# Trapping Ban in Chippewa Co.



## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

*Trapping ban proposed to Chippewa County Board*

By SCOTT BRAND/The Evening News

Story created Mar 15, 2006 - 10:58:12 EST. 
SAULT STE. MARIE - Trapping may become a thing of the past in Chippewa County if Soo Township resident Cathy Edgerly has her way as the Chippewa County Board of Commission agreed to refer this proposal to its Legislative and Natural Resources Committee for review.

Edgerly said she was with her two children walking their dogs in Soo Township back in October when one of her dogs- Candi - was caught in a steel-jawed, conibear trap. Her efforts to free the dog were unsuccessful and Edgerly said she thought she had lost the animal by the time her husband arrived on the scene. The story had a happy ending, however, as he was able to free the dog from the trap and it fully recovered from the experience.

Edgerly noted the family was left with a $100 vet bill and the trauma of the incident.

Noting there have been other incidents where people have lost dogs to traps, Edgerly said it was a public safety issue and is now pushing for a county ordinance to prohibit body-gripping devices. The Legislative and Natural Resources Committee has tentatively scheduled a meeting for 5 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss this proposal at the Chippewa County Courthouse. The committee will hear the pros and cons of this matter and presumably make some sort of recommendation to the Chippewa County Commission on this matter.

In other action, the commission made a number of appointments and officially named Kelly Beaune as Acting Controller until a new controller is selected. 
The majority of this body has decided, at least for the foreseeable future, not to make a new hire, said Commissioner Scott Shackleton, making a motion to make Beaune the acting controller, At least until we decide to do something different.

Beaune had been the Assistant to the Controller under both Gordon Newland and Tim Dolehanty, but for more than a year has been serving as the controller since Dolehanty's departure. Shackleton said this action will provide Beaune with the necessary authority to conduct business on behalf of the county until the position is filled.

Commissioner Don Copper provided the lone opposition to the Acting Controller designation and the measure was approved on a 6-1 vote.

The County also appointed William Karr to the Tax Allocation Board and returned Aaron Hopper to the Economic Development Commission.

Finally, Jim Moore and Earl Kay were re-appointed to the Hiawatha Behavioral Health Board on a 6-1 vote, with Cooper providing the sole opposition.


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## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

up,

I just sent this off to the Prez of MTA.

Dave


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

Good, I was thinking that too. Thanks


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Oh boy now I am fired up!! I do all my trapping right now in Chippewa county and heard nothing of this story until now. Needless to say I will be at that courthouse on Tuesday if they let us in!


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## frostbite (Dec 22, 2004)

I would like to hear her side of the story, to see how this all took place. Poor judgement by the trapper? Illegal conni set on land? state land? private land? tresspassing, etc.? What really angers me is why one person feels they can put a end to it all for everybody in that county. Seems rather than to say thats it, they would look into all the legalities involved first and to whom the trap belongs to. Really pees me off:rant:


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

There has got to be someone in the press (local?) that would be willing to get the ENTIRE story here.. Anyone over that way able to thing of anyone?


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## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

Well Frostbite what are you missing about her story?? It happened to the person that also is pushing for this proposal (sp).


It was private land the trap was a 160 and he had permission. The dog was a dashound and its owner was tresspassing, and admited to ingnoring the no tresspassing signs as she entered the land in a letter to the editor she wrote in the same paper.

I stole this from MTA district director for the UP.

Dave


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## woodsrat (Jan 4, 2005)

Time to be heard in large numbers. Letters, phone calls and emails work. Especially from county residents. Everyone else should let them know you spend your tourist dollars there and oppose the thought of such an action.

Chippewa County Board of Commissioners:

*Don Cooper *(906)635-5442
*Earl Kay *(906)635-1045
*Scott Shackleton*(906)635-1232
*Bernard LaJoie*(906)647-7661
*Ted Postula *(906)297-8481
*Jim Moore *(906)495-5144
*Richard Timmer*(906)437-5470
*Chippewa County* *General E-mail* *(906)635-6330**[email protected]*


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Woodsrat,
I will most definately be at tuesdays meeting assuming they let us in! How can a person knowing that she trespassed without permission even think about pursuing this seeing she was the only violater in this particular situation and then say conibears are a danger and a public safety issue??? She should have been issued a ticket if she knew she was tressapassing!!


