Why Trapping?
Sometimes people wonder why people trap. Aside from the opportunity to get out into the woods and harvest nature’s abundance, trapping offers advantages not available in other types of harvest.

Let’s start with a definition. Trapping involves the use of a device (i.e. a trap) to capture an animal when triggered by the actions of said animal. Traps come in a variety of types and include snares, cable-restraints, nets, restraining devices, cage traps, box traps, and others. The advantage of trapping lies in its ability to multiply human effort. Not only can a person set multiple traps capable of catching multiple animals, but also the person is freed to do other activities as the traps will be working 24 hours a day. Hunting, in contrast, requires the human to be present. Hunters can only increase their catch by increasing the number of hours in the field.
Despite the advantages of trapping, it does have some disadvantages. First, it is equipment intensive. Where a hunter has her weapon and perhaps some calls and some camouflage clothing, the trapper has to have clothing, traps, anchoring devices, a weapon to dispatch the catch, and baskets to carry the equipment. Second, trappers have to commit several days of time to trapping. Once the traps are set, the traps must be checked, catches removed, and sets remade. Hunters in contrast can hunt for an afternoon and go home. At minimum, trapping is a two-day event. One day to set traps and the other to pick them up.
I hope this helps explain why people trap.
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.
If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.
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All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.
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