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Bird trapping, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (XIV century)

The activity of animal trapping has two separate but related meanings. It describes the hunting of animals to obtain their furs, which are then used for clothes and other articles, or sold / bartered (see fur trade). Trapping also relates to the use of traps to catch animals for a variety of other purposes, most usually for food or pest control. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 548 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1094 pixel, file size: 273 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tacuina sanitatis (XIV century) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 548 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1094 pixel, file size: 273 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tacuina sanitatis (XIV century) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library... The Tacuinum (sometimes Taccuinum) Sanitatis is a medieval handbook on wellness, based on the Taqwin al‑sihha (Tables of Health), an Arab medical treatise by Ibn Butlan; it exists in several variant Latin versions, the manuscripts of which are profusely illustrated. ... This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... For other uses, see Fur (disambiguation). ... A 19th-centure example of barter: A sample labor for labor note for the Cincinnati Time Store. ... An Alberta fur trader in the 1890s. ... Wildlife management is the process of keeping certain wildlife populations at desirable levels determined by wildlife managers. ...

Trapping other animals for food is also practiced by some animals and a few plants. For example, the funnel-web spiders and the Venus flytrap trap their prey. Funnel-web spiders are a group of spiders which build funnel-shaped webs, often with extended strands which function much like tripwires. ... For other uses, see Venus Flytrap (disambiguation). ...

History

Animal trapping is perhaps one of the first methods of hunting. A passage from the self-titled book by Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi describes Chinese methods used for trapping animals during the 4th century BC. The Zhuangzi reads, "The sleek-furred fox and the elegantly spotted leopard...can’t seem to escape the disaster of nets and traps.”^[1][2] "Modern" Steel jaw-traps were first described in western sources as early as the late 16th century.^[3] The first mention comes from Leonard Mascall's book on animal trapping.^[4] It reads, "^[sic] a griping trappe made all of yrne, the lowest barre, and the ring or hoope with two clickets.^[sic]"^[5] The mouse trap, with a strong spring mounted on a wooden base, was patented in 1910 by James Henry Atkinson, a trap maker from Leeds, England. For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Zhuangzi (Traditional: 莊子; Simplified: 庄子, Pinyin: Zhuāng Zǐ, Wade-Giles: Chuang TzÅ­, lit. ... The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period. ... For other uses, see SIC. Sic is a Latin word, originally sicut [1] meaning thus, so, or just as that. In writing, it is placed within square brackets and usually italicized — [sic] — to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, punctuation, and/or other preceding quoted material has been... For other uses, see SIC. Sic is a Latin word, originally sicut [1] meaning thus, so, or just as that. In writing, it is placed within square brackets and usually italicized — [sic] — to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, punctuation, and/or other preceding quoted material has been... Mouse Trap is a 1981 arcade game released by Exidy similar to Pac-Man. ... For other uses, see Spring. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Trapping was widely used in the early days of North American settlements (such as the Canadian Fur Brigade). Native Americans trapped fur bearing animals with pits, dead falls, and rudimentary snares. A dead fall is a heavy rock or log that is tilted on an angle and held up with branches, one of them that serves as a trigger. When the animal moves the trigger which may have bait on, or near it, the rock or log falls, crushing the animal. The figure-four dead fall is a popular and simple trap constructed from materials from the bush. The Fur Brigade were convoys of Canadian fur trappers who travelled between trading posts, usually via by canoe or horse (mainly during the early 19th century). ...

European trappers were the first whites to travel across the plains and into the Rocky Mountains in search of fur. While some trappers roamed out of personal curiosity, the monarchs and trading companies of Europe invested heavily into voyages of exploration. The race was on to establish trading posts with the natives of North America, as trading posts could also function as forts and legitimize territorial claims.

The white trappers used steel leg hold traps as well as snares and dead falls. Beaver was one of the main animals of interest to the trappers as the fur wore well in coats and hats. Beaver hats became popular in the early 1800s but towards the end of the century beaver became scarce in many areas and extirpated in others. The decline in key species of fur-bearers, due to over-harvesting, and the later emergence of the first regulatory laws marked the end of the heyday of unregulated trapping. Many trappers turned to buffalo hunting, serving as scouts for the army or leading wagon trains to California and other parts of the west. Extirpation is the localized extinction of a species. ...

