Historically, leg-holding devices were used to trap animals and many were not considered humane; steel leghold traps were known to…
Read More

  Most wild furbearers – over 90 per cent, in Canada – are now killed virtually instantly in quick-killing traps….
Read More

  Most wild furbearers – over 90 per cent, in Canada – are now killed virtually instantly in quick-killing traps. Only a small proportion (about 15%) of furbearers – i.e., wolves, coyotes, lynx and foxes – are still taken in live-holding devices.  In Canada, these are the only four species (of 22 species of furbearers) for which the use of live-holding traps is still legal. Once captured in live-holding traps (which must be monitored very frequently) these large predators are euthanized with a small-caliber shot to the brain; this is the only method recommended in trapper-instruction manuals and by veterinary associations in North America. In some regions, licensed trappers can have a permit to carry small-caliber handguns for this purpose, since it is not always practical to snowshoe through the bush with a rifle and all our other equipment.

Answer by :

RYAN & MINETTE KOLE, certified trappers (British Columbia, Canada)

Further information

How to set a foothold trap for bobcat, coyote, and fox

By With Frank Boyd, Alabama State Director, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. YouTube.

“The method of euthanasia on a fox is done by electrocution, and it’s been studied to no end and found…
Read More

A veterinarian answers: “When harvest time comes around, there are requirements and guidelines that ensure mink are euthanized humanely. A…
Read More

  Modern trappers have a range of techniques to ensure that only the furbearing animals they are targeting will be…
Read More

  Modern trappers have a range of techniques to ensure that only the furbearing animals they are targeting will be taken in their traps. For example, marten traps are set on tree limbs in special boxes to protect them from dogs and even birds. The location, timing and the way in which traps are set, the lures and baits used – these are all elements taught in trapper training courses to ensure that only targeted species are taken.

Answer by :

Biologist, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Missouri, USA)

Further information

Mandatory trapper education

By Wildlife Branch, Government of Manitoba

Trapper education

By Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Fur harvester course

By Government of Nova Scotia

Trapping in Ontario

By Government of Ontario

Trapper education

By Environment Yukon

  For aboriginal and other trappers living far from urban centers, beaver and other wild furbearers provide food as well…
Read More

  For aboriginal and other trappers living far from urban centers, beaver and other wild furbearers provide food as well as fur, income and other resources. Whatever is not eaten by trappers and their families is returned to the forest to feed other wildlife through the winter.

Answer by :

Serge Larivière, biologist, Cree Income Security Board (Quebec, Canada)

Further information

Beaver recipes

By From Cajun Cooking Recipes.

Coyote recipes

By From Foremost Coyote Hunting.

Muskrat recipes

By From Cooks.com

Top 5 Tasty Furbearers: Muskrat Stew and More

By Truth About Fur blog

  I can understand why some people might think that, especially if they are not aware of how profoundly we…
Read More

  I can understand why some people might think that, especially if they are not aware of how profoundly we have transformed and encroached on the landscape across this country. This is no longer a “natural” environment and we cannot dodge our responsibilities to restore some sort of balance to a system that has been radically disrupted. Biologists often talk about the “carrying capacity” of a natural habitat. But today we also have to think about the “societal carrying capacity” – in other words, how many animals and what types of animals are we ready to tolerate in close proximity? Coyotes and foxes are snatching pet dogs and cats from people’s backyards in many towns and cities. Moose and deer are colliding with cars, causing serious injuries. Beaver flood forests and roads, fields and property; raccoons and other species carry dangerous diseases and parasites, including rabies and intestinal roundworm. We co-exist in close proximity with wildlife in much of our country and we must maintain some sort of balance. In this context, trapping is an essential conservation tool to help maintain stable and healthy wildlife populations in a responsible way.

Answer by :

Bryant White, Biologist, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Missouri, USA)

Further information

How a trapper's knowledge solved my urban pest problem

By Leslie Ballentine. Truth About Fur - the Blog

Toronto: Raccoon capital of the world

By Ted Woloshyn, Toronto Sun

  Fur is a natural, organic material, and like all such materials will quickly disintegrate and biodegrade unless preventive measures…
Read More

  Fur is a natural, organic material, and like all such materials will quickly disintegrate and biodegrade unless preventive measures are taken. To prolong the life of fur garments, pelts first undergo a special tanning process known as "dressing". This process protects the hair follicles and the fur, while preserving the skin, making it less likely to disintegrate and therefore more durable. However, even this tanning process cannot prevent deterioration entirely, and the fur pelts will, in time, dry out and become brittle. But when the garment is properly cared for, this could take several decades. Eventually, however, fur pelts will biodegrade just like any other organic material, and can even be turned into compost for your garden. To demonstrate this, and also to compare the rate of degradation with that of fake fur made from petroleum, Truth About Fur conducted the Great Fur Burial experiment. The results were clear. After one year, the real fur had almost entirely biodegraded, while the fake fur remained intact.

