Author: Kate Boyd

Morgan was trapped in a snare on FS land about 1000 feet below their house which borders the forest in Montana. The three month old Pyrenees, Sam, was caught in a leghold trap at the same time. Both dogs were attracted to the rotten beaver meat used as bait. The trapper reportedly knew the owners and knew them well, knew the dogs. and never ever will be forgiven. Other trappers have quit trapping when they caused the trapping of a pet! While some care, many obviously do not.

Morgan died 11 days later after being caught in the snare from what trappers call this commonality, “jelly head.” When the snare doesn’t close sufficiently in strangling the victim it constricts the jugular vein on the outside of the neck, cutting off blood returning to the heart. Meanwhile, the carotid artery keeps pumping blood into the brain, causing a buildup and swelling from thick bloody fluid eventually rupturing the vascular system resulting in the brain exploding.

Sam, the pup, survived the leghold trap.

There simply is no need for this cruel indiscriminate deadly recreation! No animal deserves this.

“Greetings Trap Free Montana, I truly appreciate that you lobby for safer public lands. Thank you! Unfortunately, this is the third time I’ve dealt with an unnecessary trapping event. ” The first happened to my 10 yr. old German Shepherd and the second, which happened that same day and in the same area, trapped my own foot. Both traps were set at the Kelley Island fishing access and adjacent to a trail utilized by folks who access the river, but Fish Wildlife and Parks couldn’t deem it illegal….they could only deem it a lack of total common sense on the part of the trapper. The third time, which happened last week, was in the Twin Creeks area along an intermittent stream and it caught my 5 year old Shepherd. The area is heavily utilized by hikers and x-country skiers but there’s no formal road or trail along the stream, so trapping there is legal as far as I know. I’ve hiked there for the last 20 years and never run across a trap, so whoever set it isn’t familiar with the level of recreational use in the area or they simply don’t care. I try to be responsible and I’m not from an anti-hunting mentality. However, I do believe that trapping is an antiquated, rude method of hunting that’s cruel to animals and infringes on the rights of others who utilize public lands. With so many of us out there using public lands, it seems a bit unfair to all of us who don’t trap to have to endure the various trapping seasons that last three-quarters of the year. I know when the general hunting season is and I can act accordingly by staying out of the woods for much of the season, but traps are another deal entirely. They’re often near water where all of us like to play. The seasons run for about 9 months and they can be indiscriminate, as is proven by my family. I don’t go around indiscriminately injuring others on public lands. I can’t be angry at the trapper who trapped my dog because he or she did nothing illegal, but it’s definitely time for me to re-think trapping and I’m grateful to all of you out there that have already moved in that direction.” name protected Missoula Montana

Monte’s enjoyment visiting a favorite swimming spot along the Bitterroot river, ended in unforgettable tragedy.

“It’s always been one of our favorite places.” It looked like her toes were mangled,” Ramberg said. “I wasn’t quite sure what kind of recovery she would have.”

“It was terrible and ridiculous. What is a beaver trap doing in a public fishing and swimming area? My best friend had to go through something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/man-s-dog-caught-in-illega… If someone says to me, ‘it was just a dog,’ I think I will scream. I was there to hear her screaming and was there to see her fear in her eyes and the pain she fought.” Ramberg said. In this rare instance in Montana, the trapper was actually found, cited and ordered to pay the vet bills. The majority of times, that does not happen. Pet owners, wildlife rehabbers, veterinarians and tax payers incur the costs of “incidental” trapping victims. Animals and their owners incur the life long emotional and sometimes physical scars of the irresponsible, indiscriminate and cruel recreation of trapping. Traps and snares are frequented along Montana waterways catching, torturing, sometimes killing our faithful dogs and any creature that falls victim to them. Our initiative would achieve safe responsible and ethical use of our public lands free from these hidden and indiscriminate landmines for ourselves, our pets and wildlife. Our initiative requires warning postings for the trapping exceptions on Montana public land.

February 22, 2015 Two dogs caught in traps just turned in to Missoula Animal Control. These are above and beyond the 21 known in Montana in the last few months, one of which “at large” was killed. Montana FWP reports list 104 dogs in the past couple of years! Some were with owners present and some reported “at large”, most on public land and the majority are in legal trap sets! Dog owners need to know, trappers are not required to check their traps within any time period other than sets for wolves require 48 hr checks. Trappers have to report to FWP any trapped dogs, other than their own, now within 24 hrs. Other than that they can simply let the dog go, injured or not, with id tags or not. This happens and dogs are known to sometimes later lose legs, die as a result from the trapping. No records of trapped cats are kept but it happens. Owners of missing/lost pets need to contact their regional FWP office to see if a dog in their region was reported trapped. Shelters, Dog lost and found groups, Animal Control, need to provide missing pet owners the number at FWP to call. It may just save a dog’s life. We can do much better than this friends and have to! From Missoula Animal Control: The shelter has received two dogs yesterday and today that have been caught in coyote foot traps near Kona Ranch Rd. /Mullan. The dogs have been ok, luckily. If you own a pet and live in that area PLEASE use caution and watch where you wander off to. Two dogs caught in traps just turned in to Missoula Animal Control