is this legal

[grogan]

is it legal to trap a live coon and use it to train your dogs in idaho

[KTMracer]

Fish and Game has told me yes. I think it is legal now that they classify them as a predator.

[FullCryHounds]

It's not fish and game that you need to worry about, it is your local animal control. Most of them will go after you with animal cruelty charges for doing this. Animal cruelty laws are very vague and can be interpreted however the officer feels. Several guys on this site have lost cases in court doing just what you are asking about. Fish and game won't back you up either. It comes down to how your local animal control officer feels about it, be careful.

[pegleg]

"Train your pups how you can. There are certain steps in a pups training that just have to be made at one point in order to advance. Don't get carried away with it as its not required for most hounds to fire. Don't waste your time or coons on puppies that are entirely to young. If you use live trainers appropriately and sparingly at the correct time you will fire a dog up and keep it moving forward. That being said don't turn it into a spectator sport to show off your dog like many young hunters might and more wannabes do then should. Remember most any dog will face bark a trapped coon. Don't over do it and turn it into a crutch for your dog. The dog should learn this from these lessons, what its supposed to hunt, that its fun and what he wants anyway, its his job to find the game and hold it not yours. Good luck and avoid animal control at all cost anyone who has working or hunting dogs for any period of time can tell stories of a ACO's stupidity

[grogan]

thanks guys for the advice and I will def. keep that in mind pegleg

[hunt-fish-trap]

if you are in NP and can travel a short distance to Sand Hollow the drainage there has an abundance of coon. used to see then every night when harvesting last season. most of the farmers that farm there own land will let you run a dog in the off season (winter).