Use of traps

Trapping requires time and energy but can be very efficient. Trapping may be safer and less expensive for the hunter, but in modern times it has become controversial because of its alleged cruelty. Look up cruelty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Trapping is regularly used for pest control most commonly of beaver, coyote, raccoon, cougar, bobcat, Virginia opossum and fox in order to limit damage to farming, ranching, and property. Federal authorities in the United States use trapping as the primary means to control predators that prey on endangered species such as the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica), California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni) and desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). [1] Proponents claim that trapping can reduce numbers of predators in order to increase the populations of quarry species for hunting. They also claim that it can be used to control over-population or diseases such as rabies, mange, and tularemia. Trapping is also used for research and relocation of wildlife. [2] A crop duster applies low-insecticide bait that is targeted against Western corn rootworms Pest control refers to the regulation or management of another species defined as a pest, usually because it is believed to be detrimental to a persons health, the ecology or the economy Pest control is... For other uses, see Beaver (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coyote (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Common Raccoon native range in red, feral range in blue. ... For other uses, see Cougar (disambiguation) or Puma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bobcat (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Kerr, 1792) The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial found in North America north of the Rio Grande River. ... This article is about the animal. ... This article is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Trinomial name Sterna antillarum browni Mearns The California Least Tern, Sterna antillarum browni, is a subspecies of Least Tern that breeds in bays of the Pacific Ocean within a very limited range in Orange County, San Diego County and extreme northern Mexico. ... Binomial name Gopherus agassizii Cooper, 1863 The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a species of tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ... Mange (from Middle English manjeue, from Old French manjue, from mangier, meaning to eat)[1] is a parasitic infestation of the skin of animals. ... Tularemia (also known as rabbit fever) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. ...

Some wildlife biologists support the use of regulated trapping for sustained harvest of some species of furbearers. They claim that trapping can be an effective method of managing or studying furbearers, controlling damage caused by furbearers, and at times reducing the spread of harmful diseases. These biologists believe that regulated trapping is a safe, efficient, and practical means of capturing individual animals without impairing the survival of furbearer populations or damaging the environment. They also support regulatory and educational programs, research to evaluate trap performance and the implementation of improvements in trapping technology in order to improve anmimal welfare.[3]

Traps

Today most of the traps used can be easily divided into five types: body gripping traps, snares, foothold traps, cages and glue traps.

Body gripping/conibear traps

The body gripping traps are traps designed to kill the trapped animal quickly. They are frequently called "Conibear" traps after Canadian Frank Conibear who first constructed this type of trap, which is similar to a simple mousetrap. The prey animal must be lured with a bait or guided into the correct position before the trap is triggered. The trap is designed to strike at the back of the neck or behind the shoulders of the targeted animal and dislocate the spine. The Humane Society of the United States claims that animals caught in these traps "can suffer lacerations, broken bones, and joint dislocation. As the animal struggles to get free, he/she sometimes chews off a leg to escape or breaks teeth by biting the metal trap." The National Trappers Association claims that the likelihood of this is "extremely low."^[6] For other uses, see Mousetrap (disambiguation). ... Bait is any substance used to attract prey, e. ... HSUS logo The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a Washington, D.C-based animal welfare advocacy group. ...

Snares

Snares are anchored cable or wire nooses set to catch wild animals such as foxes, rabbits and coyotes. They are also widely used by subsistence and commercial hunters for bushmeat consumption and trade in African forest regions.[4] This article is about the animal. ... For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Canis latrans Say, 1823 A coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the Canidae (the dog family) and a relative of the domestic dog. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Snares are one of the simplest and are claimed to be one of the most effective traps. Snares are cheap to produce and easy to set in large numbers. A snare traps an animal around the neck or the body and tightens around the animal, restraining it. They are widely criticised by animal welfare groups for their alleged cruelty.[5] UK users of snares accept that over 40% of animals caught in some environments will be non-target animals.[6] While in the USA non-target catches reported by users of snares in Michigan are just over 10%. [7] Some scientists believe that in animals which are trapped, pressure necrosis may have caused hidden injury to the animal, and that trapped animals should be taken to a vet rather than released.[8] However, trappers claim that modifications and regulations now provide working snares that have relaxing locks that do not cinch down, break-away locks that open up after 250 pounds of pressure are exacted (allowing large dogs, calves and deer to remain unharmed), deer stops which prevent the snare from closing down so far as to catch a deer's leg, and live-catch stops that prevent the snare from closing to a point that chokes an animal of a certain size. Powered snares use the option of a spring to deposit the snare on an animal's leg or neck through the triggering of a spring mechanism.^{[citation needed]} Animal welfare is the viewpoint that animals, especially those under human care, should not suffer. ... A man in Shanghai who is asking for money and carrying a monkey that is missing a limb. ... Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός = Dead) is the name given to accidental death of cells and living tissue. ...

