9 Truths Hunters Need to Know About Trapping

If you’ve been trying to avoid bumping into a trapper in the woods or even just discussing the topic of trapping, maybe it’s time to come to terms with the activity and those who participate in it. The reality is that trappers have as much right and opportunity to recreate on public land as any hunter or angler. Wildlife and habitats are for all to enjoy, and with the tradition and science-backed practice of modern trapping on the chopping block in the U.S., now is the time for the entire sporting community to come together to support one another before it’s too late.

In my home state of Vermont and many others, anti-trapping bills continue to be introduced and debated by legislators every year. I had my own questions and curiosities about trapping on public hunting grounds, so I went directly to the source to sort them out. Last season I went afield with a handful of seasoned trappers to see firsthand how trappers and hunters can coexist.

I came away with many important observations that all public-land hunters should know—accurate information that should help them feel better about sharing properties with trappers. Hopefully, knowing the truth about trapping will help slow the never-ending spread of poor publicity for this time-honored tradition and sustainable wildlife-management practice.

Trapping is Heavily Regulated

Most public-land hunters have a manageable list of regulations to which they must adhere: hunting license, applicable tags, bag limits, season dates, shooting hours and perhaps a non-lead ammunition requirement. Okay, there are a few more, but hunters have it easier than trappers. Trappers also have mandatory education, licenses and season structures, but beyond that, each state has its own very specific set of trapping laws that are in place to protect animal welfare (of both legal furbearers and incidental catches) and public safety. Common trapping rules include trap style, size and location restrictions; trap tagging; daily trap checks; and agency surveys and reporting to name just a handful. In Vermont, a new set of additional regs just rolled out that include a suite of chain length, swivel and base-plate specifics for land-based foothold traps, along with setbacks from trails, a covered bait requirement and an arm’s-length dispatch mandate. Trapping very well may have the most complex laws and be the most heavily regulated outdoor pursuit.

Trappers Are Not a Crowd

Do you have any idea how many trappers are sharing your favorite public deer woods, duck marsh or grouse cover? For many public-land hunters, it’s a rare encounter rather than a regular occurrence, to bump into a trapper. Even in areas with abundant public parcels, these days it’s unlikely there are too many trappers for the land and its resources to support. The trappers that are out there are likely well off the beaten path. They may be out during all times of the day and night, rather than focusing on dawn and dusk like most hunters. There may not be as many public-land trappers as you think, and there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Traps Are Not Set Randomly

Hunters shouldn’t expect tons of traps out there, and each one that is set has been meticulously placed to target a specific, legal furbearing species. A trapper’s goal is to set traps in the most effective and responsible manner to reduce the chance of any hunter, dog or other incidental animal getting caught. Traps are not randomly set to catch just any unsuspecting critter; rather, a particular style and size of trap or snare is placed to target a particular species in a deliberate location. Trappers know the quarry so well they predict where that animal will take a particular footstep to get caught. There may be a few longlines with more than 100 traps on them somewhere, but they’re not common in most places. Most trappers set a handful to a few dozen traps on a line. Many times, they will place several traps in one concentrated location to increase the likelihood of going home with fur.

Trappers Use Specific Sets

An easy way to settle any anxiety about sharing space with trappers is to become familiar with trapping season dates, their targeted furbearers and the types of traps they’re using. On land, canids and predators such as the wolf, coyote, red and gray foxes and bobcat are popular targets. There is also the mustelid family, which includes the otter, fisher, marten, mink and a few weasels. In the water, trappers target minks, muskrats, beavers and otters using lethal body-gripping traps called conibears. Generally, trappers set footholds for the canids and predators, and body-grippers for the water dwellers, but trapping is a game of ingenuity and personal expression, so trappers also use body grips on land for mustelids and footholds in water with drowning sets. Becoming familiar with the types of traps and trapping techniques, along with when these furbearers are in season, will put your mind at ease during your hunting season.

You’re Unlikely to be Caught

The sharp-toothed bear traps of the mountain-man days have long been relegated to museums and wall art, despite what the animal-rights activists want you to believe. Modern traps are much less intimidating in appearance, and while much of the basic functionality has remained unchanged, they’re probably not going to hurt you if you step on one accidentally. There’s an off chance you might encounter a foothold trap on land, but due to the relatively small jaws (typically about 5 inches wide when set), the odds of it snapping shut on your foot are minimal. It may just spring and bounce off your boot without causing nothing more than a cardiac status check.

