Page 41 - January/February 2023 Outdoor Oklahoma

BILL CARRELL/INATURALIST CC-BYNCND4 DRBRACKYDACTYL/INATURALIST CC-BYNC4

Regulated trapping is one method to keep predator and prey numbers more
in balance. Coyote trapping is a prime example.
GRRRLY/INATURALIST CC-BYNC4 When wild animals conflict with people, like this bobcat in a backyard,

trapping is an ideal way to address the problem.
PXHERE/CC0

Trapping has been instrumental in helping the population and range of river
The striped skunk is an abundant species sought after by trappers. otters rebound across the country.

Managing the land, and the wildlife that inhabits it, is a Through science-based management decisions and
worthwhile pursuit for private landowners and public land man- proper enforcement, regulated trapping has become one
agers alike. Whether a landowner has a half-acre or 150 acres, of the best ways to manage wildlife populations and main-
regulated trapping can be a vital tool in managing a property. tain a balance that is both beneficial to people and wildlife.
Whatever a landowner has in mind for a property, reg- Wildlife professionals and research biologists use infor-
ulated trapping can play an important role in achieving mation gathered from the sportsmen and sportswomen of
those goals. Oklahoma to more effectively monitor wildlife population
Trapping has a long and oftentimes controversial history health, distribution, and densities. Private animal control
in North America. The practice can be documented in the businesses deal with nuisance complaints and wildlife con-
area that would become Oklahoma as early as 1719. flicts in the urban and suburban areas.
Overexploitation of resources and a lack of regulatory The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services
guidelines led to a decline in many species of furbearing has a focus on resolving wildlife damage conflicts on
animals until the 1930s, when modern wildlife management livestock and property. These professionals have played
began to take shape. a large role in maintaining the health and safety of peo-

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 39