Conflicted about the morality of trapping

[John Elstob]

As part of my bushcraft journey, I have found myself interested in trapping and building traps. Where I go to practice Bushcraft I have seen rabbits in the area, however I always go with plenty of food and water to see me through my trip so never found the need to need to take from the land
Then I found myself conflicted for these reasons. If you carve a trap set and then you don’t use it, how do you know that these pieces of wood that you’ve carved are going to work?
How do you get good at trapping and catching you target animal if you don’t practice?
Has anyone else had these thoughts about the subject?

 

[TeeDee]

As part of my bushcraft journey, I have found myself both interested about trapping. Where I go to practice Bushcraft I have seen rabbits in the area however I always go with plenty of food and water to see through my trip so never thought of building a trap to attempt to catch one. The reason I found myself conflicted it’s because carving notches for tramp building is one thing, however how do you know that these pieces of wood that you’ve carved are going to work unless you set a trap? Then how do you get good at trapping and catching you target animal if you don’t practice?

Its a good question.

Have you ever previously wrung a rabbits neck with your hands or in fact , as we live in a developed western world , taken any animals life by your own hands ?

 

[British Red]

Assuming that you have permission from the landowner, that your quarry is legal and in season and that your method is legal, I'm unsure what you are conflicted about?

I trap regularly (with modern traps). Done properly traps are very humane and can add an ethical component lacking otherwise. They are a necessary part of an Integrated Pest Management Plan.

Bear in mind that there is a huge difference between snares, spring traps, cage traps etc and in methods for trapping herbivores, carnivores, scent & sight hunters .

If you explain your concerns we may be better placed to help

 

[John Elstob]

I read back my post and it didn’t really explain what I was conflicted about I have now amended this

 

[John Elstob]

Its a good question.

Have you ever previously wrung a rabbits neck with your hands or in fact , as we live in a developed western world , taken any animals life by your own hands ?

No I have to be honest I have done neither. I don’t have an issue it having to do it. but I would not want to make any mistakes so to avoid the animal suffering at the same time

 

[TeeDee]

No I have to be honest I have done neither. I don’t have an issue it having to do it. but I would not want to make any mistakes so to avoid the animal suffering at the same time

To be clear I wasn't judging , I was raised on a small holding and was sending rabbits, ducks and chickens on their way at a very young age. At the time i didn't think much of it as it was 'normal' to me and at least my family.

Later on in life I did come across quite a few people that even although they have known they were taken on livestock to grow and harvest had never taken a life before - in a humane way - there was a certain reticence to act and give the killing blow or pull the trigger.

I guess I'm raising this point as if you do start snaring you may find you've snared an animal but it hasn't died when you come to collect - so you will have to send it on its way - just want you to take that into account - trapping isn't always that clean and remote. Sometime you need to get yourself a little dirty.

 

[nigelp]

At the present time I personally would not trap (shoot, snare) and kill any animal.

Do you need to know if the traps works at this present time, or at all? You could practice some other skills and techniques and come back to it when you feel less conflicted or leave at that.

 

[John Elstob]

To be clear I wasn't judging , I was raised on a small holding and was sending rabbits, ducks and chickens on their way at a very young age. At the time i didn't think much of it as it was 'normal' to me and at least my family.

Later on in life I did come across quite a few people that even although they have known they were taken on livestock to grow and harvest had never taken a life before - in a human way - there was a certain reticence to act and give the killing blow or pull the trigger.

I guess I'm raising this point as if you do start snaring you may find you've snared an animal but it hasn't died when you come to collect - so you will have to send it on its way - just want you to take that into account - trapping isn't always that clean and remote. Sometime you need to get yourself a little dirty.

Oh sorry I didn’t think you were, apologies if my reply give that impression! No you’re 100% right. My father had a similar upbringing to yourself. He he used to go shooting in his early years and he encountered people shooting at things for the fun of it. which he strongly disagreed with. He was of the opinion of shoot for the table. (Obviously some leeway given if done for vermin control). But it has been something that has stuck with me!

 

[British Red]

Most people are very distanced from killing now. It's done for most of us (and I don't mean just meat eaters - the effects of the pesticides, herbicides and vermin control used producing vegetables are in many ways worse than meat eating).

We raise our own livestock and kill & dress it ourselves for the table. We also eat wild meat that we take for ourselves. No killing should be done lightly, by closing our eyes and pretending it doesn't happen leads to awful practices.

Traps can be both ethical and humane. As examples

Spring traps in purpose built tunnels kill rats far more quickly than rodenticides.

Cage traps allow non target species to be released unharmed and target species dispatched cleanly



Its a skill that's targeted and far more discriminating than the wholesale spraying of vegetables that destroys entire ecosystems, but its a skill that needs to be learned. The BPCA would be a good place to start

Practical Vertebrate Control

Find taught pest management courses led by experts. Control rats, mice, wasps, moles, bed bugs, flies, cockroaches, fleas, squirrels, ants, pesticides and more

bpca.org.uk

 

[TeeDee]

Most people are very distanced from killing now. It's done for most of us (and I don't mean just meat eaters - the effects of the pesticides, herbicides and vermin control used producing vegetables are in many ways worse than meat eating).

