To the Editor:

Ah, autumn in Vermont. The grip of the summer heat has broken, the evening air is crisp, there’s a new apple harvest, cider donuts, and leaves crunching underfoot. But something else may also be crunching: an animal’s bones as its limb is crushed between the jaws of a steel-jawed leghold trap. We don’t hear a lot about this from Vermont Fish & Wildlife and that’s by design. From a PR perspective, trapping is best left hidden from public view. 

If you’re planning on spending time outdoors, remember that Vermont’s recreational trapping season begins on October 24th and runs through March 31st. Bobcats, foxes, river otters and other animals labeled as “furbearers” are the intended victims of this recreational activity. 

Let’s dive a little deeper and look at what actually goes on. For one thing, there are no limits on the number of traps that can be set on a trapline, nor is any signage required to warn of the presence of traps, which can be perilously close to trails. Moreover, traps are not selective. They are just as likely to catch an unintended victim as a targeted one. That victim could just as likely be a threatened or endangered species. Regardless, traps cause extreme suffering, often resulting in painful injuries. Animals may even chew off their own limbs to free themselves. So, the animal may “escape” the trap, but will die of its injuries – a cruel, prolonged, and totally unnecessary waste of life. 

And traps don’t only catch wildlife. Thanks to the absence of a signage requirement, every year an untold number of dogs and cats are also caught, some right in front of their humans. Or perhaps Fluffy doesn’t return home one evening (why she was let out on her own is another issue). If some other fate didn’t befall her, she may have been attracted by the tempting aroma of the bait (anything is fair game) in a trap and subsequently fallen victim to “shoot, shovel, and shut up” – the practice of disposing of trap bycatch. 

The fact is, trapping is largely unregulated, especially trapping out of season “in defense of property.” The regulations that are in place are nearly impossible to enforce. Trappers will tell you that their traps are more “humane” now. If you’re so inclined, take a close look at these so-called more humane traps and see what you think. Steel-jawed leghold traps are the trap of choice in Vermont, and there’s no making them humane, regardless of what euphemisms they attach. And while you’re at it, try to release one. 

In addition to leghold traps, body-crushing kill traps are also legal, even on land. These traps are designed to kill — if the “wrong” animal is trapped, there is no releasing them. Other states only allow kill traps when placed underwater, but not Vermont. 

What this boils down to is the stalemate between two diametrically-opposed worldviews. One maintains that wildlife is a resource to be taken as humans see fit. To me, this seriously begs the question of how one can derive enjoyment out of violently ending the life of another being — not out of necessity, not for food — but simply for recreation or “tradition”. The other view is that wildlife deserves greater protections from exceptionally cruel methods of capture. It is entirely possible to spend all the time one wants enjoying the outdoors without willfully causing prolonged suffering to a sentient being. Honestly, don’t we get more than enough violence and suffering on the news every … minute?

-Lisa Jablow, Brattleboro

My Fellow Vermonters:

Vermont is in trouble, and Vermonters across our great little State deserve answers and better leadership under the Gold Dome. From our individual rights, businesses, rural farms and small towns to our cities and growing communities, working families are struggling with affordability, housing costs, property taxes, energy bills, public safety, economic development, and the future of our children’s education. The question is no longer whether Vermont faces serious challenges. The question is why, after approximately three decades of predominantly Democratic-Progressive legislative majorities, so many hard working Vermonters feel that their government is making life harder rather than easier.

The consequences of public policy are felt in every corner of our state. Working families are being squeezed, young people are questioning whether they can afford to stay, businesses face mounting costs, and property owners worry about whether they can keep what they have worked a lifetime to build, and rural Vermonters working the land and farms are not happy.

Vermonter’s across the Green Mountains are saying; Enough is Enough. Vermonters deserve a government that listens to the people who pay the bills, not just the special interests and organized lobbying groups seeking to influence policy in Montpelier.

Organizations such as Rural Vermont Rising are helping to bring citizens together to demand a voice in decisions affecting their livelihoods, property rights, and communities. That message must reach every corner of Vermont. Farmers, homeowners, parents, small-business owners, workers, and taxpayers all deserve a meaningful place in the legislative process. All must be heard!

Our Legislature must confront the consequences of its decisions on affordability, taxation, education, property taxes, housing, pension funding, homelessness, and public safety. energy policy, creating jobs, home heat standards, the Global Warming Solutions Act, and the California vehicle-emissions standards all warrant transparent debate about costs, benefits, and impacts on Vermont families, and ways the measure the programs succes or failures.

Education policy demands the same scrutiny. Vermont must examine school spending, declining enrollment, student outcomes, and the long-term sustainability of its education system. Current leadership just want to throw more and more money at it all. Parents must have a meaningful voice in their children’s education. Taxpayers deserve accountability for every dollar spent, and families should not be sidelined when decisions affect their children. Parents and guardians must have a part in their childs educational decisions. Parents rights is real.

The Vermont-NEA, the Vermont Principals’ Association, and the Vermont Superintendents Association participate in education-policy discussions. Their perspectives deserve consideration, but they should not outweigh the voices of parents, taxpayers, and local communities. No special interest should have a monopoly on Vermont’s public-policy debate.
The same standard must apply to every legislative committee. Public hearings should provide meaningful opportunities for opposing viewpoints, questions, and evidence. Vermonters should never feel that decisions have already been made before they walk through the committee-room doors.

For too long, critics argue, Vermont’s policy direction has reflected the priorities of Democrat-Progressive leaders and influential advocacy groups without sufficient attention to the costs borne by ordinary citizens. That criticism deserves a serious response, not dismissal.

Vermont needs accountability, fiscal responsibility, affordable energy, sustainable schools, safe communities, respect for property rights, economic development policy, and genuine parental involvement. When policies fail to deliver, lawmakers must be willing to acknowledge the problem and change course.

On November 3, 2026, Vermonters will have an opportunity to evaluate the record of their elected representatives. Every candidate and every party should be challenged to explain how their policies will make life more affordable, strengthen communities, and restore public confidence in state government.

Our future cannot depend on political promises alone. It must be built on measurable results, honest debate, and respect for the people.

Montpelier does not own Vermont. The people of Vermont are the government’s foundation. It is time for their voices to be heard, their concerns to be addressed, and their future to come first.

-Gregory Thayer