A lawsuit was filed today in Reno, Nevada against the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners by Nevada residents, Mark Smith and Don Molde, claiming the Commission has failed to protect animals, birds and domestic pets from private fur trappers … continue
Dr. Robert Crabtree, President and Founder, Yellowstone Ecology and Research Center in Bozeman, MT, and visiting scholar at U. Montana and U. Victoria beautifully describes what is known about coyote habits and preferences…information that could be of great use to wildlife management agencies if they would only listen. Nobody does this topic better than Dr. Crabtree. read more
The Nevada Trapper’s Assoc. emphatically says “NO! This never happens.” But, of course, they’ve ignored the data.
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TrailSafe added this on Sept. 22, 2014: Two local cases, thoroughly documented. One was a hiker in Griffith Canyon, snared by the ankle. The other was a hiker near Gardnerville, snared by the foot. Details at TrailSafe.org
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Reported: Jan 14, 2011
Location: Geneva, Illinois, Species: Human
Trap Type: Leghold, Incident Date: Jan 09, 2011
Victim’s Disposition: injured
Victim’s Name: private
Summary: A 65-pound husky/collie mix was nearly choked to death by a steel snare trap during a walk with it’s owner. The owner later went back to the area to post a note to the hunter letting him know that the trap nearly killed his dog and to get rid of the traps before someone gets hurt, when the man himself was caught in a separate trap. His boot triggered a 6-inch diameter, rusty-toothed claw trap just 15-yards from where his dog was caught. The Fire Department had to cut the claw trap off of the man’s boot. The dog is recovering, and the man was unhurt due to his heavy boots. There was a third bucket trap nearby with a piece of bait inside. All three traps were illegally set. (Source: Daily Herald newspaper)
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Reported: Jan 16, 2009
Location: Malcolm, Nebraska Species: Human
Trap Type: Kill, Incident Date: Dec 26, 2008
Victim’s Disposition: minor injuries
Victim’s Name: withheld
Legal Action: Yes
Result: Ban on trapping wildlife in county road rights of way
Summary: A bill before the Nebraska state legislature earned a uniquely qualified witness when a Lancaster County Commissioner stepped into a Conibear trap placed in a ditch near his farm. He was wearing good boots and wasn’t seriously hurt. But the trap was large enough to catch a coyote or a beaver — even a farmer — and the commissioner couldn’t open it with his hands. So he hobbled to his truck for a crowbar. He reported the incident to the state Game and Parks Commission. The trap’s owner could not be traced because the trap did not have an ID number [ed note: Nevada no longer requires trap registration]. The commissioner, of course, testified against the bill, which sought to eliminate restrictions and penalties for trapping wildlife in county road rights-of-way. (The ban went into effect on 05/05/09. Source: Lincoln Journal Star)
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Reported: Oct 24, 2007 Location: Stony Plain, Alberta
Species: Human Trap Type: Other
Incident Date: Oct 24, 2007
Victim’s Disposition: injured
Victim’s Name: unknown
Summary: A woman walking her dog in Hasse Lake Provincial Park spotted the trap. Fearing it could be dangerous for children or dogs, she tried to disable it by fiddling with some levers on the back, but it clamped shut on her hand. Two fishermen managed to pry the trap open. She managed to escape without any broken bones, but she says she plans to ask both the county — which has confirmed it owned the trap — and the provincial government why the trap was there without warning signs. (Source: Calgary Sun)
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Reported: Jan 11, 2004
Location: Webster Parish, Louisiana
Species: Human (16 yr old girl)
Trap Type: Kill
Incident Date: Jan 11, 2004
Victim’s Disposition: unknown
Victim’s Name: unknown
Summary: A 16-year-old girl was caught by the foot in a trap set for beaver. The girl was wearing lace-up boots and was caught on the heel. She escaped without injury. (Source: Shreveport Times)
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Reported: Apr 12, 2002
Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia
Species: Human (13 yr old boy)
Trap Type: Kill
Incident Date: Apr 10, 2002
Victim’s Disposition: injured
Victim’s Name: unknown
Summary: Picton Park, near a city-owned ravinein a trap set for beaver. (Source: Vancouver Sun)
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WARNING THIS CLIP IS GRAPHIC: A red fox, caught in a leghold trap and killed by the trapper’s foot crushing his chest. One of the widely used and archaic killing methods we discovered. Click here to watch the video.
View the investigation findings at http://www.bornfreeusa.org/victimsofvanity In early 2011 Born Free USA and Respect for Animals conducted a landmark investigation inside the world of fur trapping. They uncovered the shocking cruelty and brutality involved in the trapping of wild animals for the fur trade.
The natural cycle of life and death helps maintain genetic diversity and a strong gene pool. Trapping is indiscriminate. Trapped mothers are killed, leaving litters to die. Many traps are set on or in creeks to kill by drowning, and some animals suffer for up to 20 minutes under water. Young animals are killed. Old or sick animals may survive instead of young and healthy, since the healthier animals spend more time foraging and thus cover more ground and are more like to encounter a trap. Trapping does not balance nature; it upsets the balance. There is nothing humane about trapping.
VERIFIED COMPLAINT AND FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
COMES NOW Plaintiffs/Petitioners above named, as and for their complaint against Defendants/Respondents, allege as follows:
Wildlife in this State not domesticated and in its natural habitat is part of the natural resources belonging to the people of the State of Nevada.
The preservation, protection, management and restoration of wildlife within the State contribute immeasurably to the aesthetic, recreational and economic aspects of these natural resources.
Continue to read the Injunctive Relief (.pdf version)
The term “Non target species” is a euphemism used by trappers and includes your CAT or DOG, as well as working dogs (hunting, herding, etc). How serious is the problem of domestic pets getting trapped and injured? “A SMALL number of pet dogs are caught in traps set for wild animals every year….” (from the Nevada Trappers Association webpage.)
“Trappers tell me they trap dogs ALL THE TIME but usually claim none are injured.” NV Dept of Wildlife game warden
“Every person I know has either had a dog trapped or knows someone who has.” Reno resident
Trappers are required to submit reports for all of their trapped animals; over a 8-year period, about 30% never filed such reports, 50% filed reports claiming they never caught any non-target species. The remaining 20% (actually probably fewer) produced jaw-dropping numbers of non-target species caught. Nevada Department of Wildlife records suggest that thousands of non-target animals are trapped every decade. While many are rabbits, pack rats, ravens and other animals, domestic pets, both cats and dogs, probably number in the 100’s over a decade. Is that a SMALL number, as the trapper’s association claims? Or do you think that the Commission has a legal and moral responsibility to take action to protect such animals and reduce those numbers.
There’s a robust discussion going on now. Make your voice heard! RGJ
Please see the comments on the KOLOTV website and add your two cents. Do we continue to let 1,300 trappers set policy for the 80% of Nevada that is public land, or should the 2.7 Million non-trapping Nevada residents – the taxpayers who actually pay for our public land management – have a say in policy setting? KOLOTV
