LETTER: I-177 will protect animals

This is in response to the letter from the trapper from Plains about Initiative 177 dealing with trapping on public land.

Just imagine the pain an animal caught in a trap experiences when it chews off its paw or leg. It’s a pain that most humans can’t even comprehend. Imagine that animal trying to defend itself from another predator while its leg is caught in a trap.

Most trappers have no doubt read Initiative 177 and know that it has nothing to do with hunting and it has nothing to do with fishing. They only bring this up as a scare tactic.

As a citizen of Montana, do you want trappers to keep their traps on their own private property, or do you want them to set traps on your public land ?

I have a T-shirt that reads “Get a feel for fur: Slam your fingers in a car door for 96 hours.”

Please vote to approve Initiative 177. —Charlotte Heldstab, Whitefish