Hey, Gordon! Ask Him If Trapping’s Humane

Gordon. Batcheller is the Supervising Wildlife Biologist of the NYS Bureau of Wildlife.

He specializes in “furbearer management.” About a year ago, Mr. Batcheller gave a presentation to the European Union to request that they accept “humanely trapped U.S. small wildlife.” He referred to the humaneness of the conibear trap, in particular, for providing only a “brief period” to irreversible unconsciousness.

Today was the fourth time in the last two years that I’ve dealt with a fully conscious animal in a conibear trap. The length of time in all cases since the animal entered the trap until it dragged itself to someone’s front lawn is undetermined. Yet the animals remained totally defensive at the time of my capture. All these cases were reported to Mr. Batcheller’s department without any follow-up.

I wonder how many 24-hour periods Mr. Batcheller would estimate it would take a young male raccoon to reach irreversible unconsciousness with a conibear clamped straight across his penis and lower back? My guess is a heck of a lot longer than it would take for an urbane individual like this wildlife manager in the same position.

No one wanted the little man to live more than he and I.  But you will understand from the photographs. MARILYN LEYBRA IS A WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR WHO ALSO HOLDS A “NUISANCE CONTROL” LICENSE IN NYS.

Whatever was Gordon thinking? Ask him! Gordon Batchellor can be reached at: – 518-439-8083 If any “good news” could come of this, perhaps it will. Marilyn showed his little mangled body to Rockland County NY Legislator Kenneth Zebrowski who is reintroducing a modified trapping law again in January. The first outright ban was successfully challenged by the NYS DEC who used the preemption statute to deny Rockland’s right to “home rule.” The statute gives the state control over the “protection” of wildlife. The ban had been passed unanimously by the entire legislature of Rockland.