AGM Call to Action
 

When talking about the snaring issue it was mentioned that Minister Philips had received 20 letters against snaring and she was going to have to address the issue. She and the gov't believe that every letter they receive represents 500 like-minded people. 500!! So for all us whiners on here just sending a letter we could run that total into the hundreds of thousands. It was stressed that on line petitions were worthless but a 3 or 4 line letter was priceless.

I will add my own experience in dealings with the gov't. Keep the letter to a single subject. A couple of lines supporting trapping and snaring. Perhaps point out what it would cost the GOA to take care of the 40 to 80,000 coyotes a year we manage for the province for free! Or mention that for every dog caught in a snare there are dozens ran over daily in Edmonton. A run over dog is the owner’s fault not the driver, a dog in the snare is not the law abiding trappers fault. Help these people think on the subject and see the world through our eyes.

If you have more than one subject send another letter. Send the letter to your MLA, the minister and the head of the opposition. Folks are shocked about the defense fund ask, (which we desperately need) but here is something we can do for free and in an unlimited way. We can let them know we will not go quietly into the night and that there is a cost for dealing with us. Also write your MLA and ask him/her their stance on trapping. Open a dialogue where you point out this is important consideration for you before voting.

There is so much more we can do than whine on here folks. If they don't know there are people who care about trapping why would they support us against the antis? Here is how we help our president and board help us.

OK this post is way to long for a letter, but you get my drift. How about we post up some letters we write here and any response we get? I'll get one up shortly and I'll get this same call to action up on some FB pages and social media. Rich

Indeed Rich, this is definitely something I am personally doing and agree. Working together will get us much further ahead than the whiners spouting out filth!!

I wrote my letters (in my head) on the drive home.

If you don't like free roaming dogs, write the minister a short letter. Ask your landowners to do the same, as livestock producers.

I set Magnum Alberta Powersnares once right in the city of Calgary, under damage permit, had zero problems because there were no free roaming dawgs running at large. Instead there was order and there was no problems.

Dear Minister Philips,
I have heard you are a farm girl and understand the issues of both coyote predation and uncontrolled dogs. As a trapper in Alberta I wish to let you know that taking away our most useful tool, the snare, would greatly reduce trappers ability to control coyotes and wolves. Yes, snares are lethal, to both coyotes and dogs alike. But for every dog caught in a legally set trap or snare how many are run over every day in Edmonton? When a dog is run over it is the dog owners fault for not controlling the dog, not the driver of the car. When a dog ends up in my legally set snare in the middle of my quarter of land miles from its home it is also the fault of the dog owner for not controlling their animal. Minister we need some help in carrying that message to the public. The flurry of beaver attacks this spring in Edmonton are nothing compared to 40,000 extra coyotes on the landscape should trappers be stopped from harvesting the surplus. Trappers are the buffer between the animals and civilization. Many city dwellers today don’t understand this but without trappers doing this for free the government would incur millions of dollars in expenses to fill the roll.
Thank you for your attention to this.
Rich

awesome idea 209x50 . was wondering if you had the snail mail address for the minister. please post . thanks.

I will do.

Are people emailing or writing the letter themselves and mailing it out?


Could I please get the adress?

Thanks,Eric

Well said ..:happy0034:

If you want to lick a stamp that is excellent, but I would email all intended and just make note at the bottom of the email that hard copies would follow by Canada post. Here you go.
Phillips, Shannon, Honourable
Minister of Environment and Parks, Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office
Members of Executive Council
Executive Branch
208 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2B6

Phone: 780 427-2391
Fax: 780 422-6259
E-mail: aep.minister@gov.ab.ca

Thank you Rich,i will be sending mine after work

The ATA website has a link to MLAs and MPs on the bottom of the home page. http://www.albertatrappers.com

AEP Minister's Response
 

24 October 2017

Thank you for your email regarding the use of snares to manage predator populations in Alberta. I welcome the opportunity to provide the following information.

The Government of Alberta is committed to ensuring that all of our wildlife populations remain important elements of Alberta's biodiversity and are sustainable for future generations. We are also committed to making thoughtful decisions about wildlife management that are based on science and the best available evidence.

Our government conforms to the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards. Trapping, including the use of snares, is an important tool used in managing both coyotes and wolves, and is considered humane under the agreement. Environment and Parks is currently working with other Canadian jurisdictions on a research project to inform the development of new snare designs which maximize humane capture and minimize incidental catches.

Coyotes and wolves are valued components of Alberta's wildlife heritage and must be managed responsibly to ensure sustainable populations while minimizing conflicts with livestock and people.

Thank you again for sharing your perspective on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Shannon Phillips
Minister

Received the same letter today.

I got the same email today as well. At least they respond in some fashion.

Got the same canned email.

What a joke! The government is gonna look into devoloping snare technology that maximizes humanness and minimizes non targets! Really! Look were we have taken snare technology over the last decade in this regard. Or should I say a certain member of the panel has almost single handedly dome so. The best tech in the world was developed right in Alberta. Good luck improving on it if that is what they are referring too eh Marty! If not what they meant then pointless rant I suppose

I will be sending an email tomorrow .
I no longer actively trap but I hunt over bird dogs and my hunting partners and I hunt both crown land that is actively trapped and private land .
Trying to regulate snaring so non trappers can run dogs without worry is a rediculous idea
IMO because the OWNER of the pet should be accountable NOT the trapper .

We have had encounters with bear baits , old cabin sites,porcupines , barbed wire and Russian Olive trees just to name a few hazards .
We are responsible for our dogs in these instances, why should we not be responsible if we run into snares or traps?

Nothing gets my anger up more than someone wanting some else to change because they don't like what the other person is legally doing , especially when it comes to hintongband trapping .
Cat

Reference to the Outdoorsman Cat...

I do appreciate the way this man’s mind works!!!

Completely functional, non-deranged, non-entitled...

Must be a Gen-X er

Nope, baby boomer - but one that knows both his rights AND obligations as an outdoorsman !:)
Cat

There is some snare testing happening. The claim is that there is a scientific process in motion and that it will take some time. The trappers of Alberta are without a doubt, the most advanced snare user group on the continent as far as the use of quick kill humane snares are concerned, and many trappers the continent over have made the switch to modernized humane killing neck snares.

Do note, not all trappers everywhere are on the same page. Many claim the new technology is not necessary.

I do have my eye on this process.

I thank you for your system Marty .. One only has to check a few youtube sites to see how far in the dust that the U.S. trappers really are . I mean , Washer snare locks ? Pennies with holes drilled in them ? Etc ... :snapoutofit: The Senneker systen with extensions and snares seperate, kill springs and breakaways , dont see any one that has a better mousetrap so to speak . :happy0034:As far as some trappers thinking that we dont need this new technology , many of their methods are the reason we are under attack . Like it or not , we are all under scrutiny now .

x2 Thanks Marty

Looks like we all got the same personalized attention .. Got the same reply today to my letter .

At least we got replies.....lol. Two years ago our little anti trapping friend organized an anti snaring letter writing campaign and the head F&W fella told them to stop writing the letters and that they would no longer reply to them. He went crazy on his facebook group bashing the NDP and I loved every minute of it. :sHa_sarcasticlol: