Thursday, February 16, 2012
Flattened at Maclay Flats
Posted Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 4:00 AM
I was down at the river at Fort Missoula today, enjoying the weather and looking for birds. I noticed a canoe across the river and took a quick look through my binoculars to see who was canoeing. It was an older man, standing up in his canoe, rowing slowly, close to the bank. I wondered, “What is he doing? Oh dear God, is he trapping?”
The answer was a resounding yes. At this point, I was stunned and continued to watch. The area where he was trapping—across the river from the fort—I believe is Maclay Flats. Is trapping really legal at Maclay Flats? It is, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks would tell me. Many people access the river at Maclay Flats, often with their dogs.
I was horrified to watch him pull out the large, bloated body of a beaver. How awful to see this beautiful animal bloated from having died by drowning and laying under the water for God knows how long (considering the law says the trap must be checked only within a “reasonable” time period), pulled up and tossed into a red Coleman canoe. How unsportsmanlike! And how cruel. I guess death by drowning is better than having your skull smashed while still alive in a trap, which is how many of the fur-bearing land animals are killed. Then I watched him rebait the trap (definitely big enough to kill my 30-pound dog) and continue down the river to check his next trap.
When is this horrific practice going to end? Trapping has no part in a civilized society, not even by government officials. Be fair. We already have taken over most of the wild animals’ habitat in this world. At least get out there and stalk your game to kill it. I don’t want to hear how trapping is part of Montana’s heritage. It’s not. It is an unfair way to kill animals for money. Trappers claim they want to enjoy the outdoors. May I suggest you get a pair of binoculars, a scope or a camera and get out there and enjoy the outdoors and the wildlife that deserve to live in it?
These animals are not varmints. Trappers seem to believe all of these animals they trap, including the ones they trap in error, like dogs and eagles and deer, are all varmints. None of them are. These animals belong in the landscapes, whether you like them or not.
This scene has stayed with me all day. It is horrible and upsetting. What if a Labrador retriever had been swimming in the area and got wind of whatever bait is used in traps? I bet the trapper would have disposed of the dog without a word to anyone. No animal deserves to die in this manner. It is time we put a stop to recreational and commercial trapping.
Kit Stevens
Missoula
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
If you were so appalled why didn't you go talk to this trapper to get his side of the story? Instead you choose to write a letter full of speculation about him (would kill a dog, doesn't play fair, and is uncivilized). I would have listened to your argument but when you started making unfounded claims and speculation you lost me. This letter is full of bad logic , faulty reasoning and lack of solid facts.
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it is just another letter from one of the radical groups that have no knowledge of learning in the things they protest, just an organization for uninformed minds to follow something other than their own blank page, big city folks that should move back to their home. Beaver and rat traps are humane period, they are usually set under river banks or under ice in lakes, no place a dog goes unless it swims underwater. As far as bait, I doubt a lab would dive under water to get at some fresh willow branches. The beaver is dead almost instantly with the traps made today, in winter water that beaver is not going to bloat, matter of fact it could stay there for a month without any harm to the fur although a trapper would never leave it for long since you can't catch much if the trap is sprung now can you?? How dumb are these anti trapper folks anyway? Is this some kind of propaganda that goes out back east?? Things have changed majorly over time in the trapping techniques, some of it because of concerns from the non trapping folks such as pressure sensitive traps designed to trap a target animal. Most of the problems I see are not traps but uninformed folks that let their dogs run uncontrolled in areas wildlife are wintering, such as the hills around Missoula. Winter range is 10% of the total range for these critters deer, elk, sheep, etc. they are basically starving and waiting for green up, with no wind, wet snow, cold turning it to cement they are extremely stressed trying to dig through the snow they don't need your dog chasing them. I take it the writers dog had run over to the river a half mile away chasing the whitetail deer,,,, yup hit the nail on the head I am sure
Let's see, she's on one side of the river, far enough away to be using binoculars, he's on the other side by the bank. She's supposed to go talk to him...how? Kloote's rant does exactly what Grrizz accuses the letter writer of--it's filled with speculation: "radical group" "big city" "back east" and a totally fabricated scenario about her dog. Good job, Kloote. When you can't argue the merits of trapping because there are none, just make up your own "facts."
The huge beaver that had been traversing the clark fork in Missoula has disappeared, I guess he met his demise in the jaws of the trappers trap.
And getting back to the island in the Clark Fork River the city was going to give $25,000.00 to purchase the property with to one ke-do-ma investment co. I can't seem to find any info on this matter. I've contacted the sec of state with no reply, mentioned it to the senators office, no reply, suppose anyone at the city office can answer my question of ownership or info on ke-do-ma? I will let you know.
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