2011 email: Pepple’s my Catahoula was first trapped in a leg trap and it took me around 10 minutes to figure out how to release it, and right after that she got into another one that hit her in the face as it closed. She had a cut over her eye and it actually hit her hard enough to damage her eye and she now has two different colored eyes from the trauma. I’m a Marshal for the courts here in Las Vegas and I actually got one of the news channels to come out and do a story on trapping, I believe it was channel 8, it aired later at night so I’m not sure how many people saw it. I found Fish and Game to be non supportive even though the trapper was using illegal means to travel to the areas where he was setting his traps, they even went so far as to inform me that I could be arrested for removing the trap that caught my dog. I’ve lived in the same area for over ten years, and ride my horses most every weekend, I never knew that you could trap in the Red Rock Conservation area, and have never seen anyone trap there before, and they certainly seemed more interested in chewing me out than citing him for illegally riding his quad on trails where motor vehicles are prohibited. I have heard many stories since mine, from people who hike in MT Charleston, whose dogs have been injured in traps, I’m still amazed that they are allowed to trap so close to trails where people and their pets travel. Keep up the good work. [Areas closed to Hunting and Trapping -per Nevada Department of Wildife ]
Oct. 15, 2011 told in person: I live on East Calle de la Plata northeast of Reno, high on the hill. Previously I have seen bacon hanging from a bush above a nearby canyon with a piece of red plastic tied to a bush nearby. So I suspected there might be traps hidden in the area. Then, on Oct. 15, I saw a coyote on my property. He was dragging his front paw which was caught in a trap. I wanted something done to help this animal. I called Animal Control but they said to call NV Dept. of Wildlife. So I called NDOW and was told they “had only two people” and it would take a week before they could get to me. So then, on a neighbor’s advice, I called a local trapper. But he was out of town guiding a hunt. So then I called Washoe County and was referred to the Sheriff’s Dept. I asked if it was legal for me to shoot the coyote; I just wanted to put it out of its misery. I was told someone would call me back. By now the coyote had clanked away. Shortly thereafter, a Sheriff’s Deputy came to my door. I think law enforcement was concerned that I mentioned discharging a firearm. It is a congested area where I live. The Deputy was very helpful and hiked out with me to find the coyote. We never found the coyote. Now I am afraid to let my dogs off leash because a wounded coyote could be a menace to my terrier. I am frustrated that nobody in local government could do anything to help. At least the Deputy tried and was very considerate. I cannot stand to think of an animal in pain.
Coyotes are frequent trap victims. They have no protection under the law. Their official status is “unprotected”.
July, 2011 told in person by staff of Animal Services: Trapped cats are common. Recently we had two incidents. The first was brought in by an officer.The cat was trapped by both back legs. The second was brought in by a good Samaritan in the neighborhood.
Minutes Dec. 3, 2010 Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners Meeting
. . . Commissioner Vogler said . . . on the rare occasion that a unleashed dog stumbles into a trap makes him feel very bad and he had it happen to his own dog. . . .If you are a good trapper you will do everything not to trap a dog as no market for dog fur that he knows of.
On
July 24, 2004, my husband Rob, myself and our daughter Jade
went for a hike on the terraces at Ward
Mountain. We drove to the terraces via the Lion Springs
road and did not see any postings for government trapping; it was posted on
another access road but not the one that we used. When we got to the terraces we went on our
hike on the main road and about 10 minutes into the hike our dog Dice got his
foot caught in a trap that had been set 5
feet from the roadway by a government trapper.
He
was howling in pain and I had to try to hold him while he was biting me so that
my husband could remove the trap, I physically could not have removed the trap
by myself. We were all very traumatized
by this event and could not believe that a government trap would be set so
close to a public roadway, what if a small child had stumbled on to this trap? These traps could easily brake the leg of a
small child or domestic dog. What if a
family was driving or walking on this roadway and a wild animal had been caught
in the trap and they had to witness this torturous, painful event?
My
husband contacted the agency responsible for this careless act and was told
that it is illegal for government traps or commercial traps to be set so close
to a roadway and that they would be removed.
We
would like to hike in this area again but have not returned in the seven years
that have passed because we are still traumatized by what happened and too afraid
that our dogs will get caught in a trap.
This
type of illegal trapping practice should never be allowed to happen, traps
should never be placed in an area where people, children or domestic animals
are present.
I
have included pictures of the trap and its proximity to the roadway.
[told in person] We were hiking in the Carson City area about 1990 with a small, 25-pound dog. The dog got trapped. We reported it to the sheriff and to NV Dept. of Wildlife. NDOW told her, “If we get more complaints we’ll do something.”
Two years later, we were hiking with a different dog, who
weighed 40 pounds. She was trapped near Sparks Family Hospital. My friend went
to call Animal Control who came out with a stretcher for the dog. She was taken
to Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. Fortunately, there was just soft tissue damage.
I called the sheriff, and the county, city and state governments to complain.
