Let's start our November news roundup by celebrating the trapping victory in Montana. Bill i-177, which would have prohibited the use of animal traps on public lands, was voted down. Well done Montanans!

In other trapping news, raccoons are part of a legal battle in New Jersey, with animal rights activists fighting against the use of enclosed foothold traps. Did we mention these raccoons are rabid? Let's hope it doesn't take a major outbreak of rabies to make this court case go away. Speaking of legal battles, there is one under way in Maine over incidental lynx trapping (see above), whereas in Canada there has been a proposed private members bill to designate May 20 as National Seal Products Day. We love this idea and give it our seal of approval.

As we are full on into trapping season, it's worth sharing a few good reads from last month. Here's an interesting piece on the impact of the trade of Amazonian furs in the mid-20th century. Gregory Thompson did a great job giving us tips and advice on maintaining good relationships with the landowners of the land you trap on. And this piece about the use of coyote furs on Canada Goose parkas is also a great read. Lastly, we were thrilled to hear that Neal Jotham got a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Museum of Nature for his central role in the creation and adoption of international standards on humane animal traps used in the fur industry. We also featured him in our blog earlier this year.

Let's move on to a topic that is a bit more ... fashionable. Canada Goose has opened a new store in New York City (see above), and it includes a few fashionable pieces, like a silk parka from a collaboration they did with Opening Ceremony. While the parka sure looks nice, we are pretty sure the main reason why people buy Canada Goose, or any item with fur, is because it is warm. That's a concept we explored in a blog post, where we discussed the fact that fur is not just for fashion. So if you are looking to keep warm this winter, check out our guide to buying vintage fur, have a look at Lilly e Violetta's everyday furs, or check out the kangaroo fur shoes that all the celebrities are wearing.

The animal rights activists stooped to new lows last month when one protested a veterans parade to push her vegan agenda, and when this sustainable school got death threats for teaching small-scale family farming. Stella McCartney and Morrissey, two of the most annoying celebrity animal rights activists, also got media attention for harping on about the same old thing, over and over again. We of course loved this article about how vegetarianism and veganism are destroying the planet - it is a good one to read and share. And we explained the truth behind one of PETA's (many) lies: that fur farming in the U.S. is not regulated.

Some final thoughts ...

Do you need Christmas tree decoration ideas? How about decorations made of fur? They didn't go down too well in this hotel in Munich but we would gladly take the fur fir tree off their hands.

Have you ever wanted to witness the miracle of child birth? Yeah, it's not for everyone, but we are all about witnessing fawn birth. This video is beautiful.

Our most-shared Instagram post was one of these guys wearing buffalo fur coats (see above). We're pretty sure you won't get cold wearing these!

What would you do if your dog ran into a wolf? Most of us would run, but this guy stupidly stuck around to film it. At least it makes for some interesting viewing.

Going out into the woods this season? We loved this handy list of essentials for the wild.

Lastly, it is the holiday season, and that means it's time to indulge a little. Just don't end up like this drunk squirrel, ok?

Every month, as I read through the past month's fur news headlines, I think to myself, "Wow, this animals rights activism story is even stupider than the ones from last month." This month is no exception. In fact, June might be hard to beat because the activists have been up to some seriously stupid stuff. Let's have a look.

In this article, PETA suggests that eating a burger is the same as eating your dog (pictured above). It is also campaigning to get Lululemon to stop using goose down in its jackets, and replace it with something synthetic. Great idea! Let's "save" the geese by replacing them with petroleum-based products instead - so much safer for the animals and the environment, right? But this shouldn't come as a surprise, given that these people value the life of a gorilla over that of a 3-year-old boy and think that setting fire to buses is going to further their cause.

Can you handle a bit more stupid? Here are our top three seriously stupid animal rights shenanigans from June.

Third place goes to the woman who spent $300 to get a lobster from the grocery store back into the sea. I guess she doesn't realise that buying lobsters only contributes to demand, and her particular lobster was probably caught again 20 minutes after its release. (Grocery stores are all, like, "Lobster sales are going up! Even vegans are buying 'em!")

