Tired of Hunting and Gathering? How About Trapping?

I'm working on my weekly entertainment column, focusing on things to do in National Parks in the upcoming weeks, and I was surprised to discover you're allowed to trap in the Big Thicket Natural Preserve in Texas. This seems significantly creepier than hunting and I think that's because when you're trapping you're not in control over what's happening. You leave these things around and they can catch anything that comes along, even things you would never dream of shooting at when hunting, and they can be in any condition. They can be in pretty serious pain until you come along and finish them off, or set them free, or whatever you want to do. It's not what I would call responsible and I'm dismayed to find out we allow it in our parks.

When I was in seventh grade we lived next to these boys who put traps in our backyard and tortured the animals they caught. They also used to torture us and when I would let the animals out of the traps they would hurt me until one day they held me up with a rifle, cut up a little bird and smeared it all over my face. It's possible my view of trapping is tainted by these ex neighbors of ours...