If there is any activity that needs to be considered obsolete, trapping has to be it.There is no argument that trapping causes a painful and horrific death.
On Dec. 20, George Hornberger responded to a letter from Thomas Harrison Morse, “Hunting and trapping are immoral,” saying, “There is little or no money to be made in the trapping industry anymore. My friends do it for the love of being outdoors and doing what our forefathers did.” In that I can think of many enjoyable outdoor activities that do not involve the maiming and killing of animals, it seems he just validates Mr. Morse’s point. As for the forefathers, they did it out of necessity and since there is no money in it, that rationale no longer applies.
On Jan. 19, John Schandelmeier wrote, “Fur is the ultimate insulator, but there are fewer trappers in Alaska these days.” He also pointed out that trapping is no longer viable. He said, “most of today’s trappers are recreational,” which implies they do it for pleasure, also validating Mr. Morse’s point. Factoring in global warming and the incredibly warm new synthetic materials in thermal wear, killing animals for insulation is flat-out not necessary.
Having lived in Colorado and Montana for many years, I met several really nice and pleasant trappers but cannot reconcile their pleasantness with their deadly activity in my head. The Dalai Lama said, “Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.”
After reading about the Fairbanks trapper using all those moose for wolf bait, I agree with Alaska Trappers Association president Randy Zarnke that there has to be a more serious punishment for such heinous behavior. A few misdemeanors are not nearly enough.
— Della Dempsey
Wasilla
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