Footloose Montana hosted a trap release workshop for pet owners Sunday evening at the Hamilton Senior Center. Participants were educated about the history of trapping, the different kinds of traps used, and how to release a trapped pet from each kind. WILL MOSS n Ravalli Republic

“The death of Cupcake was an impetus to start Footloose Montana,” Heister said. “Most people, including us when we first started, don’t know much about trapping.”

New to Heister and her colleagues was the fact that trapping is still alive and well. According to Heister, most of the 3,000 licensed trappers in the state do it recreationally and 45,000 to 50,000 furbearers are trapped during the regulated season in Montana each year. There are both seasonal and year-round trappers, setting traps on public and private lands. The furbearer season is regulated and includes trapping for beaver, otter, muskrat, mink, marten, fisher, wolverine and bobcat. Depending on the game, that season is open between Nov. 1 and April 15. Anyone trapping for fur in Montana’s seven trapping districts must obtain a license to do so. A general trapping license will cost residents $20 plus an $8 conservation fee. Nonresidents must pay $250 for a license plus a $10 conservation fee.

Predators and non-game animals can be trapped year-round, no license necessary. Predators include coyote, weasel, striped skunk and spotted skunk. Non-game animals include raccoons, red foxes and badgers.

According to Footloose, on average, more than 49,000 animals trapped annually are reported. There is, however, no reporting requirement unless a protected species is accidentally trapped. Four of the aforementioned furbearers have a quota in the state: 95 otter, 7 fisher, 10 wolverine and 2,355 bobcat.

While most furbearer pelts go for a nominal amount, the most expensive pelt price is the bobcat at $345. A muskrat’s pelt will fetch $10.

Non-target creatures are those not intended to be trapped but end up in the trap anyway.

“Traps don’t discriminate,” Stachowski said during her presentation.

Those animals often include birds of prey, ungulates and dogs.

No database exists for the number of dogs that have been injured or killed in traps, except anecdotal evidence. Footloose Montana hopes to create a database of incidents as well as maps of where traps are located on public land so people and their pets can avoid them.

Currently a handful of regulations exist for trapping in Montana. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, traps should be checked at least once every 48 hours.

“It says ‘should,’” Stachowski said. “It’s a recommendation, not a regulation.”

Traps must not be checked so infrequently as to waste a furbearer, and they must be removed at the end of the season. On private land, a trapper must receive landowner permission before setting a trap. No such permission is needed to set a trap on public land.

On public land, it’s prohibited to set a trap within a public road right of way. If no right of way exists, then a trap must be set at least 30 feet from the center line of a publicly owned, publicly maintained road within any subdivision of government.

“Traps must be set at least 1,000 feet from a house and notification of the occupant is not required,” Stachowski said.

On federal and state system roads and trails, a 50-foot setback is required. Traps must be set at least 300 feet from public trailheads and at least 1,000 feet from public campgrounds and fishing access sites. Those regulations are for ground sets only and do not include water or elevated traps. It is not required to post a sign warning of a nearby trap.

Some Conibear traps must be enclosed to prevent unwanted game from being trapped in them and no traps or snares can be set within 30 feet of exposed bait.

Stachowski noted that it is unlawful to destroy, disturb or remove any trap, snare or trapped wildlife belonging to a trapper.

“A dog is not wildlife,” she said.

However, a dog trapped in a Conibear does not have long to live n only five to eight minutes. That’s why Barns’ demonstration on removing an animal from such a trap is crucial.

According to Barns, the Conibear was actually designed to be humane by instantly killing animals.

“It’s designed to snap the spinal cord,” he said. “Sometimes it misfires and snaps around the head.”

Such was the case with Cupcake.

Barns sets the trap while his colleague Marty Essen places a milk carton tied to a stick through the trap. It closes with a resounding snap. The carton is crushed, flattened to nothing in its center. Hands are held to mouths as every face in the room envisions their own pet tied to such a fate.

The Conibear is a complex trap and is impossible to open without a long piece of rope. A leash also may be used, but the rounded shape of climbing rope is better.

Before you get to work on the trap, make sure you either put your coat over your dog’s head or wrap something around its muzzle.

“Dogs panic and they can get nasty,” Barns said. “Wrap a leash around his muzzle so he can’t bite you when you’re trying to help.”

Tie a loop in your rope and place that loop around your foot. Run the rope through the two metal outer loops of the trap twice, going toward the dog. Then pull up hard on the rope n very, very hard n until the two ends of the spring are sandwiched together. Latch the small metal hook over the other side of the spring to hold the spring open. Then untie the rope and do the same thing on the other side. Pet owners also can pack two ropes so if more than one person is present they can do one side while you do the other.

According to Footloose, injuries associated with trapping include death, shock, fractures, crushing wounds, lacerations and drowning. Though they may be horrific to see, the best way to help your pet is to remain calm. This will be reassuring to your pet and will allow you to be clear-headed enough to make decisions.

The Conibear trap is likely to do the most damage to your pet out of all the traps set on public land.

Snares are usually hanging off the ground, a loop size set accordingly to whatever critter the trapper hopes to catch. With snares, the more an animal struggles, the tighter the snare gets. If your pet is caught in a snare, stand in front of him to make sure he does not pull on it any more than he has. Bring a pair of cable cutters in your pack to more quickly assist your pet in this situation. While a snare can easily be released by pinching in on a metal clasp, that clasp is usually flush against your pet’s skin and probably caught in your pet’s fur.

The easiest trap to disarm is a foothold trap.

“Footholds are not immediately fatal,” Stachowski said. “Animals can languish in footholds for hours or days. They’re subject to exposure, blood loss from chewing off their foot, dehydration and predation.”

To release a foothold trap, step down on each side of the trap simultaneously with your feet and, with a stick, push down each jaw of the trap. Step away carefully.

Trappers are warned by Montana FWP to be responsible about setting traps. FWP recommends avoiding heavily used recreation areas, but in the winter of 2006-07, traps were set at Lee Creek, Valley of the Moon interpretive trail at Rock Creek, May Creek (the non-motorized winter trail to Anderson Mountain ski trail and May Creek cabin), Maclay Flats, Kelly Island and city open space along the Clark Fork at Tower Street in Missoula. Those are just the traps Footloose Montana knows about, and trappers are not required to report the location of their traps. However, if anyone knows the location of traps in recreation areas, Footloose Montana is collecting that information and can be contacted via their Web site at www.footloosemontana.org.

While incidents of dogs dying or being injured in traps are highly publicized, many trappers take the proper precautions. As one Michigan trapper testifies on a trapping Web site, www.buckshotscamp.com:

“You as a trapper have to be responsible. This trap kills dogs and cats, so make sure you are off the beaten trail before you set. There was a case last fall in New York that upset a bunch of people. A new trapper was setting [traps] at the road’s edge. Someone was taking their dog for a walk and the dog stuck his head in the trap and was killed. The owner raised hell, and had a right to, because that’s irresponsibility on the trapper’s part and no one wants to lose a beloved pet.”

Similar incidents have occurred right here in our own backyard. According to attendees of the workshop, dogs have been killed or injured by traps in Kalispell, Lee Creek, up Bear Creek trail, up Big Creek trail and near the river at Bell Crossing.

“So many people have a story,” said Jane Aldrich. “It’s such an infringement on our rights.”

“It’s completely different being in the woods now, knowing these are out there,” Essen said.

More information on trapping can be found at www.fwp.mt.gov and www.montanatrappers.org.

Reporter Kristin Knight can be reached at 363-3300 or kknight@ravallirepublic.com

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