Sneaky Trapping Bill Defeated!

Sneaky Trapping Bill Defeated!

Bill that Sought to Hide Trapping behind Hunting VETOED by Montana’s Governor

What a relief! On Monday, Montana’s Governor Steve Bullock used his veto power to prevent Senate Bill 334 from becoming law. Read his letter here.

Touted as a bill introducted for the purpose of allegedly “cleaning up” several sections of the Montana Code Annotated, this terrible and deceptive bill was really aimed at furthering the interests of the Montana’s recreational and commercial trappers and fur dealers.

Among other detrimental effects, SB 334 sought to include furbearing animals under the term “game” animal. This means that the word ‘trapping’would have no longer been used, and trapping then completely subsumed under “hunting” in a sneaky effort to hide a cruel and unnecessary activity that is generally abhorred by the public.

SB 334 would also have added three animal species, currently categorized as non-game species—badgers, raccoons and red foxes—to species currently classified as “predators”, so that a fur dealer in Montana could then buy and sell the pelts from these species, and these species would have been allowed to be lured in front of guns with the use of electronic callers.

SB 334 was introduced by Rep. Jennifer Fielder, who is on the board of the Sanders County Resource Council, which serves as a front group for militia activity, and she is a strong proponent of transferring federally managed public lands to the state so that privatization and exploitation can ensue. Her husband, Paul Fielder, is a district director of the Montana Trapper Association (MTA), who had been heavily lobbying for this bill.

A huge thank you to all of you, who signed our alert or who otherwise worked hard to defeat this horrible bill!