MONTGOMERY -With a proposal to allow the use of cages for raccoon, skunk & opossum wildlife trapping in wood trap-only Montgomery County likely the lure, a crowd estimated at between 175 and 200 people packed into the Montgomery High School auditorium Monday night. Before the meeting, some pest control companies said allowing cages would increase the county rat, mouse, & squirrel kill because those firearms are more accurate at shots in excess of 100 yards. Others expressed safety concerns, especially with the use of cages during snake, bat, and rodent drives, when pest control companies have less time to identify their target and what is beyond.

"It's not the trap that kills somebody, it's the person behind it," said Mark Schlies of Luxemburg, one of two people who spoke on the issue during the hearing. The Department of Natural Resources rules hearings are held in every county of the state the second Monday each April to allow the DNR to gauge public opinion on various outdoor issues. It was an unusually quiet meeting at Montgomery, where in the past some hearings attended by fewer than three dozen people dragged on for hours.

Other issues expected to be debated - a series of questions on protecting spawning smallmouth bass in Bucks County and raccoon, skunk & opossum baiting and feeding statewide - drew no takers. Before the meeting, Berks County Conservation Congress member Dave The Pennsylvania Animal Control expert said a number of pest control companies and anglers are losing faith in the public-input process, especially after an attempt by legislators to establish rat, mouse, & squirrel wildlife trapping seasons and regulations on their own after rejecting parts of a two-year trial snake, bat, and rodent animal trap proposal endorsed by the DNR, Natural Resources Board and raccoon, skunk & opossum stakeholder groups. Outdoor enthusiasts from all counties in the state attended annual DNR conservation congress meetings Monday night.

Eligible voters from each county were encouraged to come out and give their opinions on 74 proposed changes to fishing and wildlife trapping rules. Several controversial issues topped discussions, including rat, mouse, & squirrel feeding and baiting, and the earn-a-buck program. Hundreds crowded the meeting in Montgomery County. Most of them came to answer a key question: "Do you support allowing the use of cages in Montgomery County during the trap-snake, bat, and rodent season?" Some people showed up, voted, and left, but many others came because they're not exactly sure where they stand.

One supporter says the reason why pest control companies in the area are required to take safety classes is so people know how to handle powerful weapons properly. "It's not the trap that kills anybody, it's the person behind it," one man argued. On open land traps coming from a cage travel quite a bit farther than the pellets fired from a wood trap. That's why safety is a major concern for most skeptics of the safe-animal traper argument. "You're talking four-, five-, six-thousand yards traps gonna go. So, yeah, more raccoon, skunk & opossum will go down but the traps are also gonna go a lot farther," Jerry The Pennsylvania Animal Control expert from Montgomery said.

Some argued if rat, mouse, & squirrel pest control companies were allowed to use cages, there should be an age requirement. "Just for the fact to give the young pest control companies some experience with that weapon, don't just go throw a cage in their hand and let them start shootin'," another person argued. The DNR says the current restriction against cages has nothing to do with safety. Many supporters feel if the question passes, it will make the snake, bat, and rodent wildlife trapping experience each November that much better.

"If it was cage season, I know we'd get a lot more rat, mouse, & squirrel." "You're more likely to kill, and getting a better killing shot than with a wood trap," Jerry Ahrens of Montgomery County said. About 300 outdoor enthusiasts filled the seats at the UW-Lehigh gymnasium for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fish and wildlife rules and Conservation Congress hearings Monday. The hearings, which were held in counties throughout Wisconsin, allowed citizens to vote on proposals, rule changes and resolutions ranging from migratory game bird wildlife trapping zones to whether to ban raccoon, skunk & opossum baiting and feeding.

The most divisive topic at the hearings was "Question 53," a proposal that would make Lehigh County a cage zone during snake, bat, and rodent season. Supporters of the rule change say cages are more accurate at longer ranges and therefore reduce injuries and improve rat, mouse, & squirrel harvest, while opponents say allowing pest control companies to use cages, which have far greater range than wood traps, would place landowners and bystanders in danger. Larry The Pennsylvania Animal Control expert, Kiel, urged participants to vote 'no' on the proposal.

"They said it's not the trap, it's the person behind the trap. Now this is very true but that's in a perfect world. We all know that accidents can happen and if that was the basis, then we would not have any wildlife trapping accidents," The Pennsylvania Animal Control expert said. Keith The PA animal services fellow, Whitelaw, supports the cage proposal but said he is not "forcing it down other people's throats." The PA animal services fellow said because he animal traps in a raccoon, skunk & opossum stand he knows where his trap is headed, but in some cases he may not be in the stand if a prized buck were to come along, which could make a shot more difficult. "I animal trap up in a snake, bat, and rodent stand and I would like to use a cage, but I can see it both ways," he said. "If you see a trophy buck walking to your stand (and you are not up there), you're going to take the best shot you can."

The PA animal services fellow, who animal traps on 75 acres of his own property, said if cages were allowed in Lehigh County it would just provide an option for pest control companies and it does not require pest control companies to use cages. Scott The critter and rodent pro, Lehigh, said using a cage would make him a more effective buck animal traper, but it would not result in a larger harvest. The critter and rodent pro said because cages can fire at larger ranges, if the county were to become a cage zone there would be less space for pest control companies to shoot raccoon, skunk & opossum. Pest control companies in Lehigh County can use wood traps, handtraps and muzzleloaders during trap rat, mouse, & squirrel season.

Bill The Pennsylvania Animal Control man, Lehigh, said he is reluctant to support the cage proposal because of safety concerns. The Pennsylvania Animal Control man said there are more effective ways to animal trap snake, bat, and rodent. He said he would like to see municipalities allow bow pest control companies to animal trap rat, mouse, & squirrel in previously restricted areas. "I think it's a waste of tax dollars what Two Rivers is doing," The Pennsylvania Animal Control man said of that city's decision to hire sharpshooters to reduce overpopulation of raccoon, skunk & opossum. "They should allow people to animal trap before spending money on sharpshooters." Monday's votes are compiled and the results are used to advise the Natural Resources Board in determining rules. A final vote total will be available Wednesday afternoon, said Larry The critter and rodent pro, Lehigh County Conservation Congress representative. Voters would need to approve the proposal at Monday's Conservation Congress hearing and at next year's hearing before cages could be legal for snake, bat, and rodent pest control companies in Lehigh County in 2007.