Trapping course aims to teach participants ethics, respect in capturing animals

A trapping course in La Broquerie, Man., on Saturday aimed to teach participants how to capture animals responsibly.

The course is mandatory for anyone in the province looking to receive a trapping licence and covers a variety of topics, including the history of the fur trade, acts and regulations, ethics, skinning and boarding pelts, and humane trapping, according to the Manitoba Trappers Association website.

"I know there is in other areas — thank goodness not here yet — where sheep producers have major issues with wolves, and I like to be ready. So that's part of why I'm here, in case the wolves become a real issue," said Ingrind Stalman, a sheep farmer who took the course on Saturday.

"Generally speaking, we don't hunt any of the animals because we try to live in harmony, but that could change and this is part of it — we need to have the education in order to do the right thing."

Stalman said her family has dogs to scare away predators, but if she didn't there would be significant losses. However, she's personally not a fan of hunting. 

"I am not, I don't like hunting," she said. "My son and my husband do like to hunt, but again, we won't hunt any coyotes or wolves. It would be a deer, it would be only for harvesting meat for consumption and not just for the fun of hunting." 

Responsible trapping important to instructor 

Kyle McCosh is a trapping education instructor and also a hunter. He said it's important to teach people the proper ways to trap and make sure they understand what kind of equipment to use so they're not harming the animals.

"When it comes to something like a live holding trap, we've got traps with rubber padding on the jaws now, stuff like that," he said. "Usually in this course I'll demonstrate, put my hand right into one of those traps and just show people that there's no injury to the animal anymore."

However, McCosh also acknowledged not everyone with a licence traps responsibly.  

A few years ago someone was able to trap in a provincial park and they set a trap next to a busy trail where people walk their dogs, but a person's pet got trapped and now it's banned altogether in provincial parks, he said. 

"That's why we really emphasize people take this course. I've had phone calls forwarded by the Trappers Association where they don't want to take the course, they're just trying to challenge the exam," he said.

"Upfront I tell them, 'You're not gonna get the same takeaway from me basically giving you the answers over the phone' and I refuse to give them the answers." 

He added, "If you want to challenge that course rather than come here and learn how to be doing things properly, safely, in a way that's not gonna damage the industry further, then that's on you."

In a statement to CBC News, Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre president Lisa Tretiak said the organization doesn't support trapping for enjoyment or entertainment. Tretiak said in the statement the centre believes "in exclusion with property maintenance or purposeful hunting for food" and that they don't typically receive animals injured by trapping.

Stalman said she's happy her son also took the course and hopes he'll benefit from the knowledge gained. 

"We want the kids to be out and enjoy the outdoors and I think this is just a step," she said. "Give them the tools and the education and they can take it wherever they want to take it."