Update: Unfortunately, the Senate did not support this legislation.
Bill Description: If passed, this bill would prohibit the recreational or commercial trappingof bears. The exceptions are that traps could be used to capture bears if human health and safety were jeopardized, or for scientific research, or to abate property damage.
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Bear traps are arbitrary and antiquated. These devices case immense suffering as the animals they capture may die of dehydration, starvation, or predation from other animals if the trapper fails to check the device soon after the animal stumbles into it. Furthermore, these devices are not species-selective. They are indiscriminate and sometimes catch and kill non-target animals, including family cats and dogs and endangered species.