Lawmakers approve trapping regulation despite the fact nobody likes it

A frustrated deputy wildlife director told the Legislative Commission on Monday a proposed animal trapping regulation nobody likes was the best the Wildlife Commission could draft after multiple meetings with trappers and opponents.

“The result of all those meetings was that nobody was in agreement as to what’s in front of you,” said Jack Robb. “There was no compromise on either side. Both sides basically wanted all or nothing.”

The issue is where traps can be placed and how often trappers must visit them to see if animals or domestic pets have been caught.

Trappers say every 96 hours or more is fine and they don’t think there should be every-other-day visitation requirements across a wide swath of Nevada. Anti-trapping activists including from Trail Safe want more frequent visits not only around urban areas of Reno and Las Vegas but in Elko, around state parks and a variety of other areas.

The commission came up with a statewide 96-hour visitation requirement with every-other-day visits surrounding in urban interface areas around Reno and Las Vegas only.

“We didn’t get much help to do this regulation,” Robb said.

“So basically the commission tried to split the baby,” said Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno.

“That is very accurate,” said Robb.

Sen. Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, moved approval of the regulation saying it was developed in a committee he chaired in 2013, “we need to get this particular issue behind us otherwise it’s going to come up again in ’17 and I don’t think anything is going to get any better.”

In the end, the commission approved the new regulations with only Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks — himself a trapper — opposed.