Second place goes to the vile, disgusting PETA people who are using the Orlando shooting as ammunition (pardon the pun!) for their anti-hunting agenda. America's largest mass shooting does not, I repeat, DOES NOT, deserve to be compared to hunting deer. EVER!

Deer Vasectomies?

Speaking of deer, the first place spot goes to the imbecile who thinks the best way to control the deer population on Staten Island is to start a 2 million dollar a year male deer vasectomy program, which the New York Department of Environmental Conservation thinks is a bad idea, and will have “limited effectiveness” and be “unable to quickly reduce deer-human conflicts.”

And let's give the special runner-up award to Kimberly Sherriton, a housewife in Long Island who organised a series of protests outside a farm because she wanted to save the life of a cow that they were going to slaughter to eat. The best part? Her solution was, "Please, tell him to go to Whole Foods and go get some antibiotic-free beef there." Because Whole Foods sells beef from cows that weren't slaughtered, right? I can't even deal with this level of stupid.

If you haven't heard enough about the animal rights activists, then read about the crazy things animal rights activists say (some of these are quite disturbing), how animal-rights extremists endanger animals, four ways mainstream animal rights movements are oppressive, and the ugly truth about PETA.

Renowned Trapper

Moving on to the furry stuff! We just posted this piece about a renowned Canadian trapper on our blog (pictured below), definitely worth a read and if you want to know more, he's written a book about his life! This is a great video on trapping, entitled Meet Your Local Trapper, and Vice has once again shown its support for hunting and trapping by publishing How to Make It as a Fur Trapper in Northern Alberta. Ever wondered why mink is the world's favourite fur? We sure did, and that's why we wrote this blog post about mink fur.

If you are struggling to find ways to include fur in your summer wardrobe (the struggle is real, people) then Vogue's piece 14 Ways to Wear Fur All Summer Long has some really useful tips. If you are in a shopping mood, then you'll be pleased to hear that Kluger Furs has expanded and Adrienne Landau is now selling online, thanks to Beyoncé and Madonna. And if you are looking for a few soft materials to fill in the gaps of your fur wardrobe (maybe the summer mink ideas weren't working for you?) then keep an eye out for this new blend: perino.

A few more links worth reading:

When activists tell you that the majority of Americans think wearing fur is wrong, then they are lying. Americans think wearing fur is more acceptable than medical testing on animals, cloning, and extramarital affairs.

Want a job after college? Study agriculture - possibly one of the most secure fields of all.

Does real fur biodegrade faster than fake fur? We are doing a test called The Great Fur Burial.

We all know black, brown, grizzly, and polar bears, but have you heard of the pizzly bear?

Looking for a new job? Looks like there's an opening for a reindeer herder in the Northwest Territories (pictured above).

We don't mind breastfeeding in public, but we don't recommend doing it in the middle of the road. And yes, this is vaguely fur-related :)

Let's start our September 2015 Fur in the News roundup with some fashion news because September sees the launch of the Fall and Winter collections and that means FUR SEASON!!

Usually, when we think about fur we think coats, scarves, jackets, or hats, but this year it is all about the fur shoe. There was uniform experiment's gorgeous sealskin loafers, the "loafur" trend, these kangaroo fur-lined shoes from Gucci and a pair of fur heels that appear to be quite difficult to walk in. If fur shoes aren't your thing, how about mink bikinis?

If you prefer more traditional fur pieces, then join us in salivating over the gorgeous furs in this new Blackglama video, and if you are super traditional, you might be interested in reading about these sealskin garments paired with caribou antler jewelry.

The last fashion story in this month's roundup is the blog post by Mark Oaten, CEO of the International Fur Federation, about Hugo Boss' hypocritical "no fur" stance.

Since we are full swing into harvest season, let's talk a bit about farming. Did you know it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world? Here is part three in our series entitled A Year on a Mink Farm, now the mink are growing up and leaving the nest, literally. Ever wonder what happens to the rest of the mink after the fur has been taken? This video shows how 100% of the mink is used. And lastly, this blog post talks about the history of fox fur farming on Prince Edward Island, with some commentary from our Senior Researcher, Alan Herscovici.

It's a known fact around here that PETA is pretty evil (they won't even answer any questions about why they kill so many of their shelter animals) and almost all animal rights activists are kinda crazy, especially this one putting kids in cages. But we rarely talk about animal rights vs. animal welfare.