Legality

Snares are illegal in much of Europe. In other jurisdictions, they are regulated. For example, in Iowa, snares have to have a 'deer stop' which stops a snare from closing all the way. In the United Kingdom, snares must be 'free-running' so that they can relax once an animal stops pulling, thereby allowing the trapper to decide whether to harvest[9] [10] the animal or release it. Following a consultation on options to ban or regulate the use of snares,[11] the Scottish Executive announced a series of measures on the use of snares, such as the compulsory fitting of safety stops, ID tags and marking areas where snaring takes place with signs.[12] The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ...

Foothold traps or leghold traps

Leghold trap, sprung position

Probably most commonly associated with trapping, the leghold/foothold trap is made up of two jaws, a spring of some sort, and a trigger in the middle. When the animal steps on the trigger the trap closes around the foot, preventing the animal from escaping. Usually some kind of lure is used to position the animal, or the trap is set on an animal trail. Leghold/Foothold traps set for beaver, mink, river otter, and muskrat are positioned in shallow water along the shores and banks of rivers, lakes and ponds. The trap is attached to a weight sunk in deeper water. The animal, when caught by the foot, tries to escape by diving into deep water and drowns. Traditionally, these traps had tightly closing jaws to make sure the animal stayed in place. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1914 KB) Summary Leghold trap, 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1914 KB) Summary Leghold trap, 2006. ...

Modern steel traps have thick smooth jaws and an "offset jaw" or a padded jaw in an attempt to reduce animal injuries.Today's traps are specially designed in different sizes for different sized animals which trappers claim also reduces injuries.^{[citation needed]}

The traps are often criticized for being indiscriminate, and non-target animals are sometimes caught in these traps, occasionally including dogs, cats, and endangered species. Trappers claim that these animals are usually able to be released unharmed and that research has shown that new varied size traps are not indiscriminate. They also claim that regulations regarding the placing and baiting of traps prevents injury or capture to most non-target animals. The foothold/leghold trap has been banned in some countries and in eight U.S. states (Washington, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Arizona, New Jersey, Florida, and Rhode Island). Humane organizations criticize leghold traps for breaking animals' legs and leaving them in pain often for prolonged periods of time. A 1992 USDA study on coyote trapping indicated that some steel jaw traps leave up to 45% of trapped animals moderately to severely injured. These the preferred traps used for capture and relocation of endangered and threatened species such as Wolf, Otter and Bobcat.[13] [14] The U.S. Department of Agriculture, also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA, is a Cabinet department of the United States Federal Government. ...

In states that have banned the use of the foothold trap, a number of issues have arisen. In Massachusetts, the beaver population increased from 24,000 in 1996 to over 100,000 beaver in 2006.^{[citation needed]}

Trappers claim that newer footholds on the market are dog-proof, and are designed to work only on raccoons. These traps are small, and rely on the raccoon's grasping nature to trigger the trap. They are sold as coon cuffs, bandit busters and egg traps just to name a few. [15]

Cage traps

Cage trap with shade cloth to protect animal from heat.

Cage traps are designed to catch live animals in a cage. They are usually baited, sometimes with food bait and sometimes with a live "lure" animal. Cage traps usually have a trigger located in the back of the cage that causes a door to shut, preventing the animal from escaping. Supporters of cage traps say that they are the most humane form of trapping, and in some countries are the only method of trapping allowed. However studies have shown that animals restrained in cage traps often break claws, teeth, skin their faces.^{[citation needed]}. Cage traps are used by animal control officers to catch unwanted animals and move them to another location without harm where permitted, as well as by gamekeepers to catch birds and animals considered to be pests. Cage traps are useful in catching large dangerous animals for transport and are a favourite of Australian crocodile trappers. Due to their bulk and cost, they are hard to set in great numbers and remote locations. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Look up cage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Glue traps

A glue trap.

Glue traps made using natural or synthetic adhesive applied to cardboard or similar material. Bait can be placed in the center or a scent may be added to the adhesive. Glue board traps are used primarily for rodent control indoors. Glue traps are not effective outdoors due to environmental conditions (moisture, dust) making the adhesive ineffective. Glue traps are not used by animal trappers or fur trappers and are almost exclusively used by homeowners for rodent control. Many groups oppose the use of glue traps for their alleged cruelty. Glue traps are not used for trapping birds, but sticky repellent can be applied to surfaces to temporarily repel perching birds from building ledges and statues. The adhesives registered for this use are classified as tactile repellents. A man in Shanghai who is asking for money and carrying a monkey that is missing a limb. ...

Unwanted catches

Non-target animals can be caught in snares.

