by Camilla Fox

About the author: Camilla Fox is a staff writer for Mainstream, a quarterly publication of the Animal Protection Institute.

In the National Trappers Association’s video Balancing Nature: Trapping in Today’s World, a fictitious state senator wonders if she should support a new trapping bill. To “get the facts from people who deal with these issues every day,” she visits a sheep rancher, a state conservation officer, a wildlife biologist, a trapper, and her veterinarian. Wide-eyed and easily persuaded, the “state senator” blithely accepts the half-truths and distortions told her, and quickly “learns” the wonders of “regulated trapping as a necessary tool to manage wildlife populations.” She even concludes that “trappers may be some of our best wildlife advocates.”

A Desperate Attempt

Clearly a desperate...