Subsistence hunters and trappers in rural and Indigenous communities cause animal welfare harms through wounding, trap-related suffering, and killing methods that vary widely in humaneness.
Subsistence hunting and trapping occupy a welfare space that requires cultural sensitivity alongside honest welfare assessment. Indigenous and rural communities who hunt and trap for food and income have legitimate claims to these practices, and many maintain traditional ethics that minimize unnecessary suffering. Yet leghold traps, rarely-checked trap lines, and wounding rates in subsistence hunting cause real and often prolonged animal suffering. Supporting access to more humane equipment and shorter trap check intervals serves both welfare goals and respectful engagement with subsistence hunting communities.