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ALERT PAGE

This page is designed to give updates and alerts to trappers, much the same way that our current e-mail system does.

Alerts will be posted as they are received.

1/19/10 INDIANA ALERT Details found HERE.

1/13/10 New Hampshire Bill Would End Trapping (from USSA website)

A new bill introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives is a backdoor attempt to ban the trapping and hunting of furbearing animals.

House Bill 1514, introduced by Representative Steve Vaillancourt (R- Hillsborough), prohibits the sale, purchase, possession, and transportation of all raw skins or unskinned carcasses of furbearing animals. The bill does make an allowance for the transportation or possession of raw pelts or unskinned carcasses, but only when the pelt will not be used as fur. If passed, the bill would effectively eliminate trapping in New Hampshire. Likewise, the bill would equally limit sportsmen who hunt furbearing animals like coyote, fox and raccoon.

“This bill bans the use of fur harvested from any animal,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) associate director of state services “By doing that, it in essence ends all trapping and hunting of furbearers unless you’re OK with wanton waste of animals…something that sportsmen are not OK with in any instance. This is simply a very bad bill.”

HB 1514 is currently scheduled for a hearing Wednesday, January 20 at 10 a.m. in Room 307 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord before the House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee.

Take Action! All sportsmen that can attend the hearing on January 20 are encouraged to do so and speak out against this bill. For those unable to attend, please visit the USSA Legislative Action Center. Simply enter your ZIP+4 Code and you will be able to send a letter to your legislator.

11/11/09 MAINE VICTORY

Details on What's New? page

7/14/08 MN RULING (Letter from Gary Meis)

Great news fellow trappers. I just got off the phone with MTA legal council and MTA life member Gary Leistico. The judge has handed down his ruling in the lynx lawsuit brought upon us by several animal rights activist groups. The judge accepted in its ENTIRETY the proposal submitted by the MN DNR. In short we won. Trappers in MN will continue to trap as they trapped before with the following rule changes.

1. All snares 5/64" and above but not to exceed 1/8" diameter and loops of 8-10" side by side will be allowed. Water sets excluded.
2. 160 and 220 body grippers must meet the requirements of being set at least 3 feet off the ground or surface of the snow, and be on a leaning pole or tree no larger than 6" in diameter. 160 and 220 body grippers may also be used on the ground provided they are inside a cubby or box and inserted a minimum of 7" from the front. Body grippers smaller than 160 and body grippers used as water sets have no restrictions.
3. There are no restrictions on foothold trap sizes however they must be staked with no drags allowed. Also the chain or cable securing the foothold trap must be no more than 18" long and have at least two swivels.
4. No hare or rabbit may be used as bait.
5. No flagging may be used within 20 feet of the trap.

These restrictions are only in effect in the lynx range from Duluth following Highway 53 east to the border. This is not a 100% victory but certainly a 90% victory. Consider the animal rights groups responded to the MN DNR's proposal that they wanted no snares, no body grippers, no flagging, or bait and only footholds with a 4" opening as well as most of the entire northern half of Minnesota as the lynx range. As the President of the MTA I wish to thank the DNR for standing by us, and also my thanks go out to our excellent legal council of Gary Leistico and his law firm of Rinke-Noonan, the FTA, NTA USSA, SCI and interveners Cory Van Driel and Todd Roggenkamp. When I established this team two years ago I never dreamt it would entail the grueling hours and sleepless nights it did, but all is now worth it. Now the different court hearings, and countless meetings attended are a small drop in the bucket. This ruling by the judge will go a long way in our favor with the ITP also. I think I will sleep well tonight.

Gary Meis, Pesident,
Minnesota Trappers Associatiom

3/16/08 ATTENTION ILLINOIS

Telephone Poll an Opportunity for Gun Owners to Voice Opinion

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) is aiding The National Rifle Association in its effort to defeat Cook County, Illinois ordinances that would close all gun shops and ban and confiscate most firearms owned by citizens of the county.

A telephone poll allowing callers to voice their opinion on the ordinances is being conducted by Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and the Cook County Board. You do not have to be a resident to vote in the telephone poll.

To vote in the telephone poll, please call (312) 603-6400 and select option one when prompted. At the second prompt select option one again. When prompted to vote on the gun control ordinance, press number 2.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protect the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

ANOTHER SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS THE

USSA SPORTSMEN'S ALERT. CLICK ON

THEIR LINK BELOW

U. S. Sportsmen's Alliance

FOR HELP IN LOCATING YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES USE THESE LINKS

The House of Representatives

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