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Service project earns rank for Eagle Scout
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Las Vegas Review Journal editorial and response
Information about Department of Wildlife questionnaire
Service project earns rank for Eagle Scout
by Brennan Truman
The Eagle Scout rank is the most prestigious award offered to young men by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It not only signifies the completion of all fundamental requirements outlined by the BSA (known as rank advancements), but also the achievement of at least 21 merit badges ranging from First Aid to Environmental Science. In addition to obtaining rank advancements and merit badges, the prospective Eagle Scout candidate must plan, develop, and demonstrate leadership to others in a service project helpful to a religious institution, school, or community. The key to the project is to show leadership by the prospective Eagle Scout.
Last year I faced the dilemma of deciding on an Eagle Scout project, but all the typical projects like building park benches, just didn’t seem very interesting to me. Then my dad introduced a novel idea. One of his friends, Jack Spencer, a government trapper in Nevada, suggested that I organize an effort to collect blood samples from gray fox and have the samples tested for disease. It sounded interesting. more...
Las Vegas Review Journal editorial
and response
On December 17, 2008 the Las Vegas Review Journal published an
editorial by John L. Smith condemning trapping in Southern Nevada. To see
the full text of his comments click
here. Tracy Truman,
Vice President Nevada Trappers Association, responded to Mr. Smith and his
answer speaks volumes about the necessity of trapping. Here is Tracy's
response:
| John Smith says trapping in Southern Nevada doesn’t make sense. I
hate to be the one to break it to you, John, but it’s you that makes no
sense. In his December 17, 2008 wandering diatribe, Smith discards hundreds of years of history, decades of sound biological data, and everyday common sense to bring to light the single (and unfortunate) instance of a dog being caught in a legally placed trap on Mt. Charleston to condemn this time-honored tradition, and sound tool of wildlife management. (By the way, the dog’s foot wasn’t cut or broken, and the Vet bill was $1,500? Maybe the Commentary should be on the cost of Vet service in Clark County). Smith’s claims, and his conclusions, demonstrate beyond doubt how little he really understands Southern Nevada, wildlife management, or the real health and safety issues at stake. For example, Smith acknowledges that trapping reduces the spread of wildlife disease, but then in his failed attempt to be humorous, points out that trappers are not trapping deer mice. That is true, Mr. Smith. We aren’t trapping deer mice, but you probably couldn’t see from your little ivory tower that many predators in Clark County regularly come in contact with the plague bacteria (as just one example). This summer alone a 15 year old trapper trapped gray fox in the Mt. Charleston area (under a scientific collection permit) and tests showed nearly half of the fox had been exposed to plague. Officials with the Southern Nevada Health District are alarmed at these results and have asked TRAPPERS (i.e. not news writers, or dog owners) to provide additional samples to monitor the potential outbreak of this disease. But Smith isn’t about to let the truth get in the way of good “commentary.” He’s so desperate for fodder about trapping on Mt. Charleston that he has to travel clear to Northern Nevada to report how someone from Utah broke Nevada’s trapping laws. Smith’s geography is as bad as his biology. Smith’s point, apparently, is that trapping regulations in Nevada are pretty abbreviated, when compared to all the other rules, regulations, laws, red tape and fine print so prevalent in other areas of our lives. Smith won’t rest until there is an outpouring of red-tape, government oversight, and more burden on the already over tasked wildlife law enforcement. NEWSFLASH John Smith: There’s a simple reason Nevada has such simple, straight forward trapping laws: They work. Had Smith really bothered to do his homework, he would have learned the Nevada Department of Wildlife is one of the most respected wildlife agencies in the western United States, not just because its trapping laws are simple, and work, but because NDOW has a sound understanding of the need for, and importance of, predator management as it relates to viable deer, elk, bighorn sheep, gamebird, and small game management (not to mention the livestock industry). If you other sportsmen, big game hunters, bird hunters and the like would like to kiss good-bye quail, chukar, deer and other game populations, then John Smith has a solution for you: Ban trapping. Of course, once he and his crowd are done with trapping, I’m sure they will turn their attention to a sport that may be closer to your heart. But in the meantime, don’t waste your time bothering John Smith with the facts; he’s off someplace crying wolf. Tracy Truman |
Information about Department of Wildlife questionnaire
The most important subject we want to let all of our members know is
regarding the trapper questionnaire the Department of Wildlife will send
out just after the close of the trapping season.
The importance of the data that we provide the State is what they use in
setting the trapping seasons and demonstrating to the public and to the anti’s
that our furbearer species are being managed. Even though the regulation
requires all trappers to fill out and return the questionnaire, the return rate
has been not as good as it should be. It is very important, that the data they
receive on all harvested furbearers is as complete as possible. As a trapper it
is your responsibility to complete and return the questionnaire.
During 2007, the Nevada Wildlife Commission passed a new regulation regarding
the trapper questionnaire. Everybody better pay attention to this new
regulation. You will not be able to get a trapping license the following year if you
fail to return your harvest report. The exact quote of the regulation
states: “Each person who purchases a trapping license from the Department or
license agent shall complete and return any reporting form or questionnaire
required by the Department. The person must return any such form or
questionnaire regardless of whether the person trapped any fur-bearing mammals
or unprotected species of wildlife during the term of the trapping license.
Except as otherwise provided by an annual regulation of the Commission, the
completed form or questionnaire must be received by the Department no later than
April 30 of each year. Failure to return the form or questionnaire within that
period or the submission of any false information on the form or questionnaire
is cause for the Commission to suspend the trapping license held by the person
and deny the person the right to acquire any trapping license for a period of
one year”.
An accurately filled out trapping questionnaire is just as important as your
deer or elk questionnaire so as soon as you receive it in the mail, fill it out
and send it back. The Department is real serious about this regulation. No one
wants to lose their trapping license over failure to take ten minutes of time to
fill it out and send it in.