Wolf Trapping 101
I attended a wolf trapping training workshop hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game this month. You may ask why I would do this; if you know me, you know how difficult the decision was. I have spent my adult life fighting for wolves, and I understand how cruel these devices are. They can cause panic, fear, and extreme suffering to those animals unfortunate enough to be caught in them. A miserable end for a wild and beautiful creature.
I am not a stranger to trapping. My first experience with a trap was devising a way to catch a bluejay in my aunt’s yard. Even as a five-year-old, I knew how intelligent these birds were from watching them aloft in the trees in her backyard. They were the cleverest at finding food resources like sandwiches momentarily forgotten while I was chasing a new butterfly or watching clouds transform into castles and dragons in the baby blue Texas sky. The bluejays always watched me, stealthily assessing the moment of distraction when they would make off with whatever goodie I had stashed for later. I admired their tenacity and how pleased they seemed when I ran, my small fist in the air, to shout my frustrations.
One day, an idea emerged: I would even the score by catching one of them. I set to work with a cardboard box, half a PB & J sandwich (their favorite), a paper string, a forked stick, and a five-year-old’s stubborn patience. My first attempts were clumsy failures. The box would fall over before a bluejay approached it, setting off an alarm to the others. By day three, I had perfected the system and finally caught my first bluejay. I was so excited that I ran to my aunt to proclaim my accomplishment. She, too, had been watching my exploits from the kitchen table window for days. I knew she admired my determination by the amused look in her eyes, but then she asked the question for which I had no prepared response.
“Miss Suzanne. Now what are you going to do with that bird?” Her southern drawl with a slight tinge of imminent scolding lingered in the air.
I didn’t want to hurt the bluejay. They were my constant companions on long sunny afternoons while I climbed to the top of the fig tree and studied the world around me. So, I quickly lifted the box and let the bluejay fly away. He flew up into a pecan tree and squawked his displeasure down at me. I admit savoring silent satisfaction from having outsmarted the smartest bird I knew. And I think it changed the way the Bluejays saw me. I was no longer just a mindless human to be mocked at every opportunity. I was suddenly more interesting to them and would “bear watching” from a respectful distance. I left them treats and just shrugged when they stole my leftovers. I had become part of their flock in a mutually understood way. And I would never try to trap a bird again. But I knew I was smart enough to match wits with them, and that was enough for me.
I don’t know what I expected to learn from the wolf trapping training workshop. I had spent years working with the best wolf trappers in the world. Usually, that meant sitting in a skunky-smelling bait-stained truck while they worked their magic, setting traps that would draw wolves from miles away. We would set them late in the afternoon in hopes of catching a wolf during the night and then be up before dawn to check the traps. The deadliest thing – outside of a bullet – for any trapped animal is to be left in the trap during the day to die of dehydration and heat stroke. We were collaring the wolves to study and protect them. These professional trappers took pride in their record; they never lost or seriously injured a wolf. So, in the early morning hours, we would quietly check the traps, carefully anesthetize any wolf caught, and then work quickly to weigh, examine, and collar them so we could leave the wolf to wake up while we watched from a distance. Years later, when agencies began only using the collars to kill wolves, all those trappers quit the programs. Having a collar around its neck was no longer in the wolf’s best interest.
I dreaded the wolf trapping training workshop and was grateful that my friend Krista had agreed to join me. We stood out like red flags in a room of men. The instructors watched us take our seats with a mixture of caution and concern on their faces. And so began the four hours of class. I won’t drag you through the misinformation about wolves, the reintroduction, and why trapping is such a “time honored sport.” I won’t make you suffer their boasting and self-confidence in killing animals they saw as their “duty” to exterminate. We know these types of men. They ridicule the government while suckling from the breast of democracy. They talk about “lib-tards” and “snowflakes” as though only they are real men and everyone else is just mindless city dwellers.
But I will share the most disturbing thing I learned. They are not taught to trap for a single wolf or even a few. The state of Idaho is teaching them to set their traps in a network designed to catch the entire wolf family. They put bait in the center of this web of traps and wait to trap one or two, usually the young ones unwise to the dangers of men. Once the trapper catches one or two, they will wait, sometimes for days, while the other pack members try to rescue and comfort their distraught family members. They can legally allow these wolves to stay in the traps for 72 hours in Idaho. That means days of dehydration, overheating, fear, panic, and pain. All of this is happening on our American public lands and national forests. Lands that belong to you and me.
On March 25, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission will allow public testimony about their wolf plan, their proposal to hunt mountain lions year-round, even with cubs, and other issues. If you are in/near Boise, please turn up and speak. If you cannot be here, please sign this petition and oppose the expansion of wolf trapping in the last national forest where it is prohibited in Idaho. Then, let’s stop trapping altogether on our public lands. There is no justifiable scientific or ethical reason to allow trappers to torture and kill animals especially on land that belongs to all of us.
For the Wild Ones
Suzanne
- Sign the Petition: Sign On Today to Stop the New Attack on Idaho’s Wolves! – Action Network
- Save the Date: Those In/Near Boise: Public Hearing: Tuesday, March 25, 7:00 p.m. (get there early to sign in) Idaho Fish and Game – Headquarters, 600 South Walnut, Boise, ID 83707. Email info@wildlifecoexistence.org for talking points. You can watch the public testimony on Zoom, but only disabled persons may testify remotely. Individuals with disabilities may request meeting accommodation by contacting the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director’s Office at (208) 334-5159 or through the Idaho Relay Service at 1-800-368-6185 (TDD)
Link: https://zoom.us/j/91287823590
Call-in number: 253-215-8782
Webinar ID: 912 8782 3590
3. Donate to help us continue to fight for coexistence with wolves and other wildlife. Every dollar helps: Donation Form | The International Wildlife Coexistence Network
IWCN is a non-profit 501.c.3 organization. EIN 85-1079131
Mailing address is IWCN, 9169 W State St. #1014 | Garden City, ID 83714 USA