We raise our own livestock and kill & dress it ourselves for the table. We also eat wild meat that we take for ourselves. No killing should be done lightly, by closing our eyes and pretending it doesn't happen leads to awful practices.

Traps can be both ethical and humane. As examples

Spring traps in purpose built tunnels kill rats far more quickly than rodenticides.

Cage traps allow non target species to be released unharmed and target species dispatched cleanly

View attachment 75930

Its a skill that's targeted and far more discriminating than the wholesale spraying of vegetables that destroys entire ecosystems, but its a skill that needs to be learned. The BPCA would be a good place to start

Practical Vertebrate Control

Find taught pest management courses led by experts. Control rats, mice, wasps, moles, bed bugs, flies, cockroaches, fleas, squirrels, ants, pesticides and more

bpca.org.uk

Agree Red that modern traps can be humane and effective but I think the OP was more interested in learning primitive methods and the like.

Very very much however with your sentiment that most people are very removed from the food chain reality.

Everyone hears of Free Range chickens , but what about the other animals? How ethically are they kept - to what standard is your ( The peoples ) pork raised?

 

[John Elstob]

Most people are very distanced from killing now. It's done for most of us (and I don't mean just meat eaters - the effects of the pesticides, herbicides and vermin control used producing vegetables are in many ways worse than meat eating).

We raise our own livestock and kill & dress it ourselves for the table. We also eat wild meat that we take for ourselves. No killing should be done lightly, by closing our eyes and pretending it doesn't happen leads to awful practices.

Traps can be both ethical and humane. As examples

Spring traps in purpose built tunnels kill rats far more quickly than rodenticides.

Cage traps allow non target species to be released unharmed and target species dispatched cleanly

View attachment 75930

Its a skill that's targeted and far more discriminating than the wholesale spraying of vegetables that destroys entire ecosystems, but its a skill that needs to be learned. The BPCA would be a good place to start

Practical Vertebrate Control

Find taught pest management courses led by experts. Control rats, mice, wasps, moles, bed bugs, flies, cockroaches, fleas, squirrels, ants, pesticides and more

bpca.org.uk

thank you Red. I’m looking at primitive trapping as knowledge thing as well as practical as part of of the subject of bushcraft as the hobby. But I do agree with what you have said there

 

[British Red]

If anyone wants a source of the most incredible pork in the world, massively high welfare & very good prices go to

THE DECENT COMPANY

www.thedecentcompany.co.uk

and tell Martha that I sent you

I understand the OPs desire on primitive traps, my point is to learn to trap with modern, reliable traps first. There's so much more to it than trap construction - indeed that's the last thing on the learning plan

 

[gibson 175]

some more legislation which may help-(one of the previous posts mentioned the Wildlife and Country Act)

wild mammals protection act..https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/3/contents

spring traps approval order..https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1190/made

Animal welfare act..https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/contents

I would also recomend looking on the British Pest Control Association website from which I got the above links..

VIDEO: Pest management legislation refresher

In this video, British Pest Control Association's John Horsley explores how legislation is structured and key pieces of legislation for pest control.

bpca.org.uk

 

[knowledge=gain]

As part of my bushcraft journey, I have found myself interested in trapping and building traps. Where I go to practice Bushcraft I have seen rabbits in the area, however I always go with plenty of food and water to see me through my trip so never found the need to need to take from the land
Then I found myself conflicted for these reasons. If you carve a trap set and then you don’t use it, how do you know that these pieces of wood that you’ve carved are going to work?
How do you get good at trapping and catching you target animal if you don’t practice?
Has anyone else had these thoughts about the subject?

you might find this thread about trapping of some use

 

[Great egret]

Personally i don't see use in taking (for example) a rabbit for my "entertainment" when a fox could have had a nice meal from that same rabbit. If you'd like to hunt get a license and go hunting when you know enough of how to hunt, in what season to hunt and what to hunt.

 

[Robson Valley]

Ecology lesson: Most species reproduce enough juveniles that there is an "expendable" portion of the population that does not impact the needed reproductive age class size.

It is a fact that the superlative guardians of population health and welfare are the trappers with licensed trap lines. They are not about to kill the goose which lays the golden eggs. Instead, they take the fraction of the population which prevents the entire local species from starvation.

Some are genuine "mountain men" who have lived back in the valleys off the grid for decades. I am proud to say that I consider 3 of them to be friends. We will drive past their camps but I will never reveal when or where. If I stop to deliver salt, sugar, flour and lard, I'll do so alone.

Here's Greggo. I don't think he will mind.

 

[knowledge=gain]

Ecology lesson: Most species reproduce enough juveniles that there is an "expendable" portion of the population that does not impact the needed reproductive age class size.

who came up with that rhetoric...??

 

[Robson Valley]

Eugene Odum, amongst so many others.

 

[knowledge=gain]

Eugene Odum, amongst so many others.

thank you

others may have followed but was Eugene Odum the originator that came up [meaning the first one [1] with the rhetoric...??

very interesting to say the least

 

[Robson Valley]

The study of population sizes and growth characteristics (eg survivorship differences) has been a popular aspect of ecology for a very long time. This needs including host-parasite relationships in terms of energy transfer (interest) and much the same applies to predator-prey relationships (principal). Then there's symbiosis and the elusive mutualism and on goes the list of phenomena to put under the lens.