Hi folks, I’d like this email
placed in the record for the Wildlife Commission, I grew up in California
in the 60’s when the trapping laws used to be what Nevada allows now.
They were changed decades ago.
I lost two dogs to traps in the area‐‐one of them obviously suffered horribly for a few days before dying.
I’m trying to imagine what a person caught in the
wilderness by a traditional old‐style bear trap would have to endure.
We should be better and smart enough to figure out
a better way to go about this.
Thanks,
Mike Smith
February 2011 email: We have ten acres of rural property. Somebody put traps on our property and our neighbors’ without permission. We have no way to find out who did this.
Since passage of SB364, law now requires trapper ID or NDOW registration number on all traps set on public land. And the public has the right to disturb a trap that poses obvious risk.
Jeannine Willis found an injured kitten in her Las Vegas
area surburban garage the night of Wednesday, June 16, 2011 and took him to
Green Valley Animal Hospital near Mountain Vista/Ramrod. He appeared to be a
2-3 mos. old male kitten with a “clamp” or “trap” stuck to
his left front paw. The vet removed the trap, but but the paw was not only
“dead” , but crawling with maggots, and needed to be amputated. The
vet gave the kitten back to Jeannine.
But, Jeannine is allergic and could not keep him, so she contacted Karen Layne, Director of Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. LVVHS took him to Sunrise Veterinary Clinic where Dr. Henderson euthanized him at 5:00 p.m. June 17. The kitty had endured just too much. Karen now has the trap device. Las Vegas Animal Control told Karen it’s a mouse trap. But it’s 5 ½ inches by 2 ¾ inches long and Karen says: “It would be overkill” for a mouse or rat.
On January 18, 2012 at approximately 2:30-3:00 pm, my husband took our puppies to run in the ravine next to the South Valley Sports Complex. Gauge is a 10 months old German Wirehaired Pointer and Gretchen is a 9 months old GWP.
We have often taken them to this area to run (as do many, many other dog owners) and have never had any incident. Until yesterday. Jason was no more than 20 feet behind the puppies as they ran out into the ravine. He lost sight of them, whistled, and Gauge immediately returned to his side. Usually, Gretchen is better about coming when called, but she didn’t return. Instead, Jason heard her whimper, so he followed the sound to his left and found her in a coyote box trap.
She had been attracted to the bait meat and went into the cage. Jason didn’t realize that there were snare traps as well inside the cage, so when he released the pins to raise the doors and Gretchen turned to come out, she found her neck in a noose. It worked exactly like a zip-tie, so the harder she pulled the tighter the snare became.
Jason tried everything to release her from the snare, but it was no good. Gretchen was in a panic and bit Jason on his Right forearm, in his efforts to release her. He realized that he needed additional tools and ran back to his truck to get, something, anything. He found a pair of Lineman’s pliers and ran back to Gretchen and clipped her free. By now she had passed out and did not appear to be breathing. So he gave her two rescue breaths to resuscitate her. After the second breath, she rolled over on her tummy and was very dazed, but back.
We returned to the park a while later to try to identify whose trap it was and who would be so irresponsible as to set coyote traps next to a park where people walk their dogs almost constantly throughout the day. I called the phone number listed on the laminated notes on the trap. It said, Caution: Do Not Disturb This Trap. COYOTES CAN CARRY RABIES THIS IS AN AUTHORIZED TRAP. Call – – – For Further Information. A man named Dave answered.
His rationale and justification for doing this was that “a coyote as big as a German Shepard” not only attacked, but stole his dog only 4 feet from him in that very valley. So he was seeking retribution. And in doing so needlessly and carelessly put our puppies in danger.
Luckily, Gauge stayed right by Jason while he tried to rescue Gretchen because we found 3 other snare traps along the fence line, all baited with meat. I shudder to think that both of my puppies would have need to be rescued.
. . . It is very disappointing that the only thing Dave could be fined for was being too close to the roadway. Not for being too close to a park/playground. Not for setting traps that could endanger pets or children.
Not only was this experience unnecessary and terrifying, but my husband had to go get a tetanus shot and we took Gretchen to our vet to make sure that she was ok, which thankfully she is.
Karenina Schuller: We had a big problem behind Johnson Lane in Minden, NV, where someone put traps & POISON. We train search & rescue dogs there! Others run their pet dogs there. What if a canine patrol dog is out there and is in a trap or gets poisoned?? What a waste! The coyote eats the dead rodents & die, then who else in the food chain? It’s not allowed to put any poison in Lake Tahoe basin for rodents or whatever. Still somebody didn’t like the goose poop & ended up poisoning pets in the area. This has got to stop! Working with Search & Rescue units and seeing the on-going/forever training it takes, this would be an immense tragedy!
. . . we never worked or rode back there after hearing other dogs were trapped or poisoned.
Dec. 3, 2010 TestimonyNevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners (NBWC) Meeting Dorismae Weber’s dog was caught in a trap that was not 1,000 feet from a trail in the picnic area of Galena Park.
November 3, 2007, the Board of Wildlife Commissioners gave unanimous approval to new regulation that will guarantee no trapping using steel traps or snares be permitted within 1000 feet of the following trails within Washoe County: Hunter Creek Trail, Thomas Creek Trail, Ophir Creek Trail, Whites Creek Trail, Jones Creek Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail. By this action, the regulation becomes part of Nevada Administrative Code.
