I really want to get more into trapping. Hank helped get me set me up after one of his classes. I've caught several racoons and possums with dog-proofs, but I've done very little with leghold traps. The problem I have is this: When I tried to start, I had a place I could trap without worrying about catching household dogs. We lost that land. From cameras, I know the places I now have are frequented by pets from locals. How do you guys handle this? And please don't suggest shooting the dog. I have no intention of doing that. I have to live around these people.

No way to avoid catching them if you want to target coyote. Buy or make a good catch pole. Always use a catch pole even if the dog seems ok, which almost all do once they are caught and worn out. Most just lay there while you let them loose. If they are really wild or aggressive out can choke them down or make other choices. A piece of plywood with a cutout to put the foot through while you take the trap off can be good if you are uncomfortable with just the catch pole. I have turned a lot loose and only had a couple bad ones.

I got wrote up last year for not having a choke pole. I planned on just throwing a piece of carpet over the dog if I caught one. I caught one alright. Very first day. Neighbor who owned the dog got it out and took all my traps with him. I didn't have any issues with the warden because I didn't know about a catch pole and he took the traps from the neighbor and returned them to me. I just quit after that and let the Beavers have at it.

Every time I deer hunted the dogs were on the property. There were nine dogs all together I had to deal with. I finally just gave up on deer hunting too because of the dog problem. I couldn't kill the dogs, just not something I would want to do even though I was ticked off over and over again. Dogs are going to be a problem no matter what you do it seems.

Teacher I hate you had a bad experience but you shouldn't feel like quiting was an option!

Were you trapping on private property?

If so what was the neighbor doing on your land to wind up taking your traps?

Most people are reasonable if you approach them before hand and let them know you'll be in the area trapping. 95% will shut their animals up if you let them know when you'll be running your traps. If you do catch a pet, take it to the owners. Know your rights from the beginning. You aren't responsible for an animal trapped on private property and if you've already contacted the pet owners to let them know you were running traps then you've gone above and beyond your responsibility.

Bringing a pet home to them paints a much better picture of trappers than their dog coming home limping with trap jaw bite marks on a foot.

Remember I said this works with 95% of people. You know the other 5%!

When you have to deal with this 5% it's time to have backup. Involve your local GW. Make sure he/she knows the situation beforehand and if need be let them return the pet. They can explain the laws and regulations to the pet owner and hopefully the visit will encourage them to keep their pets shut up.

Hank, this is the approach I'm going to try to take. There is a local that has a pair of pitbulls that run the woods, mostly at night. I've got several pictures of them doing so. I'm going to try to let him know I'm trapping and show him pictures of the dogs. However, he's related to one's that have been suspects to problems I've had with trespassing and camera theft. I'm hoping he's not in the 5%, but don't really have no reason for hoping so.

I caught one of my neighbors dogs on back to back night last year when I started. I had told everyone that I would be setting the traps and I was new at the trapping game and they were good with it. The dog that I caught twice never seem to care but he didn't get caught a third time. My neighbor was with me the second time he got caught so he could see it didn't hurt his dog. A week later I caught a big lab from a neighbor up the road and one of the local kids went and took him out of the trap and carried him home and sent me a text so I knew what happened. This all happened last year when I first started trapping and I have not caught a dog since then.

It's great to have neighbors that fall into that 95%.

I was on private property.

The dog in question was howling because he could not get out of the trap. They heard him and went and released him. Took all the traps I had set on the beaver dam I was trying to get rid of. They called the sheriff. The home renter had the traps and was told to keep them as evidence by the sheriff.This was when I showed up and found the traps missing. I stopped at the closest house to see if they had seen anyone enter the gate. They told me I had caught their house dog and they had taken him to the vet for a broke foot-I don't know if it was broke or not. Warden came to see what was going on after I left and took the traps. Two trucks showed up Sunday afternoon with a warden in each. They were more than helpful to me as they told me I had done nothing wrong except not having a catch pole. He wrote me a warning as I did have the heavy carpet in back of the truck. Even volunteered to help me catch the beaver but I declined as I didn't want the elderly landowner involved with the neighbors and me possibly losing the lease. Cameras came up missing the week deer season closed btw.

These dogs roam this property I have leased every morning and night. The neighbors even told me their dogs make their rounds through the bottom every morning and every night. My son and I have killed some giants off this tract, but they are not here now due to the dogs. I kid you not, but I saw dogs roaming this tract every time I deer hunted except twice. I wish parvo would hit them hard.

.270 will hit them harder than parvo. I would warn the dog owner to keep them up because they could easily be mistaken for a coyote and killed

Teach I understand that you don't want the elderly landowner involved but you're being bullied by these neighbors.

The game wardens that brought you your traps back could've shined more light on it for you. As in trespassing and theft of property.

Why would you pay for a lease that you can't hunt?

9 roaming pests is quite a few I'd probably use a combination of 330's and snares in that scenario and make sure I checked it and was gone before the neighbor got home from work in the afternoon. There won't be any howling.

If that were my lease, those dogs would be dead. As North40R said, you're being bullied.

I can't really imagine shooting a roaming dog, but teach's scenario would be one I think would very likely change my mind.

Total bullying.

Well if you catch a dog you could take them to the local animal shelter if possible. They might get tired of bailing them out after awhile. Dogs are suckers for box traps.

I would make it known to all locals that you are trapping and are targetting coyotes. If they care about there pets they'll put them up. If they don't care they wont, so why should you. Catch them and drop them off at the shelter

I trap and I sometimes catch dogs. When you have irresponsible pet owners, you have problems.

I own dogs.

My dogs are always on my property (in pens) unless hunting with me.

When I'm deer hunting I usually only encounter dogs once.

Some people have snakes for pets but I'm not going to have them crawling through my yard.

I don't care what type of domesticated animal you keep as a pet, just keep it on your property, off of the public road and off of my property.

Turkey, I won't suggest that you shoot the dogs. I will suggest that you grow a set of balls, be a man, and deal with it. "Oh I don't want to shoot the dogs, what can I do?" I'm not sure that I can give you any advice, anything that I would recommend would require the work of a MAN


Lonster

Damn!

Thanks for the advice, Lonster. I appreciate it. I've handled situations your way before, but that was back when I was a man with a set of balls.

Have you recently changed into a wo-man.