Trapping is the capture or killing of wild animals in traps. It was one of the first methods by which people obtained animals for food and clothing. Later, people began to trap for profit. In North America, many pioneers of the 1700’s and 1800’s became wealthy by trapping fur-bearing animals. They sold the pelts for use in making fashionable fur garments.
Today, much of the fur supply comes from the manufacture of artificial furs and from farms that raise fur-bearing animals. But many people trap for sport and profit. Popular fur-bearing animals of the United States and Canada include beavers, martens, minks, muskrats, opossums, otters, raccoons, and skunks. Methods of trapping may be found in books at many libraries and in pamphlets published by state agencies.
In some parts of the world, people still trap animals for food and clothing. Some African groups, for example, trap antelope and monkeys for food. People also trap for other reasons. For example, scientists trap wild animals unharmed to study their habits. Farmers and ranchers use traps to catch such animals as coyotes and foxes, which kill chickens and sheep. These animals that prey on other animals are called predators. Many homeowners trap mice, moles, and other pests that ruin lawns or invade cupboards looking for food.
Kinds of traps.
There are three main types of traps: (1) arresting traps, (2) enclosing traps, and (3) exterminating traps. Bait can be used in any trap, but it may not be necessary.
Arresting traps
grip animals but do not kill them. The most common arresting trap is the steel trap. Manufacturers make steel traps of various sizes and shapes to catch such animals as raccoons and skunks. Steel traps have jaws that operate with a steel spring and grip an animal by the foot or leg. Some have teeth that can hurt an animal badly if it struggles to get free. The United Kingdom considers steel traps inhumane and bans them. Some U.S. states forbid steel traps with teeth.
Enclosing traps
hold animals unharmed. A common type is the box or cage trap. The trapper uses bait to lure an animal into a box trap, and a door then closes and imprisons the animal. Animal collectors and scientists often use box traps to catch animals for zoos or research. Scientists may trap an animal and tag it so they can follow the creature’s movements after freeing it from the trap. Many people use box traps to catch raccoons, squirrels, or other animals in their gardens or homes. They then release the animals in an unpopulated area.
Exterminating traps
grip animals and kill them. They include the mousetrap used in a large number of homes and barns. A mousetrap has metal rods that snap shut by means of a coiled spring and break the victim’s neck. Another exterminating trap, used for catching beavers and muskrats, is the Conibear. This type of trap is designed to stun and kill the animal almost instantly in its scissorlike grip.
Trapping and wildlife conservation.
Wildlife conservation groups often criticize any trapping that involves killing animals. They fear that certain animals may become extinct if people continue to hunt them.
Some people believe that trapping predators upsets the balance of nature (see Balance of nature ). They feel that killing predators will in time result in an oversupply of rodents and other animals that predators eat. But others point out that when some animal species become too numerous, the population of predators increases because the predators have a larger food supply.
In the United States, many states have tried to preserve wildlife with various laws, including total bans on the trapping of certain animals. Some states, for example, forbid bear trapping. Trapping laws vary from state to state. Each state issues trapping licenses and determines where and when animals may be trapped. State agencies also decide what species may be trapped and what number of animals may be trapped at one time.
The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 forbids the hunting and trapping of any endangered species in the United States. It also prohibits the importation of any endangered species or of products made from them. Supporters of this law believe fewer of these animals will be trapped and hunted in other countries if there is no U.S. market for them. Special permits may be issued to exclude animals used for research.
