54% to 46% vote.  The anti’s feel as though with just trapping as an issue things will go in their favor.  Of course I’ve been real clear that if that happens they will not stop there, they will continue to press these issues until Maine is a hunt, fish, and trap free state.

The meeting that allowed both sides of this issue to say their piece happened yesterday.  Nearly 200 people packed a room at the Augusta Civic Center.  Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the meeting due to having to go to work.  The good news is that those that support trapping outnumbered those who are in favor of banning trapping here in Maine.

Skip Trask of the Maine Guides Association and Maine Trappers Association was there and spoke for these two groups.

“You’ve already heard all the reasons why the animal protectionists want you to ban bear trapping,” said Skip Trask, who spoke on behalf of the Maine Professional Guides Association and the Maine Trappers Association. “Their agenda goes way beyond bear trapping, but they are focusing on bear trapping this session because it represents their best chance for success.”

The committee is schedule to vote on the issue sometime today.  Depending on this outcome it will either be completely dropped and trapping will continue or it will be forwarded to the House for further discussion.

I have put in a personal email to Skip in hopes of finding out some detailed information on this meeting.  I will also continue to search every crook and corner for more details as they unfold.  When I find articles such as the one in the Kennebec Journal I will pass that info on.  Hopefully this bill is shot down when the committee votes today and we can go on with business as usual.

On Tuesday May 8th the Augusta Civic Center will be packed with those interested in sharing their opinions on this bill.

If you remember back a couple years ago this same group attempted to ban bear trapping, baiting, and use of dogs while hunting. That was voted on by the people of Maine. The people of Maine chose to continue bear activities as planned. This was a reasonably close vote however. So this time they come back with just one aspect of the last bill. As I have stated in a previous post, rest assured whether this bill passes or not they will not stop. They will continue until they get what they want, a hunting, trapping, and fishing free state. Why do I say this? Because of what I read in a recent article from the Bangor Daily News.

This group will not be happy until they have banned all these activities. They are not just focused on trapping. Why do I say that? Watch the video on you tube. It has NOTHING to do with trapping. It’s “baiting” a bear by using a box of dunkin donuts. So there message behind this makes it clear to see their agenda on the bear issue has not changed. They want all of the same activities that they went after 2 years ago banned. They are just using trapping to get their foot in the door.

In a previous post I gave some thoughts on this matter. In order to find out more information I contacted Skip Trask from the Maine Trappers Association and the Maine Guides Association.

Skip sent me an email talking about the May 8th meeting and the importance for Maine sportsmen to speak out against this bill. Here is that email:

You must take a stand on May 8th!

Public Hearing on LD 1635 - An Act to Prohibit Recreational Bear Trapping

The public hearing on LD 1635, An Act To Prohibit Recreational Bear Trapping, will be held on:

* Tuesday, May 8th
* 1:00 PM
* Augusta Civic Center - Androscoggin Room

This bill represents the beginning of the end for all trapping and bear hunting in Maine.

This bill was submitted by WAM, a Bangor-based animal protection group. WAM and other animal protection groups are going “all out” to get this bill passed. If they are successful, they plan to go after hunting bears with dogs and bear baiting.

WAM has recently stated publicly that they oppose all forms of recreational trapping. These same people, under another name, eliminated the coyote control program with threats of a lawsuit. WAM is currently working cooperatively with the Animal Protection Institute on the lawsuit filed in Bangor to eliminate all land trapping in areas frequented by eagles and lynx.

WAM is desperate for any kind of victory in their efforts to ban activities with which they don’t agree. A victory on this bear trapping bill would build their confidence, increase their membership and generate the donations necessary to finance future attacks on hunting and trapping.

Make no mistake. WAM is trying to stop bear baiting. They have produced a short video and posted it for worldwide viewing on the extremely popular website, “YouTube”. This video is most definitely about hunting, not trapping! You can view the video on the Kennebec Journal website using the link below.

We cannot let that happen! Sportsmen must defeat this bill.

We must fill the Civic Center on May 8th!

WAM has built a lot of momentum. They plan to put on a show of force at the Civic Center. It’s going to take a lot of help from all our friends to defeat WAM and their deceptive bill. If we don’t send a strong enough message on the 8th, our bear trapping will be gone and other activities that we enjoy will be in big trouble.

You must attend the hearing if at all possible. Skip Trask, MPGA’s Legislative Liaison, plans to be there about noon to answer questions that any of you might have. If you’re late, you might not get a seat!

The Maine Trappers Association will be passing out orange MTA decals to all those in opposition to the bill. They have more than 1000 decals, and they plan to use them all!

Other sportsmen’s organizations are also calling on their members to attend the hearing, but trappers and guides have always turned up at these types of hearings in the greatest numbers, and we need for you to do it again.

Be Heard!

It would be great if some of you could come to the hearing prepared to say a few words about why this bill should be defeated. Explain how the bill will be detrimental to your outdoor activities, your heritage, or your business.

If you do speak, be very brief - two minutes is plenty. If a lot of people show up to testify, speakers may be instructed to limit their comments to a couple of minutes.

Supporters of the bill will probably get to speak first. Skip Trask will try to be the first to testify against the bill. He will speak officially for both the MTA and the Maine Professional Guides Association. At some point in the testimony he may ask you to stand up to express your opposition to the bill, so be prepared. When Skip is done testifying, the stage will be set for others to speak in opposition to the bill.

If you plan to speak, know what you’re going to say ahead of time - write it down. The more people who testify, the better, but KEEP IT BRIEF. Long drawn out testimony irritates legislators, and they lose interest.

Also, the work session on this bill is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Thursday, May 10th, in the Fish & Wildlife Committee Room (Room 206), in the Burton Cross Office Building - the large grey building next to the State Capital Building. Although members of the public are allowed to attend and listen, work sessions do not provide the opportunity to additional public comments.

Thank you in advance for your help and support on this critical issue.

Our future is at stake!!

LD1635:

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

§ 12261. Trapping bear prohibited

1. Unlawful trapping of bear. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person may not catch bear in a trap. A person who violates this subsection commits a Class E crime.

2. Research and public safety. The commissioner shall establish rules concerning bear trapping. These rules must provide for trapping bear only for purposes of scientific research, animal damage control or public safety. Rules established pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Bill Summary: This bill abolishes the open season on trapping bears. It allows for the trapping of bear only for scientific research, animal damage control or public safety.