Have you spotted traps/snares on public lands? Do you have a story to tell? We want to hear about it! You can contact us at (406) 274 7878 or via e-mail at info@footloosemontana.org Note: Though we may present excerpts from your report, we will protect your privavcy if you choose to remain anonymous.
Please note that the purpose of disclosing trap locations on our website is to warn others, who may be about to venture in the woods with companion animals. Tampering with traps or snares, or interfering with trapping activities is against Montana’s law.
We have received the following reports for November/December 2011:
Report received: December 22
Trap location: Helena, Wolf Creek area in two locations on Lyons Creek road.
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Two reports received: December 20
Trap locations: Clinton area and Billings
Note: In each case, traps/snares were illegally set on private land, with traps not having I.D.s attached and set without the landowners’ permission. In the Billings incident, a hiker’s two dogs were simultaneoulsy caught in two snares. Due to the dog owner’s immediate action, no injuries occurred… In the Clinton incident, the trapped dog had to be taken to a local Missoula veterinarian clinic. No further details of the trap incident in the Clinton area are known at this point.
Dog owner’s report: “I was walking down a trail on a friends ranch lands and next thing I knew Toby was struggling. He is a big pointer-lab. He couldn’t say a word because his nose was held fast by a wire snare. His eyes registered sheer terror as the wire held his nose fast—[h]e could not even announce his deadly predicament. Had he not been within my sight, I never would have known what happened to him. He was a good boy while I released the snare, and because I was RIGHT there—onto the problem within a few seconds—the snare did not get too tight for me to be able to release him. I was scared for the other dogs and looked around to see Mango, my youngest dog, a little spaniel-type mix, walk right into a snare—his whole head. I was onto him in a flash and snare did not choke him. He has long hair and I would have had trouble releasing a snare around his little neck, had he taken just two more steps before I could reach him. I was terrified and quickly gathered all three dogs around me, put them on leashes, and got out of there. On the way out, I saw a skinned porcupine and other evidence of snared animals. I talked to the rancher because I remembered him saying that I should be safe on his lands, that no one had permission to set snares. But when you own that many acres, and snares are generally legal, this kinds of incident is bound to happen. The rancher mentioned that he used to allow snares, but a neighbor’s dog was caught, and that was years ago now. I was VERY lucky. We need to make snares illegal. They have a relentless death-grip. What a horrible way to die.”
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Report received: November 15
Trap location: In Helena along Trout Creek… the trapline runs from the Vigilante Campground downstream
Type of trap(s): Trapline (multiple traps and possibly all types of traps and snares)
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Report received: December 19
Trap location: Eureka, near Grave Creek
Type of trap: Foothold trap
Excerpt from dog owner’s report: “… My dog was hurt by a trap that was illegally placed 10 ft from a cross country ski trail. The trap was in plain site only a quarter mile from the trail head and… the trapper had been snowmobiling on a designated cross country area that had rocks placed so that snowmobiles could not go through which he went around.”
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Report received: December 18
Trap location: Crazy Creek, just 25 yards north of the Two Good Trail Campground, up a path, north of Sula off of Highway 93, to the east.
Type of trap: Snare and foothold trap!
Dog owners’ report: “WARNING!!! Both of our dogs got caught in traps today. My lab got caught in a foot trap (photo) and as I ran up the trail to find her (yelping with pain) my other dog at my side jerked to a stop, caught in a snare trap right on the path! One dog choking with a noose tight wire, the other yelping and pulling at the leg trap, just 10 feet apart! It was horrific! Luckily, there were 2 of us. One ran back to the car and got our wire cutters (we keep them in case a deer is caught in a fence somewhere) and we were able to cut the noose after about 10 minutes of trying. My partner was able to open the jaws of the leg trap. (Panic and adrenaline). That dog is limping, and will most likely need an x ray to determine breakage. The other dog is shook but OK. We found another trap nearby. There was NO MARKINGS or WARNINGS about the traps. The traps DO NOT have serial numbers. Tell all of your friends with dogs and children!”
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Report received: December 4
Trap location: Missoula County, Deep Creek area… “continue down the road and take a right going up river instead of going left to the gun range and go about 1/2 to
1 mile and there is a gated road to the left. We went up that road that they
are logging up right now and then kept going along the 2 track road, about a
1/4 mile up that road.”
Type of trap: Foothold trap
What happened: A female dalmatian got her foot caught in a trap while the family was out hunting for a Christmas tree.
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