My 2 cents worth

[Tony Cooney]

Ok here I go again. What gives other hunters or other walkers in the woods the right to take or damage a trappers gear. For those to do that and think it's okay, or their right, you are a coward. A trappers gear costs money to fix or replace. If you happen to come across trapping gear on a trapline, instead of taking or breaking the gear, here's a tip for what to do. Simply take the snare up and hang it on the tree that it is attached to. In my personal opinion, as a trapper, I do not mind this, but it bothers me to find my gear missing or damaged.

[Kevin]

Sounds like someone watched you set your underwater trap.  Hope you catch them.

[Trevor Maddigan]

Nothing worse when u lose gear Trevor, but you are in small area...loads of people from ALL over. Thats is one of many reasons i'm not trappin... even though I have trappers lic.

[mac]

well, seems you have to trap for everyone this year and you get the leftovers. Another animal taken this week fox or coyote not sure as we had a snowfall and tracks wiped out. Pisses me off big time!!!!!!!! Could be anyone as lots of people on the go now skidoo season in full swing too and these guys just follow tracks.

[Tony Cooney]

It so sad that we have to look out for the those  asshole who think it there right to take someone traps God help you if you take my traps and i found you

[Gerard Grace]

Can't believe it is this troubling to try and trap and not have people steal or complain about your trapping.

Again, so far I have only 1 trap stolen this year. Knock on wood.

This week has been a nastey one. Had one person blame me for catching their dog in a coyote snare (turned out it wasn't my snare) but because of this that person ripped up my stairs about 8 Km's from their home. The dog had been caught in another trappers snare about 4 Km's out side the community.

Then I was approached later the week by another trapper who had their dog caught in my snare tell me to be more ethical about  where I set my snares and that I should not have them where I did. I figured 3 Km's in the country would be safe enough from the community. BUT if people are letting their dogs run free and they are being caught in trappers gear that far in then they should be be  more responsible for their pets, if they cared for them that much they should be more concerned about letting them run free and be gone most of the day.

Can't believe the nerve of a trapper to tell me that next time I should call him and tell him that I am setting out gear in that area. Then told me to stop trapping because it isn't worth the money...WOW.

BUT what really pissed me off was that I went to trap beaver to find out that all the beavers in the area had been shot and I could not find ONE beaver house that was being used. I scouted this area and found alot of beaver but to find out they are all gone and could not find one. REALLY PISSED ME OFF....

[Kevin]

Everyone feels they have a right to do what ever they want.  I agree that if people are letting their dog run loose, roaming in other words, they don't have a leg to stand on when they complain about their dog getting into your traps.   On the other hand I wonder if there is some ethic on putting up snares where it is known as an area were people are hunting rabits with their beagles.  If we don't self regulate this someone will and then we will all complain again. 

[Tony Cooney]

I here you Kevin that we should try to get along with others in the woods IE. I ran into a rabbit hunter when i 1st was setting my line and he ask were my line was so he can  stay away from the line

I also rabbit hunt and came across line b4 and what we did was get our dogs out of the placeand saying that we can along a snare line so closed to were we know l;ots of other dogs are and that trapper put them out anyway so we have to be more careful and repeactfull to all as a trapper and hunter

[Jeremy Ball]

If people are letting their dogs run loose like that then they do not care for them. A coyote or two can just as quickly take a dog as a snare.

[Gerard Grace]

I agree Tony.

We have to be respectfull to all hunters. That's why I when I set my gear I make sure I stay away from areas that people with rabbit dogs hunt.

In this case I went in a very low traffic area away from the main trails and started setting my gear out about 2-3Km's in the country. There was only one sign of someone in there and I talked to them, he was setting rabbit snares and was having a problem with coyotes stealing his rabbits. I figured I would get them out of his way. Now I am thinking that it may not be coyotes but someones dogs that may be doing this.

 

I have 2 chocolate labs of my own and love dogs over all. Can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have a dog.

Like Jeremy says below, a coyote can take out a dog probably faster than a snare can.

Forgot to mention, but I caught this guy looking for my gear after. I warned him that if anything was missing that I was reporting him to the wildlife.

 

[Tony Cooney]

Good point there Sir. I too ran into a man in the woods who said to me that he was having his rabbits taken.  After talking to him a bit I ask him if he would like for me to snare the foxes and coyotes that were talking his rabbit and the answer was yes.  I showed him were I would set to and if he liked he could check them when he was in checking his snares.  I gave him my # in case there was a fox or a coyote in the snares

 This one time I was setting my set out and after a few days there was a note left on my snare telling me that he was a trapper also and that he had his line out below me and in good faith i took up my line.

And as far as someone checking my line like you had, i would tell him that  i would set more traps out there (such as foot hold traps) that he could walk into ( but i would never set them ) just to put the fear in him .

 

[Tony Cooney]

Dear Craig, I understand exactly where you are coming from both perspectives.  I am a trappper, and I also hunt with hounds. Unfortunately, something like that would never work due to one factor, people stealing/damage your gear.  There is no law stating that you have to mark your gear, and many trappers don't because you always will get some individual who will steal your gear or your furs.  Just like when your running your dog in the beginning of the season, there is always someone driving along the paths looking to steal a dog.  As hunters and trappers we have to try to deal with this as best we can.  What I do, at the beginning of my trapline, I put a hold snare (not kill) out in the middle of the path so that hunters can have a chance to move to another spot.  I've tried the signs, but they disappear pretty quickly, whether from people pulling them down or the weather.  I know its hard picking up your dogs and moving to another spot to hunt, and I've done it many times myself.  But it is still better that losing your dog.  I totally agree that a system would be great for all people to enjoy

[mac]

Update to my huge stolen coyote on Dec 8th or 9th.2012 I was in on 10th

After finding the stolen coyote (maybe wolf) I have been in  contact with the Fish and Wildlife Investigations at St Johns and the RCMP in Grand Falls /Windsor concerning the details of how the animal was stolen. They are following up. Seems the fellow saw animal, stopped his truck, killed the animal in my snare, broke snare off, and then dragged the bleeding  animal a distance of 20 to 25 ft down to his vehicle which was a four wheel drive just to access the location. Animal  was huge because of the big footprint in the snow ( lot bigger than normal coyote)   and the imprint channel in the  snow  where thief dragged him from the snare to the truck was fairly deep indicating heavy weight which was why it was dragged.. He went over top of hill looking for somthing else too I followed his tracks in snow..

. Also  very much damage to surrounding trees where it was captured. A spruce tree about 3-4 inches was literally chewed off above the snare. Trapping for over 40 years and I know what damage an animal can do in relation to his size.

 I have  several  videos at the scene from different angles which would greatly add to the investigation and a witness. A moultrie cam was set up for the purpose of getting a video of the huge animal as I had seen him there time and time again.  Some tracks are very visible in the wet snow then frozen preserved.  There was only 2 set of footprints at the site mine and his (thief) and only 2 sets of tire tracks mine and his (thief) Cut and dried.  I am hoping that with the blood, urine and saliva on the tree and tree bark in its stomach and sample from site we can get a DNA match , which would lead to conviction of the person who did this. Haven't heard of this happening yet though. 

All too often because we are "TRAPPERS" we are treated by certain groups, antis, and even some in government who think that they themselves are the law. Wonder who pays their bills and elects them. We are also citizens of the world, we also pay our way!!!!!!! something has to be done to even make trappers feel they are contributing. The fur market is very, very huge and we get very little rewards for our work. Justice is weak in this area, trapping. I hear a lot of negativity from law officers too regarding the subject when a trapper loses fur by a thief (AWW, NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT ).  Anyone hear me??????????? Antis are everywhere!