Search Trapping Incidents Database

The 102-pound mother mountain lion and her 78-pound offspring were caught in neck snares about 100 yards apart. The snares were meant for bobcats. North Dakota Game and Fish Department personnel said the cougars “pretty much died immediately.” Four mountain lions were accidentally trapped last season. Three died, and one, caught in a foot-hold trap, was tranquilized and fitted with a radio collar.

White-Tailed Buck was caught in a cable restraint left in a forest for other wildlife. Buck was able to pull the trap out of the ground and left with the cable and stake around it’s neck.

White-Tailed Buck was caught in a cable restraint left on a trail for other wildlife. Buck was released with no apparent injury.

Traps were set illegally on the grounds of a gun club, close to a woman’s house. The head of the gun club puportedly set the traps to harass the woman into giving up her cats. She says that “There are carcasses of wild animals strewn everywhere near my house.” The game warden has refused to help, and no charges have been filed. Vet costs so far are approaching $2,000.

Belle was caught in a leghold trap set in a rural populated area with many houses and children. The trap was set legally. Veterinary bills have so far totalled $3,000.00.

Colleen the cat went missing on November 14. Four days later Colleen’s caregiver’s son found her in a ditch, caught in a “foothold” trap set for a rabbit or raccoon. “Colleen was alive when he checked the trap and then he killed her,” the caregiver said. “He just didn’t care.” She contacted state officials, who told her that because the trap was not set on her property, there was nothing they could do. The trap was set legally.

Bo Diddley stepped on a trap about 10 feet off a trail near Palmer in December. His caregiver got Bo Diddley out of the trap. She then took the trap, left the trapper a nasty note and reported the incident to the Alaska Board of Fish and Game. She also organized a letter-writing campaign. Then she was charged with stealing the trap, hindering lawful trapping and criminal mischief. The charges were later dropped.

When a woman rode her horse along an Eau Claire Country Forest trail, her dog Bart often tagged along. “It was so enjoyable to watch him sniffing, smelling, and running after me with his tongue hanging out,” she said. That changed. “Bart just ran down the side of the trail to the stream,” she said. “I thought it was unusual that he wanted a drink so quickly. And immediately I heard an agonizing howl. I looked down, and he was violently struggling to get this trap off his neck.” But she couldn’t get the trap apart. “The nightmare just keeps going and going,” she said. The trap was legally set but the trapper’s license was suspended for failure to take a required trapper education course.

When two boys checked their traps “earlier this month,” they found a 10- to 15-pound bobcat. The boys’ fathercalled a local game warden to free the yearling cat. Then the father also found a full-grown bobcat when he checked the traps a few days later.

Buddy was caught in a snare trap. “The circulation was completely cut off in her front paw, and they waited until 10 days to try to get the circulation going before making the decision to remove the leg. At the last minute, there was blood in the pad and one toe, the other toes had to be amputated.”