Help Support Stronger Trap-Check Rules for Bears and Cougars: Comment by July 23
- 33 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will soon consider a proposal on how often trappers must check their traps for black bears and cougars. While a step in the right direction, the proposal would make bears and cougars suffer too long - up to 56 hours. Please tell the commission to require traps to be checked at least every 24 hours.
Bears and cougars, which are classified as "game animals," cannot be trapped for sport in Oregon. However, they can be trapped, typically with leghold traps or snares, to address property damage (e.g., bears peel the bark off trees on tree farms), threats to pets and farm animals, and human safety concerns. ("Furbearers" such as beavers, bobcats and foxes, can be trapped for recreation and fur during specific seasons, and "predatory" animals such as coyotes can be trapped pretty much any time for any reason.) About 200 black bears and 60 cougars are trapped each year in Oregon. Traps set for black bears and cougars also catch "non-target" animals including pet dogs and cats, and wildlife including foxes, bobcats and skunks.
While we would prefer no trapping, trap-check requirements help reduce animal suffering by limiting how long animals can be left in a trap after they are caught. Currently, thanks to years of hard work by animal advocates, trappers need to check their traps for "furbearers" and "predatory" animals at least every 48 hours. However, there is no minimum trap-check frequency for traps set for bears and cougars.
After a "work group" discussion with interested parties, including Humane Voters Oregon, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is now recommending that its commission adopt a rule requiring traps for bears and cougars to be checked "[a]t least once every two calendar days" and not to exceed 56 hours. (Two calendar days could be nearly 72 hours if a trap is set at 12:01 a.m. and not checked until 11:59 p.m. two calendar days later.)
Please tell the commission this time period is too long to make bears and cougars suffer in traps. You can submit a comment by clicking here. Comments are due by 8 a.m. July 24, so get them in the day before if possible. Your comments can be brief, and it's always best to use your own words, but here's a template you could use:
Thank you for addressing the lack of trap-check time requirements for bears and cougars. Please require trappers to check their traps at least once every 24 hours to limit the time animals suffer in traps. The proposed rule, which would allow trappers up to 56 hours to check their traps, would make animals suffer too long. At a minimum, the rule should be consistent with rules for trapping other animals, which require traps to be checked at least once every 48 hours. Thank you for considering my comments.
For more information, you can see the text of the proposed rule and the Department's staff report here.
Thank you for helping us advocate for animals!