I think it would be an easy ‘sell’ to discuss muskrats in terms of the (my estimate) over one million muskrats harvested every year. It gives listeners the idea that a 1-million unit harvest year in and year out doesn’t negatively impact the resource.

With only 8-9 minutes, I think it would be difficult to address the ethics portion of trapping, especially if question time is included in the 8-9 minutes. There is simply too much context required to explain everything thoroughly.

I really like your idea of a conservation focused presentation. It is an important message that needs to be known, isn't controversial, and easy to explain. Touching on how it is beneficial for wildlife to have an economic value associated with them is critical. You could use the impressive dollar figures that outdoor recreation raises each year (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has graphics for this info) and then explain how the trickle down effect of habitat improvement/preservation helps all species.

Just a shot in the dark, but this isn't for Tom Stewart's class at OSU is it?

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the responses! Lots of stuff to think about for sure.
All of this really helps!
I'll be writing up an outline I'll share with you all here soon


Nope, I am out in Iowa for college

I worked on a college campus for 28 years and have had numerous discussions with antis. Remember this statement. You could stop all hunting and trapping tomorrow and you would not eliminate what you perceive to be animal suffering one iota, you would simply be exchanging one death for another. Instead of 100 thousand car deer accidents you would then have 200 thousand, instead of 20 thousand fawns killed by farm machinery you would have 40 thousand and so on down the line. Starvation, disease, road kill, you name it the increases would be dramatic. I have never had anyone argue that point with me.

#3 and 4. Have some stats from your State Dept of Resources. Good luck and let us know how it goes.