Update: This bill failed.
Bill Description: If passed, this bill would undermine existing law by allowing the use of Conibear traps for recreational trapping in most counties in the state. The traps would be used under the guise of a “pilot program.”
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Conibear traps are cruel and antiquated devices that cause immense suffering as the animals they capture may die of dehydration, starvation, or predation from other animals if the trapper fails to check the device soon after the animal stumbles into it. These devices are not species-selective. They sometimes catch and kill non-target animals, including family dogs and cats, and even threatened and endangered species. Their use should not be increased under the pretext of establishing a “pilot program” that merely is a guise for recreational trapping. Instead, the use of these devices for recreational purposes should continue to be prohibited.