Introducing Trapping to the General Public
A good way introduce trapping to the general public is to run trapping booths or exhibits at community gatherings such as county fairs, local sportsmen’s group events, old timer days, Boy Scout meetings and Girl Scout meetings. On a national level, the US Sportsmens Alliance holds Trailblazer events in nearly every state and are always looking for volunteers.
An interesting display can be made of a few tanned furs of furbearers local to your area, some cleaned and whitened skulls, old and new traps and some literature handouts. Giveaways are always popular, and besides literature handouts, state game and fish commissions can usually supply pencils, stickers or other small items as free hand outs.
A trap throw gives the kids and teens something exciting to do. A few 2×4’s, a heavy tarp for a back stop, several set traps hanging from wire or bungee cord and a few baseballs is all the materials needed. The kids throw the balls at the set traps and when the pan is hit, the trap jaws close and hold the ball. Prizes such as teeth from coyotes and bobcats, feathers or inexpensive toys can be given. This can also be used as a fund raiser where you charge a few dollars for throws. Of course the prizes must be a little more substantial if charging people to participate.
Given the chance, most people enjoy looking at and touching furs and talking about their own fur trapping experiences or encounters with predators and furbearers. It’s quick and easy to destroy fur trapping myths about sharp toothed and sharp jawed traps, broken legs, animal injury and human injury. Doing a demo set and sticking your gloved hand in a trap immediately shows people that traps aren’t the destructive devices that some people portray them as. Most people will carry this to the next step with “Well if I was lied to about traps, what other lies about animal use have I been told?”.
You don’t have to give away all of your secrets or draw a maps to your honey holes, but giving the general public basic, hands-on information about fur trapping can go along way with clearing up misinformation and myths. These people will likely never set a trap but most vote or will someday.