We believe that animal welfare should be a priority in the fur industry, and strongly support initiatives to develop ever better animal welfare practices. However, we do not think that animals deserve rights, like humans.

It turns out the animal rights activists feel exactly the opposite, they hate animal welfare. Their entire history, nicely featured in this article by Protect The Harvest, has been about promoting equality between humans and animals. Well, that's just something we will have to agree to disagree on. And we also don't think that chimps are "persons".

Fur and hunting made the headlines in some great articles last month, including this New York Times piece on the Eat-What-You-Kill movement, this Evening Standard piece contemplating whether fur's controversy will ever fade, and this beautifully written piece by AA Gill questioning the hypocrisy of the anti-fur movement. And lastly, here are some other great reads from last month: a piece on sewing otter pelts, how to grade and size wild fur, and a very interesting piece suggesting humans are "super-predators" and hunting practices should be adapted to better reflect what happens in the wild.

Oh wait, did I just try to end a news roundup without some cute animals? I'm sorry! Click on this for your dose of cute from last month.

P.S. It involves baby bears and a hammock.

June was a busy month for mink, one of our favourite farmed animals and so much cuter than cows, right? So let's start our Fur in the News roundup with a mink farm attack in Ontario, Canada, where animal extremists (who later claimed responsibility) released 1,600 mink from their pens. Normally farmers manage to retrieve a lot of their animals following such attacks, but this time there was another danger: the mink were new mothers, and the lives of their tiny kits were put at great risk due to the cold temperature and their need to feed constantly.

For a change, it was our turn to show disturbing photos of animal suffering, because many of the mink did not run off to start a wonderful new life in the wild. Read our piece: Mink Liberation : 5 Facts the ALF Doesn’t Want You to Know.

Does all this talk about mink farming put you in the mood to learn more? Then check out our new series entitled A Year on A Mink Farm (see above). Part 1 is about breeding and Part 2 is about whelping and weaning.

Dumb and Dumber

June wasn't a good month for the animal rights extremists (insert fist pump here) because they did some stupid things and the media took note.

First of all, the British weren't too impressed when PETA demanded that Britain's oldest pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, change its name.

French former actress and long-time animal activist Brigitte Bardot looked incredibly foolish when she wrote an anti-fur letter to Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette. (For the record, I think Choupette is pro fur, like her Dad.)

And PETA's most recent campaign, against crocodile farming, seems really stupid as hardly anyone can afford a $37,000 bag, anyway.

The law has been cracking down on the extremists, with a few of them set to do jail time for releasing mink, chaining oneself to an excavator, or embezzling funds from donors. We also loved this article, from VICE: The 'Extremist' Factor: Why British Animal Rights Campaigners Aren't Taken Seriously.

Now Back to Business

A few interesting articles on the business of fur came out in June, including this series of articles for and against fur on the Business of Fashion, this piece about using the fur trade model to fix Canada's aboriginal woes, and an interesting CNN piece on fur's new markets.

Bits and Bobs

• Rapper A$AP Rocky is starting his own collection of fur coats.
• The mayor of Des Moines is also a furrier.
• Great advice on how to protect your farm from undercover video situations.
• Canada is checking out the market for seal penis.
• A very good question: Why don’t veal and lamb evoke the same outrage as baby seals?
• Putting baby to sleep on animal fur may lower asthma risk. (Hell, we should ALL sleep on fur, right?!)

Best Motion Picture Nominations ...

It was a great month for videos over here at Truth About Fur. Our most popular Facebook posts were this hilarious polar bear dreading to go to work on a Monday (image above), and this Norwegian hunter who has adopted two absolutely adorable fawns.

We loved this VICE feature on YouTube's most famous Canadian trapper, and if you are looking for some new series to watch over the summer, look no further than the Katmai National Park live bear cam - documenting naps, fishing, and general furry cuteness all summer. This is reality television at its best.

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Happy New Year from all of us here at Truth About Fur! Following is a round-up of major news items dealing with fur in 2014. We'll be sending out monthly updates this year, or you can visit Fur In The News on the Truth About Fur website.

