Benefits of trapping
Trapping is a scientifically regulated and legally enforced activity that benefits wildlife species, habitats, and human neighbors. It’s an important tool in wildlife conservation programs and helps protect endangered and migratory species, prevent and reduce property damage, restore native species, and control invasive animals.
Regulated trapping is also the primary tool used by wildlife management agencies to proactively manage furbearer populations so they are in balance with people, threatened and endangered species, and available habitat. It also helps keep wildlife populations healthy and provides biologists with valuable data for disease prevention, species management, and population monitoring.
The regular presence of trappers in the bush allows them to notice changes first-hand and alert the conservation authorities immediately. They are the quintessential “boots on the ground” with regard to wildlife monitoring, and they often have the most intimate knowledge of individual animal behavior and their habitat.
Licensed trappers supply yearly “trapper harvest reports” that help biologists track individual species and identify population trends. Surveys and selective carcass turn-in programs also assist wildlife management agencies with irreplaceable data collection when the need arises to research specific fur bearing species or diseases.
In addition to the economic benefits of trapping, it is an essential part of life in rural and remote communities across the country. It is a way to maintain an important connection with the environment, and it gives people a sense of peace and a deeper appreciation for the natural world around them.