Then again, in some cases you get deals like AZ etc where trapping on some or all of the “public” land is prohibited. It’s definitely a double edged sword in some ways. Once a big corporation buys it, few if any will likely have access to recreate period. Happy trapping! ScottW

Scott, while i agree that public land is a good thing but can there be too much of a good thing?

Many of these western states are a majority of public land. It inhibits growth, many say thats a good thing, well until it's their own growth that's inhibited.

Having just come from a deer hunt on public land I have hunted for 46 years and used to trap for a living on I have to chime in. I'm a retired federal wildlife biologist with time spent with both the BLM and US Forest Service here in New Mexico. I was hired away from the Federal Wildlife Services program (Animal Damage Control then) by the BLM because as they put it, they needed a biologist who could work with the rural community to put habitat improvement projects on the ground. Before that I trapped for a living after having served in the military. I also helped my parents with farming in the Rio Grande valley. Point being, I am not anti-multiple use and I have a fair amount of agricultural background. My college degree was in wildlife with a minor in range science. Federal multiuse public lands are a rip-off for the American taxpayer. Mining law dates to 1872 with essentially no changes. Livestock producers pay $16.20 a YEAR for a cow and a calf up to 6 months to graze public lands managed by both the BLM and US Forest Service. Try feeding a cow on private land for that amount. I can show you ranch after ranch on public lands here in New Mexico where not only the pasture fences but the allotment boundary fences are non-functional. I just observed illegal bulk feeding activities on public lands that have seen less than 3" of rain all this year with no reduction in stocking. I watched cattle from observation points traveling over 3 miles in one direction trespassing into adjoining allotments to try to find feed. Most federal grazing permits and leases (there is a difference) are not held by family ranches. Many are used simply to shelter other income from taxes. Oil and gas are vital industries but you couldn't pay me to live in the Permian basin and the industry is devastating to huge swaths of land. The hunting community through organized conservation groups spends millions of dollars annually to mitigate damage caused by these industries on public lands. Public lands need to be inventoried for the highest value to the public areas and the rest traded or sold to consolidate ownership in those high public value areas. A priority should be given to consolidating public holdings in the East and Mid-West where public lands are scarce and the majority of the US population lives. The fact is that government land agencies both state and federal don't do their jobs under existing laws. I could go on but I won't. These are facts based on actual experience and observation of public lands. Both major political parties are jokes when it comes to public land issues. There are good people in all these industries but just like trappers they tolerate too many bad apples in the barrel.

Were in az is it illegal to trap on state ground?

Didn't read the book in the previous post

Scott, while i agree that public land is a good thing but can there be too much of a good thing?

Many of these western states are a majority of public land. It inhibits growth, many say thats a good thing, well until it's their own growth that's inhibited.

It's our land not the governments .
If it is sold of it will be a land grab by our elect employees.
It's managed - miss managed by our employees.
Would you be happy if your employees sold of your land and took away your rights to use it???

OK
So you posted "stuff" you read on the internet, without fax.

OK
So you posted "stuff" you read on the internet, without fax.

Scott, just to clear it up, a person cant use foothold traps on state land in AZ.

Can still use cage traps.

Funny thing is, I bought several dozen Montgomery #2 round jaws from a fella in AZ back in the 90s who was getting out of it because of that. Going off my memory again, wanna say the name was Bill Goodwin. Happy trapping! ScottW

wytex is correct.

Randy Newburg had a podcast a couple weeks ago concerning this exact topic.

Utah, so far, is the prime offender. If the federal government sells/transfers land to a state it is then up to state government to decide how to use it. Usually gets sold for development.