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Woodsrat,

Thanks for all the information you posted I hope other trappers from this area and other areas in the state let their voices be heard I just sent an email to that address. Otter


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

I sent an email as a conserned resident of the UP.


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## Yoopertrapper (Jan 24, 2006)

Ditto to that!!!


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## Quack_head (Oct 11, 2005)

I also will be waiting on the courthouse steps tuesday along with a few buddies. Will try and fill everybody in as we get more information. see ya there otter


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Quack Head,
We will have to get the whole school there or at least everyone we know!! Ditto see ya there!


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## zeronine (Nov 25, 2005)

County of Chippewa Michigan,

My name is Matthew and I am a resident of Oakland County Michigan though I do all of my vacationing up in your neck of the woods. I have heard recent rumblings that your county is going to be looking into a proposal to ban the sport of trapping and I wanted to take this opportunity to voice my displeasure with any such proposal. 

A recent news article was run describing an incident in which a woman was trespassing (in Chippewa County) while walking her dog and it was caught in a legally placed body gripping trap. It appears that this woman (who walked her pet beyond "no trespassing signs") now wants trapping banned in the entire county because she and her dog suffered at the hands of a trapper.

Let me say in my most humble tone that this type of incident could've been avoided had your resident followed the law and not set foot number one onto the land of another without permission.

I for one will not sit on my hands and watch the freedoms of outdoors people in Michigan county's be taken from them without getting totally and completely involved - this means I will lobby, protest and boycott if necessary any and all jurisdictions considering such bans.

I spend alot of money every year supporting your small towns and I spend a great deal of luxury cash in Sault Ste. Marie, vacationing there sometimes five times a year. I am the head of a professional association in metro Detroit and I rub elbows with men and women of extreme influence everyday in my field. I am a master of the art of debate and when I speak, others listen closely. 

I am not the type of person that Chippewa County wants lobbying against it in the future neither near or far. My ability to reach people WILL have an impact on any community that chooses to turn a blind eye to common sense and instead cave in to the complaints of those who lack the ability to obey the law and common sense as a whole.

I await your sound judgement in this upcoming decision,
Matt


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## Quack_head (Oct 11, 2005)

Matt, Thank you for sending your well stated letter,

I encourage more and more people to send a letter, This is not something we can sit back and watch happen. I know of atleast 5 very outspoken Chippewa county resident trappers that learned of this within the last half hour and will be at the courthouse tuesday evening.

Please send an email or call and voice your opinion. We need the support of trappers everywhere. Thank you 

-Quack_Head


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## lang49 (Aug 1, 2005)

Two things should occur here:

1. The landowner should press changes for unlawful tresspassing. Considering that the woman involved has already admitted to tresspassing- this should be an easy case to make.

2. The Trapper should file a hunter/Trapper harrasment complaint. The reg states "Hunters and anglers in Michigan have the right to enjoy their sport free from deliberate interference." Because the women has stated that she knew the property was private and entered anyway- Her presence on the property was deliberate- and her actions (or her dog's actions) did interfere with the legal taking of game.

We need to stop being so passive. Its time to use existing laws to our advantage to discourage illegal activities by ignorant citizens.

Thanks,
Andrew


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

lang49,

The only problem with pressing charges for tresspassing is the landowner at the time was asked if he wanted to press charges and he said no this area is too small to do that. I am assuming he didn't want bad blood about him in town for pressing tresspass charges. So I would imagine it is far too late to do that now. I totally agree with you that she is the law breaker here and should have been charged, but that didn't happen.


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## HTC (Oct 6, 2005)

2. The Trapper should file a hunter/Trapper harrasment complaint. The reg states "Hunters and anglers in Michigan have the right to enjoy their sport free from deliberate interference." Because the women has stated that she knew the property was private and entered anyway- Her presence on the property was deliberate- and her actions (or her dog's actions) did interfere with the legal taking of game.

 

How much are dashound skins going for anyways?


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## zeronine (Nov 25, 2005)

HTC said:


> 2. The Trapper should file a hunter/Trapper harrasment complaint. The reg states "Hunters and anglers in Michigan have the right to enjoy their sport free from deliberate interference." Because the women has stated that she knew the property was private and entered anyway- Her presence on the property was deliberate- and her actions (or her dog's actions) did interfere with the legal taking of game.
> 
> 
> 
> How much are dashound skins going for anyways?


The cost of a .22 long LOL!


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