Anti Trapping Survey

Tex Adams

New member
While looking some things up today I came across this survey being conducted by the newspaper over in Jackson, Wyoming. For those who don't know, Jackson is where Wyoming's liberal elite tend to gather up. It is the Wyoming headquarters for several national anti hunter groups as well quite a few in state groups. One of the most vocal of these groups is, Wyoming Untrapped, and with a membership that includes people like Sam Walton's daughter, they are one of the most well funded.

As a houndsman and the president of the Wyoming Federation of Houndsmen, I have had several opportunities to deal with these groups when different issues would arise. These people have money and they are not afraid to spend it in their pursuit of shutting down all hunting and trapping. They will use almost any means necessary to help spread their message of animal rights and equality. A large part of their support base is made up of city dwellers who have little to no understand or practical knowledge of what it takes to properly manage the wildlife in this country. These groups rely on the ignorance of their audience, so they can spread rumors, misinformation and outright lies to pull people's emotional heartstrings.

These are the people I am always warning other hunters and houndsmen about regarding the pictures that are posted online. Groups like Wyoming Untrapped, HSUS, Vermont Coyote Coalition and many many others, surf through the different hunting and trapping sites looking for photos they can use to fuel their propaganda efforts. They may not understand proper wildlife management methods, but they do know how to manipulate the media and prey on a gullible public's emotions. This is one area where hunters, houndsmen and trappers have become our own worst enemies. We may intend our pictures to be shared only among our friends, but once they are posted on Facebook or other online sites, these photos quickly get scanned and saved by our opposition to be used against us. And they don't show the happy pictures of a young hunter posing with his first deer, or a little girl with her very own hound. No, they use the pictures that seem to show sportsmen in the worst possible light.

This is why we should all be mindful of the photos we post. I'm not saying to stop taking pictures and sharing them, but I am suggesting that we all be more mindful and respectful of what we show online. We can post pictures of our time afield without being overly offensive about. When it comes to posting pictures and bragging about our hunts, we should always remember that we may be the only ambassador for our sport that some people will ever see. We need to have the mindset that it is completely up to each one of us to try and win over the support of the fence sitter. We already know we have each other's support, and we know we will never have the support of the anti's, but if we are respectful and act with good taste, we may actually gain the support of those people in the middle who may not have an opinion yet. Those middle of the road folks are who gets things done in this country. If we aren't able to win them over to our side, you can bet the anti's are trying to get them on their's.

When it comes to trapping issues in this state, there are some things that myself and the Wyoming Federation of Houndsmen would like to see changed. These issues though can be worked out directly with the Wyoming Trappers Association. They are the people who have the most knowledge about trapping in this state and we have no desire to shut down their's or anyone else's pursuits or time afield. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Wyoming Trappers Association and support their right to trap furbearers in this state. We do not believe that proper wildlife management comes from shutting down legal and ethical forms of harvest. For us, as well as the trappers, we strive for and demand that Wyoming's wildlife be managed by sound science and not emotion fueled by fear and misinformation. I encourage all of my family, friends and fellow sportsmen to follow the link and vote in the survey. Let them know that you support sound management based on science. While you're over there, be sure and look at some of the comments. It is painfully clear that many on the other side have no idea what it takes to properly manage wildlife.

Thanks
Tex Adams, President
Wyoming Federation of Houndsmen

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/is-fur-tra...f79282167b.html
 
Very well put Tex. We trappers always appreciate the support of our fellow sportsmen and (at least in Oregon) our trapping organization stands up for the hound hunters every chance we get.
 
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