Looks like there may be a good story here.
Congressman Questions US Wildlife Services Mission

Very interesting read

Yep, let's get rid of WS and turn Billy the exterminator and the Turtle man loose on our airports with shotguns to keep the runways clear.

Yes, an interesting read. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

Big money involved.

Thanks for posting NC. The most interesting part of this story, in my opinion, is that a Democrat actually wants to make government smaller. Someone should inform him that he has the right idea but the wrong party.

Make sure that any folks not acquainted understand that the particular politician is not only after WS but is after all of your trapping rights and has supported trap bans across the country whenever they arise.

This has come up plenty, don't care which side you fall on, but realize that rarely is the goal simply to remove WS or downsize them, that is just one step on the way to all around trap bans and removing the other tools many of you like to use and need to use in your work.

Just sayin....

GREAT POINT.

Along the same lines..... as HSUS pushes their agenda for "non-lethal, non-trapping" solutions to ALL nuisance wildlife control, there are still tons of folks who do wildlife control that fight against any type of organizations (WCO) that understand the need for self-regulation. As we argue about nonsensical issues ("they just want to put the small guys out of business") we are losing ground at an alarming rate as the A-R groups incrementally chip away at all use of traps.

This is the direction things are heading.... and unless those of us who do this professionally (or even part-time) get involved and support the trade groups, it's only a matter of time and we're all out of business.

http://dcist.com/2012/04/new_dc_wildlife_trapping_law_gets_f.php

Exclusion only solutions aren't just a desire of the HSUS. It's already well established in the business.

Trade associations and self regulation will never stop the animal rights people. It is a trend that will continue.

Justin, the normal method of operation from Liberals would be to make WS the only entity allowed to use traps. Then it's just a simple matter of cutting funding and Bingo, traps and trapping is dead.

Coming at the problem from this approach should probably put more trappers in the field since we don't have airplanes, helicopters, and the use of illegal poisons.

Do you really think usda is doing anything to protect out trapping rights?
If anything the more restricted our right our the more work they will get.
A means to and end.

Does anybody know if or what WS funding is in the last budget bill?

wildlifeus - I suppose the best way to put it would be, if you take the governments ability to trap using footholds and other basic equipment away that you'd use for adc work and for fur trapping, do you not think it sets a precedent to logically remove the private individual's rights away next?

"You would state (if you were DeFazio) we've now removed these devices from use from our govt. agencies, certainly we cannot entrust the public with no oversight to keep using them."

If I'm wrong I guess I'd wonder why folks defend assault rifles when they don't own one, but they own a pistol or shotgun, or why they defend the ORV use public lands when they don't own an ATV?

All about precedent, real or imagined threats!

So I guess if your asking me, does the govt. use of traps and trapping equipment (this would include game and fish agencies as they use them too) protect your rights in some way to use those devices?

I'd say yes it does for the above stated reasons.

Okay, this time I'm going to have to agree with Justin. I already mentioned previously that the normal Liberal way to ban traps and trapping would be to say that the government can do it all so there is no need for the public to have traps.

Reversing that process would probably be a lot worse. We are talking about the government taking away our jobs but there is another factor in this country that can take away both of our jobs and we are all very familiar with it.

In My state of TEXAS, we have 250+- employees. I am the only biologist for 61 counties, how much competition can i do with that? Now we use alot of equipment in our day to day activities, the biggest part of that being traps! we dont do exclusion work,we dont spray for bugs! We catch animals and then its up to the property owner to deal with preventing them from returning. I teach people how to use these traps on a regular basis, on friday the 17th i gave a presentation to 95 people at a pesticide C.E.U class on how to catch gophers and moles! Why on earth would i want to be the only one allowed to use gopher traps! On a National level WS gets hammered by Animal Rights groups because of our practices, if we go, who will they target next? The private sector wouldnt stand a chance against them! If any thing you should want WS to be around so the A. R. groups have someone big enough to focus all that energy! Look to California as proof, most all trapping has been outlawed save cages, hound hunting is just about extinct!

Thanks for the article Longuner. It's kind of an eye opener when you hear things from the other side of the aisle. If you have any other words of wisdom, feel free to share them. Since I've never been a big fan of WS, I guess I will again have to listen to the words of a man that I have been a great fan of; Red Green: "We're All In This Together".

Yes we are!

I just think the WS bashing really needs to relax. For example I have one local WCO who calls periodically to give me greif, claiming that I am hurting his business! Every time I ask if he has called the 10 other wildlife companies and complained to them in the same manor! I mean really who is taking business from who, me or the 10 other guys working the same three county area! On any given day I get requests for service providers in the area, who do you think is at the top of my list!

you don't think they haven't been coming after us for years and years?



depends, are any of those 10 other companies subsidized by me and my fellow tax payers???

No not in the same manner in which they publicly dog WS. When's the last time a private WCO had to provide ten thousand FOIA requests?

Travelintrapper- if your having a hard time, we are always hiring? The pay sucks but you get to trap and oh yes no selling the fur!

maybe if you guys hired some decent help from the start you wouldn't always have to replace them... just saying.. im not having a hard time at all, life is great but busy. just don't think the tax payers should be paying for this when private companies are already there to do the work, and much more efficiently. before this investigation is over I suspect some will not only lost their job, but their freedom as well

Sorry you feel that way! Have a great day!

Lots of them trap up here in Md. and they are certainly allowed to sell fur with no restrictions.

I'm guessing that probably has too do with state laws? In Wisconsin we can sell any furs legally caught even if you are in the wildlife removal business. But, there are a lot of states where that practice is illegal.

Nothing to do with state laws. USDA trappers can sell or not sell fur at the discretion of the state director they work under.

I will add this: I do not have a problem with the general run of USDA here. The state director is a great guy and has testified alongside us in our state legislature pro-fur trapping.
My problem is with the nitwit Nutria Eradication program. Should be re-named the otter and muskrat eradication program wherever they operate. These species just seem to magically disappear. I think there are 20 of those guys operating here on the Shore and lead by a former Defenders of Wildlife employee.