Farmed Fur in the News

Mink farmers look to expand into Argentia area. By Andrew Robinson, The Telegram (Canada), Dec. 12, 2014.

The mink behind the wire: Inside Ireland's fur farms. By Wayne O'Connor, Sunday Independent (UK), Aug. 10, 2014.

Wisconsin's mink farmers adapt to growth, changes in fur marketplace. By Maureen McCollum. Wisconsin Public Radio, July 28, 2014.

Wisconsin mink production up 8 percent last year. Associated Press, July 25, 2014.

US mink pelt production at 3.54 million in 2013. National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), US Department of Agriculture, July 24, 2014.

California men accused of releasing 2,000 minks from Illinois farm. Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2014.

Mink farming. By Kris Sims, Sun News Network, June 3, 2014.

Fur farmers celebrate as court throws out ban on mink farming. Dutch News (Netherlands), May 21, 2014.

Adventures in the skin trade. How the Danes became masters of the global fur business. The Economist, May 3, 2014.

Mink prices drop as global production rises. By John O'Connell, Capital Press, Apr. 28, 2014.

Member states add exceptions to invasive species banned list. Exceptions introduced for “species of economic importance” after heavy lobbying by mink breeders. By Dave Keating, European Voice, Feb. 2, 2014.

Farming mink to meet market demand. Video, InnovationOxford, Jan. 25, 2014.

Wild Fur in the News

Alex Van Bibber, an incredible Yukon trapper, just may have been the toughest man in Canada. By Tristin Hopper, National Post, Nov. 28, 2014.

Yes, the anti-seal campaign is about money. By Peter Jackson, The Telegram, Nov. 26, 2014.

Trapper to trapper, a telling of tales. By Carol Sones Shetler, The Luminary, Nov. 24, 2014.

Fur Institute of Canada applauds government's support of Canadian trappers. Fur Institute of Canada, Oct. 1, 2014.

Manitoba MP defends trapping after RCMP mull phasing out muskrat hats. CBC News, Sept. 30, 2014.

Ottawa overturns RCMP decision to swap muskrat fur hats for wool tuques. CTV News, Sept. 30, 2014.

Fashionistas revive NZ fur trade. By Sophie Lowery, 3 News, Aug. 31, 2014.

Trapping wild animals on the rise in North Carolina. By Jim Lasley, News & Observer, Aug. 6, 2014.

Maine bear management program releases data, says baiting, trapping and hounding necessary to control bear population. By Aislinn Sarnacki, Bangor Daily News (Maine), July 10, 2014.

Greenlandic seal fur first experience. By Lady Fur, July 10, 2014.

Nunavut, Greenland pledge co-operation on seal ban fight. CBC News, July 7, 2014.

Beaver Brothers hit the big time. Atigonish County trappers wade into reality television with Animal Planet series. Chronicle Herald (Nova Scotia), July 4, 2014.

Thousands expected at trappers, fur takers convention in Washington County. By Dave Zuchowski, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 19, 2014.

Europe's unfair ban on Canadian seal products can stay to "protect public morals," WTO rules. By Tristin Hopper, National Post (Canada), May 22, 2014.

EU seal product ban upheld in WTO appeal. CBC News, May 22, 2014.

An oral history of the Newfoundland seal hunt. By Burton K. Janes, CBN The Compass, May 20, 2014.

Most Europeans don't like "public morality" trade bans: survey. Nunatsiaq News, May 15, 2014.

Beavers bite into East Ferris budget. By Gord Young, The Nugget (Ontario), May 11, 2014.

Required trapping class in Minnesota helps young trappers learn proper, ethical techniques. By Brad Dokken, Grand Forks Herald (North Dakota), May 11, 2014.

B.C. traplines auction the first in several years. CBC News - British Columbia, May 6, 2014.

The only people making money off the seal hunt are anti-sealing campaigners. By Terry Audla, Huffington Post, Apr. 28, 2014.

We went on a fur run in the Northwest Territories. By Pat Kane, Vice Magazine, Apr. 16, 2014.

Connecticut a player in global fur trade. By Erik Hesselberg, The Courant, Apr. 6, 2014.

Fur heritage fades as trapper's work Canada's loneliest. By Greg Quinn, Bloomberg, Mar. 19, 2014.

