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LYNDENN BEHMSun SlabBoiinThe anti fur lobby us targeting young adults in large cities whose understanding of nature comes from watching Disney type films says the president of the Manitoba Trappers Association(Jrant Armstrong, who traps in the Turtle Mountains says he has encountered virtually no opposition when representing the association at fairs, trade shows, or other pub lie functions in rural ManitobaIt us a different story when you get into Winnipeg, because they have no idea what goes on in the country,” Armstrong says 'They do not spend any time in the bush with natureThe anti trapping message ap peals to people whose impressions of nature have been colored by films made to entertain children, he saysI like Walt Disney myself,’ he says, but if you have any know I edge of the outdoors or time spentin tfit* bush, you know those scenes are not true to lifeThe majority of animal rights people arc between 1« and 35 yearsof age and many of their views arecarried over from their childhood daysNature is frequently harsh and animals suffer less when trappedthan when populations grow to levels habitat can t support Armstrong saysFor example high coyote popu lations in the area have led to outbreaks of mange, a disease whichrobs animals of their fur as small organisms burrow into the skin ofthe covotes which then become obsessed with scratching themselves he saysI nable to track down prey in the cold winter, these coyotes slowl die Armstrong I haveseen coyotes where there would not be six square inches of hair on their entire bodyI trapped seven coyotes in myown area last year with mange When beaver populations rise too high in an area the beavers bit* and claw each other m brutal fights over territory They may also cross land in search of water but migrat mg beaver are vulnerable to predators like coyotes he saysIt is a prolonged battle with aMUM*Trappers bring back pine marten to Turtle MountainsLYNDENN BEHMBoi»t«v«lnThe pine marten — a small fur bearing animal that disap peared following sweeping forest fires in l son and 1021 — is being brought back into the Turtle MountainsLast year three of the weasel-like creatures were released into the wilderness and this fall the goal is to put out 15 more, says Grant Armstrong president ofthe Manitoba Trappers As son ation.The martens, which are being transported from the Duck Mountains 600 kilometres north, should eventually become abun dant enough to warrant trapping,Armstrong says.Trappers and the Canadian Wildlife Association are spendingmore than $20,000 on ihe project which is also being supported bythe provincial Natural ResourcesDepartmentHeavy underbrush, which isvital to martens, has grown back and the animals should thrive A female marten produces between three and six offspring a year, says Armstrong, who was unsure how long it would be before there were enough animals to trapMost species of wildlife, in eluding large game, game birds, and fur bearing creatures have re established themselves n the Turtle MountainsBeavers, which disappeared during the droughts of the los, were caught on the Souris andAssmiboine Rivers in the tos and set free in the Turtle Mountains in the same way martens are now being brought into the area he saidHowever, it is doubtfulwhether many more species of animals could be brought into the Turtle Mountains, the forested area about 100 kilometres southof Brandon which straddles theCanada l S t»lt;idel“I think the way it exists now, today, it has pretty well reached its limit in species that it could handle ”lot of fur flying and blood flying Sometimes they can go on for twoor three hoursin contrast a trapped beaverusually dies within five minutesunder water Land animals such ascoyotes are * aught in leg holdtrap'* These traps don t have metal teeth any longer and simply consist of two bar** which clamp onto ananimal s legThe leg isn t hurt saysArmstrong who sprung a trap onhis fingers to pro - e his point The animal is killed when it is foundsays Armstrong who use a 22calibre rifleHe said he will contino* to par ticipate in the associations two programs aimed at combatting the anti fur lobby I'nder the public awareness program booths are at fairs and shows presentations are made to interested groups and information pamphlets are diiMyuted I'nder the school program almut L»d schools in the province are visited each year with rep resentatives of the association and Department of Natural Resourcesfur unit explain the industry, whichemploys 140,000 Canadians,
Newspaper Details
Brandon Sunday
Brandon, Manitoba, CA
Sun, Oct 28, 1990
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Darren A.
CA 16 Jan 2022
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