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.
