Why Do People Trap Animals?
Trapping has been practiced for thousands of years and has become somewhat controversial in recent times. Some believe everyone should buy food at the grocery store and to exploit animals for profit is cruel and inappropriate. Trapping was critical to human survival for a long time and in remote areas still is. There are reasons other than food to trap animals.
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Survival
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Trapping has always been a very simple way to attain nourishment in survival situations. If stranded in a remote area it can mean the difference in life and death. Fish traps are easily constructed and can reliably provide a source of valuable protein.
Even today cultures around the world, such as Native Americans in Alaska, use trapping as a source of attaining nourishment and making clothing. Fur insulates well and keeps you warm.
Profit
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Trapping beaver pushed early settlers into the wilderness of North America. The trappers traded furs for sundries and money. Beaver hats were very popular in Europe and shipping companies would shuttle the product to European hat makers to process for eager top-hat-wearing aristocrats.
As beaver were eradicated near civilization, trappers had to venture farther and farther westward. Many trappers eventually became guides in westward expansion.
Trapping for profit is still very popular throughout the United States.
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Population Control
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In the absence of predators some animals overpopulate rapidly, spread disease and destroy crops. According to New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, rabbits caused that country's plague of 1870.
Around the Hudson Bay area of Canada, snow geese breed and feed during the warm months. Due to overprotection, the birds drastically overpopulated and are decimating the ecologically critical wetland, perhaps irreversibly. Native Americans are being encouraged to use traditional methods of trapping in attempt to bring the geese to normal population levels.
Science
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Scientists use traps to gather animals and insects. Spread of disease, health of a region's animal populations and genetic research necessitate using traps.
Wildlife managers and biologists trap deer and antelope from populations confined to small areas by fences or geography. They move the animals to other herds to keep gene pools dynamic. Ranchers who manage exotic animals behind high fences trap them to keep them healthy.
Just because an animal is trapped doesn't mean it is killed.
Nuisance animals
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Sometimes animals cause problems for people and need to be removed.
Coyotes move into urban areas and kill pets. Wolves attack sheep and young cattle. These animals can be dangerous to humans and occasionally authorities need to relocate them. In these cases they deploy baited traps and relocate the canines.
Bears who frequent garbage cans and raid houses on the edge of the woods are frequently trapped and transported to locations farther from people.
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