The 10-by-10-inch, size-330 body-grip traps may raise a little more concern, but these devices are typically set vertically and are partially or fully submerged in water to target beavers and otters. Smaller (4 1/2- to 6-inch) body-grips are used in or near water for minks and muskrats. Medium-size (6- to 8-inch) versions are set for martens, fishers, bobcats and raccoons, but you’ll likely encounter these tacked on a tree trunk or inside a cubby, a small structure made from lumber or natural materials. You probably won’t find trap locations flagged or identifiable, and they’ll be fully covered or partially concealed. Knowing the unlikely chance of a trap causing injury to a hunter, its potential presence should not be cause for much concern.

A Trap Shouldn’t Harm Your Dog

Despite what the anti-trapping movement would like you to believe, it’s unlikely that dogs and other domestic pets will be caught by traps. Unless your retriever is diving like an otter to recover a crippled mallard, the odds of a dog getting stuck in a body-grip trap is low.

A foothold trap set on land is more likely to catch a hunting dog, but remember foothold traps are non-lethal restraining devices. They hold an animal by its toes or foot pad—not the leg as anti-trappers claim. If caught, your dog may be upset but shouldn’t be injured. Throw a coat over his head or have your buddy hold him while you depress the levers to open the jaws, and you’ll be back to hunting with nothing but a short delay and a story to share back at camp.

With a little education, handling a trap shouldn’t be any scarier than handling a firearm or compound bow, and no more complicated, either. There are videos on YouTube that demonstrate the simple, step-by-step methods of freeing a dog from the various types of traps. Get familiar with the process to be prepared should the unexpected occur.

Trappers Help Wildlife

Trapping is an integral component of managing populations of furbearers, which makes the practice beneficial to public-land hunters for many reasons, including controlling predators. Predation continues to be a hot topic for hunters worried over decreased populations of game species. Coyotes preying on whitetail fawns, wolves taking out elk and raccoons, skunks and possums hitting the nests of turkeys, waterfowl, grouse, quail and other upland birds account for some declines. Thankfully, trappers are using public hunting grounds to take out top-level predators and nest raiders.

Beavers often have a noticeable impact on their habitat. Once reduced or removed from an area, their effects promote early successional habitat that provides browse for deer and moose. The new growth also attracts turkeys and upland birds with cover, food and a place to raise their young. With an appropriate number in a colony, beavers can flood an area that can quickly turn into a duck-hunting honey hole. There is a delicate interplay in wetland ecosystems, one that is easily influenced by beaver activity, and one where trappers play a large part in maintaining a proper balance.

Trappers Pay for Conservation

Trappers pay into wildlife and habitat conservation much like hunters. While there isn’t an excise tax on trapping equipment like the Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Act levies on firearm and ammunition sales, trappers certainly contribute in several ways. They often use guns and ammo to dispatch animals, which are subject to the P-R tax. Portions of trapping license sales go toward habitat acquisition and maintenance, wildlife management and other conservation efforts. Trappers also buy habitat stamps and special-use permits to trap on federal and state lands.

Just like hunters, trappers have state organizations that collaborate with wildlife agencies, non-profits and community groups to promote conservation and healthy habitats. There are also a few notable national organizations, like the Fur Takers of America and National Trappers Association, that work on local, regional and national conservation and wildlife issues alongside hunters and anglers.

Trapping Makes Better Hunters

Every good hunter knows that knowledge and experience are directly related to time spent outdoors. The more you can study and learn about your quarry, the more success you’ll have. That’s exactly why trappers are some of the best hunters. They’ve learned to read the woods and waters, keeping a keen eye for animal sign and activity, and are intimately familiar with a species’ habitats, movements, behaviors and lifecycles.

If you’re interested in increasing your time in the field and enhancing your woodsmanship, consider taking up trapping this season. You don’t need to become the next Jeremiah Johnson, but consider starting with a few simple sets to keep the coyotes and coons off the turkey broods or to remove a few beavers from the valley. Lastly, don’t pass on a chance to chat with a trapper the next time the opportunity presents itself. He probably has solid intel on what’s happening with whatever game you’re chasing on your shared public ground.

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• This article was featured in the 2024 issue of Public Land Hutner magazine.

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