Trapping to save a culture: How the fur trade funds a camp that connects Canadian youth to tradition and nature. By Joseph Boyden, National Post (Canada), Mar. 7, 2014.

A country built on fur: Trapper Gordy Klassen practises his own "brand of activism". By Jodie Sinnema, Edmonton Journal, Mar. 3, 2014.

Fur Auctions in the News

Adventures in the skin trade. How the Danes became masters of the global fur business. The Economist, May 3, 2014.

NWT wild furs take top dollar at international auction. Global tensions drop fur sales from last year’s record high. By Maria Church, Northern Journal (Canada), Apr. 14, 2014.

Design & Fabrication in the News

Pretty pictures: Remix 2014. By Alexandra Suhner Isenberg, Searching for Style, Mar. 14, 2014.

Interview: Rachel F. talks fur and Montreal fashion. By Giuliana Contavalli, The Main (Montreal), Mar. 10, 2014.

Real fur - in every colour of the rainbow and endorsed by celebrities - has crept back into fashion. So what changed? By Olivia Bergin, The Telegraph (UK), Feb. 28, 2014.

From Russia with love. The story of J. Mendel is a fashion fairytale … By Jesse Ashlock, New York Times, Feb. 7, 2014.

Fur Retailing & Consumers in the News

Hamilton location "best move I ever made," designer says. By Meredith MacLeod, Hamilton Spectator (Ontario), Dec. 15 2014.

Is fake fur even worse than the real thing? By India Sturgis, Daily Mail (UK), Nov. 23, 2014.

I made my first real fur purchase and it came with free stigma. By Courtney Brunson, xoJane, Nov. 7, 2014.

Hinsdale Furriers' fashion director tells all. By Ginny Richardson, Chicago Tribune, Sept. 10, 2014.

The entrepreneurs: Next generation fur is a one-woman affair. By Paul Delan, Montreal Gazette, Sept. 10, 2014.

Real fur is making a comeback in the fashion world. By Francesca Fearon, South China Morning Post, Sept. 5, 2014.

Fall fashion photos: Ferociously furry. By Eva Friede, Montreal Gazette, Sept. 5, 2014.

Bio: Jamie Cahill. By Sarah Frank, My Kawartha, Sept. 9, 2014.

Sleeping on animal fur in infancy found to reduce risk of asthma. European Lung Foundation, Sept. 7, 2014.

Detroit's fur industry still here after 300 years. IPR Public Radio, Sept. 3, 2014.

Have British consumers bought into "ethical" fur? By Oliver Duggan, The Telegraph (UK), Aug. 15, 2014.

Fur flies and West Hollywood ("WeHo") fur ban is upheld by federal court. JD Supra, July 7, 2014.

LaBelle Furs carries on, hot weather and all. By Sara K. Clarke, Orlando Sentinel (Florida), May 11, 2014.

West Hollywood upholds ban on fur. By Emily Farra, Style.com, May 8, 2014.

FTC approves amendments to Fur Products Labeling Act regulations. US Federal Trade Commission, May 7, 2014.

Pappas Furs closes after 100 years; Store with an international reputation started in Prince George in 1913. By Jenny Lee, Vancouver Sun, Apr. 15, 2014.

Global fur trade is worth as much as Wi-Fi. By Belinda White, The Telegraph (UK), Mar. 27, 2014.

5 observations of the fur industry. By Alexandra Suhner Isenberg, Searching for Style, Mar. 17, 2014.

Animal Welfare vs. Rights in the News

Yes, the anti-seal campaign is about money. By Peter Jackson, The Telegram, Nov. 26, 2014.

Fur is popular, and is produced responsibly. By Alan Herscovici, letter to the editor, Montreal Gazette, Sept. 10, 2014.

California men accused of releasing 2,000 minks from Illinois farm. Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2014.

Europe's unfair ban on Canadian seal products can stay to "protect public morals," WTO rules. By Tristin Hopper, National Post (Canada), May 22, 2014.

West Hollywood upholds ban on fur. By Emily Farra, Style.com, May 8, 2014.

Public morals are a slippery slope. By Mark Oaten, CEO, International Fur Federation, Huffington Post, Apr. 28, 2014.