Answer by :

Luigi Cappuccio, fur processor (Montreal, Canada); and Truth About Fur

Further information

The Great Fur Burial: How fur biodegrades after one year

By Truth About Fur - the Blog

New study compares natural and fake fur biodegradability

By Organic Waste Systems, Ghent, Belgium; commissioned by the International Fur Federation and Fur Europe, 2018.

Fur is biodegradable

By Fur Is Green

Fur processing

By Truth About Fur website

Adding hair to compost

By Gardening Know How

  Trapping would be important even if no one wanted fur; regulated trapping is now an essential element of responsible…
Read More

  Trapping would be important even if no one wanted fur; regulated trapping is now an essential element of responsible wildlife management in the USA. Many people don’t know that modern traps are used to capture animals, unharmed, to apply radio collars for research, or to reintroduce species (wolves and river otters) into regions where they were previously eradicated. Trapping is also essential to protect some thirty endangered species of plants and animals. Whooping cranes, for example, would almost certainly be extinct in the USA within two years if we didn’t aggressively trap predators like coyotes and foxes in their nesting areas. Endangered sea turtles are also protected by trapping raccoons and foxes that seek to dig up their eggs. Wolves must be managed to protect livestock, while beavers can cause millions of dollars of damage to forest habitat, water supplies, agricultural land, roads and other property by flooding. Skunks and raccoons in cities carry lethal diseases (rabies) and dangerous parasites, such as intestinal roundworms.

Answer by :

Bryant White, Biologist, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Missouri, USA)

Further information

Why trap?

By Fur Institute of Canada.

Furbearer management

By Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (US).

  Fur prices are determined the old-fashioned way, by supply and demand. Trappers and fur farmers send their pelts to…
Read More

  Fur prices are determined the old-fashioned way, by supply and demand. Trappers and fur farmers send their pelts to one of North America’s three fur auction facilities, where expert “graders” sort them into “lots” of furs of similar type, size, color and quality. There are also important auction houses in Europe, which is the largest producer of farmed furs (mink and fox). Fur buyers, designers and manufacturers from around the world gather at auction sales that are held several times each season. After an inspection period, each fur “lot” is presented by the auctioneer in a room where 300-400 international buyers compete to secure the furs they need for the coming year.

Answer by :

Howard Trager, fur broker (Montreal, Canada)

Further information

Do fur farmers and trappers get a fair price for their products?

By Truth About Fur website

American Legend Cooperative

Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.

North American Fur Auctions

 

  “Yes they do,” says Howard Trager, a fur broker from Montreal. “All the main auction companies in North America,…
Read More

  “Yes they do,” says Howard Trager, a fur broker from Montreal. “All the main auction companies in North America, and indeed in the world, are now owned by the producers themselves. Farmers and trappers receive the full value of their furs with only a small commission deducted to cover the costs of running the auction and supporting market development programs.” However, since prices for pelts are driven by supply and demand, they can vary widely. For example, as of 2018, prime coyote pelts are earning good money because they are being used to trim popular down-filled parkas, while muskrat and beaver prices are depressed. Farmed fur is the same. In most years mink pelts generate enough profit for farmers to invest in their business, but following international supply and demand cycles, occasionally prices can dip below the cost of production. Prices, moreover, are not the only factor influencing fur production. For example, trappers still harvest muskrat and beaver even when the prices for these furs are low, because these species can cause considerable damage if their populations are not managed. These (and other) species are also used as food.

Answer by :

Howard Trager, fur broker (Montreal, Canada); Truth About Fur

Further information

How are prices of fur determined?

By Truth About Fur website

  It can take from 40 – 100 hours of meticulous craftsmanship to create a fur coat. Each garment is…
Read More

  It can take from 40 – 100 hours of meticulous craftsmanship to create a fur coat. Each garment is hand-made, using artisanal skills maintained through centuries-old traditions. Each coat is individually cut and sewn – and in my case, knitted or woven – so each piece is unique, an authentic work of art.

Answer by :

Paula Lishman, fur designer & manufacturer (Ontario, Canada)

Further information

Paula Lishman - the Original Knit Fur