dogs and traps

[AZDOGMAN]

I saw a post on the other thread that mentioned traps. Trapping is not legal in az so we dont have to worry about it. Just wondering if anyone has ever had problems with dogs getting caught in traps.

[Big Mike]

Since the bobcat prices went up trappers were all over around NM. I had my dog caught in a trap last year and about every dog man around here has had the same happen. Its not a big deal as long as the dog isnt caught overnight where it might loose a foot. One guy had his dog caught overnight which did cause some damage to the dogs foot.

I just make real sure I come home with all my dogs each night. When there lost and start wandering roads looking for home is ussually when they get caught

[Big John]

Good Post Mike. I did run dogs in Arizona back when you could Trap. Usally once caught they never got caught again.
Big John

[TomJr]

I used to trap back when leg holds were legal on public land in AZ, they are still legal on private land with permision of corse. Anyhow I had a couple of dogs that came along with me on the trap line and they got caught several times each before they learned to avoid the traps. So I would think you could teach them to be trap wise, some coyotes learn well enough without help after all

Most times they don't get hurt much as long as they don't struggle. Also too long a time in a trap could cause problems due to lack of blood flow. I caught myself a few times and yes it hurts like hell on cold fingers but the normal sized traps are not going to break bones on most average sized dogs. I did see bones broken on foxes from time to time.

Having those dogs along seemed to help them learn what to chase and they also would run critters that I missed and catch them once in a while. Biggest thing I had to teach them was to leave the caught stuff alone, didn't want extra holes in the hides... By law in AZ you have to cheak your traps every 24 hours so hopfully the traper would let the dog go if he did happen to stray onto private land.

[Flacko]

Traps can hurt dogs if left for a period of time in the traps, also frozen foot if temp is below 36 F in temp. But the best way to break a dog is if they get caught. A smart dog wont do it but once or twice, but I'm not telling you to go get your dog's foot in a trap. I run traps for predators 365 days a year and i road my dogs at least 300 of it, and i have not caught a dog in a long time. Most of my dogs will walk to the far outside of any trap set with there hair up on there back. I brake my dogs as they are pups and i don't have to worry about a trapped dog later in life. Trappers have the same right as we do but we have to respect each other in our passions. And, i do both trap, and run hounds and love both one as my career and one as my passion. I would not ask anyone to love one over the other, we have to work together as we are all sportsmen and if we do not, we will all suffer from it in the long run. If you run hounds remember, respect the trapper and if you are the trapper, respect the houndsmen as if we work together. We will both succeed but if we don't we will both fail and the activist will win both wars.

[blueliggs]

in wyoming it getts worse alot of guys use snares for bobcat and thay are unforgiving on hounds as soon as cat traping season opens my hounds stay on the ranch any one got any training tips to keep hounds out of them

[Kevin D]

I cat hunt in some heavily trapped canyons, but I've had more problems with traps while coon hunting the river bottoms than I ever had hunting lions in the hills. Free casting your dogs is where most of the problems occur, the dogs are more at liberty to stick their noses in somebody's set. During bobcat season, we generally have snow so the dogs only get dumped if I have a track. By the time the snow melts in the spring and I start free casting my dogs, the trappers have generally pulled their traps.

Snares potentially pose a greater risk, but so far I haven't had a dog caught in one.

[BWTB]

I have read that dogs caught in snares normally do not pull hard enough to strangle themselves as they are used to being on a leash or chain. anyone actually have a dog killed in a snare?

[Arkansas Frog]

If your dog get caught in a trap when it is freezing best thing to do is cut one toe nail into the quick to cause it it to bleed, and road him, that will bleed and more blood to that foot helps to restore the foot.I use to trap yotes for the live market and that is what we did ,but could not road them, had them in a 12X20 pen but would harass them to get them moving.

[TUCO]

Iv'e had a couple of dogs caught in snares.luckily i was only minutes behind them. and niether of them fought it down hard enough to choke thereselves. I get at least one or two caught in footholds every year...some learn quiker then others to stay outta them they get a sore foot for a couple of days but no serious damge usually. but none have spent a whole night or longer in them. 2 years ago, one of my dogs got a foothold caught around his shock collar and the back of his neck skin he musta rolled in the trap set. the lure sent musta smelled like colone to him i guess. but it didnt hurt him at all.just held him by the scruff of his neck..most traps are fairly close to the roads, so around here i keep my eyes open for trap sets all the time. and shock dogs if they try to get thereselves caught

[Cat track]

Amen Flacko, Here in MN alot of the cat trappers use conibear or bodygrip traps, that can kill a dog in a matter of seconds if it hits him right. they also set trap in a white 5 gallon bucket for cubby. white pails is what most dogs get fead out of, so no wonder they want to stick there heads in there. Are solution was to set a trap and put dog food in the bucket with the breaks on the trap and maybe a little tie wire for extra percation. we set this in our yard, and let them stick there head in there once and they probably won't do it again. I am also a trapper but do alot more hound hunting, like Flacko said we all need to stick together.

[Emily]

We have traps here, both leghold and conibear. I don't worry about the legholds, but the conibears do worry me, especially because one of my friends is trapping all the coon out of my neighborhood. He knows I like to run my hounds without driving and it is a little annoying.
We have pretty good laws that minimize risk to hounds about where conibears can be set, but there's always a mischief making hound that can get in trouble. I do know that most of the trappers here keep their sets within easy checking distance of the roads, so I'm best off hunting in a bit.
Nonetheless, I like to road my hounds home sometimes, and they will stop to investigate anything that smells interesting on the way.
The friend who puts traps on my road is annoying, but hey, its public land, and those traps catch a lot of game. I know he brings his hounds when he is checking the trap line and wouldn't put anything out that he thinks is a danger to them. Of course, one of his gets his foot caught regularly... Never learned.
The traps worry me, but no more than the chance that one of the hounds gets hits by a car. There are always risks when we turn them out.

[dryground]

I got 1 dog killed in a power snare . It is a snare hooked to a big spring like what is on a conibear trap. But it is about 3 ft long. The dog was only in the trap for 10 minits.

[Ryan M]

I live in nebraska and haven't had any problems yet, but the conibears do worry me a little. For those of you that dont know exactly how one works you might want to buy one and figure it out. I know i couldn't have done it without seeing it, still not sure i could do it fast enough with a dog caught in one! Also there are a lot of different snares out there, and if a dog was going full speed and hit one of the locking types, I'm pretty sure they would be in big trouble. Hope i never find out.