A side-effect of trapping is the catching of non-target animals. Trappers can employ a variety of devices and strategies to limit this problem. Trappers claim that if a non-target animal is caught, such as a dog, bobcat or lynx, it can be released without harm. A careful choice of lures may help draw wanted catch, and discourage the unwanted. Image File history File linksMetadata WALES_Edwinsford_2005_snared_cat. ... Image File history File linksMetadata WALES_Edwinsford_2005_snared_cat. ...

Other exclusion devices exist for snares. The catching of non-target animals can be minimized through the use of devices that exclude animals larger than the target animal. Deer stops are designed to release leg-snared deer and cattle, and are required for snare usage in many states of the USA. Precautions can be taken in the case of small animals as well. One UK report stated that researchers using 1.65 mm smooth wire, instead of the larger 2 mm standard wire, had brown hares caught about as frequently as foxes, with about half of those rabbits being released unharmed. ([16], section 2.7) The UK report goes on to say that using the standard, larger wire in addition to equipping the snares with rabbit stops eliminated the unwanted catch of brown hares. Guidelines can also advise against setting of killing traps, such as the conibear or "body gripper" where domestic pets or protected animals are likely to be.[17]

Fur trapper

A fur trapper is a person whose occupation involved the trapping of animals for their fur. It was a popular trade particularly in the early days of the settlement of North America between the settlers and the local Indians. Many locations at which trading took place were referred to as trading posts. This article is about work. ... For other uses, see Fur (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... A trading post is a place where trading of goods takes place. ...

Trapping continues to be a profession although few people make a full-time living from it. Competition from farm-raised animals and fluctuating populations of wild animals have made trapping a minor industry. Some species have collapsed to such an extent that havesting them is not allowed in some locations. This is especially true of predator species such as lynx. For other uses, see Lynx (disambiguation). ...

Popular quarry of fur trappers are beaver, and also raccoon, mink, ermine, American pine marten and muskrat. For other uses, see Beaver (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Common Raccoon native range in red, feral range in blue. ... For other uses, see Mink (disambiguation). ... The ermine (Mustela erminea) is a dark brown weasel, with a distinctive black-tipped tail. ... Binomial name Martes americana (Turton, 1806) The American Marten (Martes americana) is a North American marten sometimes also called the Pine Marten, even though it is a separate species from the European Pine Marten. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1766) Muskrat range (native range in red, introduced range in green) Muskrat Tucker hole, middle Patuxent River marsh, Maryland The Muskrat or Musquash (Ondatra zibethicus), the only species in genus Ondatra, is a large aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe. ...

See also

• Big Game Hunter
• Bushmeat
• Bushfood, something quite different
• Cannon netting
• Duck Hunting
• Endangered species
• Fishing
• Fox hunting legislation
• Hunter-gatherer
• Hunting
• Hunting horn
• Ornithology
• Overfishing
• Persistence hunting
• Rocket net
• Trapping pit
• Wildlife
• World Hunting Association

Big Game Hunter is a person engaged in the bloodsport of hunting large wild animals or game. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Alice Springs Desert Park, Bush Tucker The word Bushfood refers to any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by the original inhabitants, the Australian Aborigines, although it is sometimes used with the specific connotation of food found in the Outback while living on the land. It is also... Cannon netting is a method of catching large numbers of animals, often birds, usually to band them, or otherwise tag them, as well as acquiring biometric data (measurements), in order to find out about their movements, migration routes, survival rates and metabolism. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Fox hunting legislation refers to various laws and legislative history related to fox hunting in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ... The horn is a brass instrument that consists of tubing wrapped into a coiled form. ... This article is about the field of zoology. ... The Traffic Light colour convention, showing the concept of Harvest Control Rule (HCR), specifying when a rebuilding plan is mandatory in terms of precautionary and limit reference points for spawning biomass and fishing mortality rate. ... Persistence hunting is a type of hunting where the predator use a combination of running and tracking to persue the prey to exhaustion. ... A rocket net is a kind of animal trap used to trap a large number of live animals, usually birds. ... Trapping pits are deep pits dug into the ground, or built from stone, in order to trap animals. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The World Hunting Association organizes professional deer hunting competitions, scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2006. ...

References

Zhuangzi (Traditional: 莊子; Simplified: 庄子, Pinyin: Zhuāng Zǐ, Wade-Giles: Chuang Tzŭ, lit. ...

External links

• Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making by William Hamilton Gibson, from Project Gutenberg
• Traps and Snares Collection
• Wildwood Survival: How to construct a Figure-4 deadfall trap
• League Against Cruel Sports, cruel and indiscriminate snares
• Joint Industry Briefing: The importance of snaring (Scotland)