Content Standards

Voluntary adoption of these content standards for trapper education by state fish and wildlife agencies was recommended at the March 2005 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Business Meeting.

• Students demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of trapping and trapper education in today’s society.
• Students use knowledge of history, public attitudes about wildlife, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to understand regulated trapping as a legitimate activity.
• Students use knowledge of furbearer management principles, practices, and issues to explain current management programs in their state.
• Students demonstrate the ability to understand, support, and comply with trapping regulations.
• Students understand Best Management Practices for Trapping are needed to address animal welfare, trapping efficiency, selectivity, and safety in furbearer management programs.
• Students demonstrate the ability to identify types of traps, prepare traps for use, and safely operate traps.
• Students identify essential and non-essential clothing and equipment used to set traps and run a trapline.
• Students explain responsible use of lure, bait, and urine to attract furbearers to sets.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of trapping principles and techniques that increase selectivity of sets.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of the procedures for making safe, effective, and selective sets in or near water.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of the procedures for making safe, effective, and selective sets on land.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of cable devices, and responsible techniques for using them.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of potential risks to their personal health, safety, and welfare from trapping activities.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to safely and responsibly harvest furbearing animals using best management practices.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of the full value of harvested furbearers.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, skills, and equipment needed to safely skin animals and prepare the pelts for market.
• Students demonstrate an awareness of their responsibilities to landowners, wildlife, other outdoor users, and the public.