Unmarked Trap Line?

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coleman1495

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Hello,

I was out for a walk today in the Muskeg since the weather has been so nice.Somebody was using the cut line that I was walking down as a trap line. There was a series of small plywood boxes attached to trees, about a foot off the ground. Inside each of the boxes there was large rat traps. The first box I stumbled across had an Ermine beside it. The Ermine had been caught in a neck noose and was still alive but suffering really bad.Almost like it was a rabbit snare. Looked like it had been choking/trapped for a while. Another box had a second dead Ermine. This one was killed by the rat trap and was actually dead.

I also found a couple larger cable noose snares on the middle of the cutline. The trapper had put some branches on the trail and a heavier cable noose. Seemed kind of dangerous. Somebody on an ATV could had went through it. I am guessing this is for snaring coyotes/wolves?

Anyways there was absolutely no signage indicating that there was traps in the area. I suspect this is not a registered trapline as I typically see signage for those. Are people allowed to snare coyotes on crown land? I have never seen anything like that before. Also why would anyone set out traps for Ermine? They have nice fur but are not much bigger than a squirrel. Whats the value of a Ermine fur?
 
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it is against the law to tamper with legally set traps.
there is no signage required
you don't need to tell anyone, unless there is a home within 1.5 km and they are a pet owner, once again not permission, just to inform them you have snares out.
if he had caught you he could file charges don't do it again if you aren't willing to pull up your big boy pants and risk legal action
 
Keep your hands off traps set on crown land... sets are not required to be marked... and crownland traplines are government issued... unless traps are set on private land without permission, leave them alone.
 
While I agree with those suggesting to leave the sets alone, the coyote snares set on open trails are highly suspect...... I dabble in trappingband have my own sets on my private land and have never heard of this method...... seems amateur and almost zero chance of success..... I highly doubt this is a legally assigned line, but best to leave it alone and report it......
 
I don't have that much experience with traps or trapping but aren't traps like that suppose to kill immediately without suffering? Could it have been set wrong? I can't imagine it is an acceptable practice for an animal to suffer in a trap.
 
as a trapper here is what I have to say. don't touch or mess with or do anything with any trap you find. fine, tap the weasel over the head with a 1 inch diameter stick and hes dead. you shot a weasel in a trap you ruined the market value and that alone is a finable offense, wasting a fur bearing animal. as is tampering with his stuff. so just leave them alone.

animals in foot traps are not suffering, they go nuts when you approach cause they fear man duh. I turn the game warden loose on every person who has messed with my traps in the past and it has led to convictions every time i was able to track him long enough to find out who it was. and as a trapper i can track you better than you would believe.
 
fratri said:
I don't have that much experience with traps or trapping but aren't traps like that suppose to kill immediately without suffering? Could it have been set wrong? I can't imagine it is an acceptable practice for an animal to suffer in a trap.
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the odd time stuff does not happen as planned. usually does though.
 
prairie lover said:
as a trapper here is what I have to say. don't touch or mess with or do anything with any trap you find. fine, tap the weasel over the head with a 1 inch diameter stick and hes dead. you shot a weasel in a trap you ruined the market value and that alone is a finable offense, wasting a fur bearing animal. as is tampering with his stuff. so just leave them alone.

animals in foot traps are not suffering, they go nuts when you approach cause they fear man duh. I turn the game warden loose on every person who has messed with my traps in the past and it has led to convictions every time i was able to track him long enough to find out who it was. and as a trapper i can track you better than you would believe.
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Okay point taken. I didn't have anything resembling a club or stick at the time.
 
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