Page 3 - November/December 2022 Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

PANORAMAS

Oklahoma’s furbearer trapping season begins Trapping for a specific species can actually cre-
in earnest Dec. 1. While participation in this ate a positive effect on overall population health.
method of hunting has varied over the years, it’s This is because in today’s wildlife management
still a vital component in the wildlife management landscape, biologists use science-based deci-
goals of the Wildlife Department. sions to benefit both animals and people, and
Trapping is a tradition in the great outdoors. those decisions are strictly enforced with laws at
The practice goes back to ancient times, and the state, national, and international levels.
certainly was practiced by the early American Trapper education is highly
Indians. These indigenous people knew well the encouraged and can be taken
plentiful bounty provided by this great land; online for free; just scan the
Jerrod Davis furbearing animals including raccoon, mink, bad- QR code.
ger, muskrat, opossum, weasel, bobcat, beaver, Anyone interested in some
skunks, and foxes offered a multitude of benefits hands-on learning about trap-
for surviving in primitive times. ping is in luck! Several events have been set to
What we think of as modern trapping tech- teach people about this hunting method:
niques arrived with the European settlers of • Oklahoma Fur Bearers Alliance (OFBA) will
America in the 1600s. And many fortunes were conduct three-day youth trapping camps Dec.
made when the first mountain men started trap- 16-18, 2022, at Lake Carl Blackwell, and Dec.
ping in the western regions of our country. This 30-Jan. 1, 2023, at Waurika Lake. For more,
rich heritage opened the way for settlers going contact Shannon Sheffert at okshefferts@
from one ocean to another. hotmail.com or call at (405) 742-7884.
The tradition survives today in a highly regu- • ODWC will have trapping workshops
lated form, offering much the same benefits the Jan. 21-22, 2023, at Fort Gibson Wildlife
earlier generations enjoyed. Management Area (tentative site), and Feb
Regulated trapping helps maintain a balance 11-12, 2023, at Packsaddle WMA.
between wildlife and people. It can reduce or
prevent agricultural crop damage, livestock dep-
redation, or property damage. Trapping allows
us to manage wildlife species through data col-
lection, collect license fees to fund conservation
activities, and make decisions about, protecting
or relocating threatened or endangered species. Jerrod Davis, Senior Wildlife Biologist-Furbearers
Regulated trapping can benefit a subsistence Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
lifestyle, or supplement an income, by using
the harvested animal in many ways: fur to make
coats, gloves, mittens, trim on coats and sweat-
ers; meat for human consumption; and the rest of
the animal for other by-products such as soaps,
lubricants, and attractants.
Something many people don’t realize is that
the species managed with regulated trapping
are abundant, and those populations are not
negatively affected by legal trapping. No
threatened or endangered species are legally
trapped by licensed trappers. And capture
devices and methods are rigorously tested
to ensure modern trapping is conducted in a
humane manner.