Understanding The Problem
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The body grip trap set most likely to kill your dog is the cubby (box) set shown in the lower left photo. The trap is placed in the opening and the bait (beaver, grouse or pheasant) placed in the back of the box.
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The video link below the photos shows the trap from your dog's perspective.
Can you find the trap before your dog? This body grip trap is less than 100 yards off a popular grouse hunting trail. It's the dark painted box in the center of the photo. The picture was taken November 30, 2015.
This photo was taken March 5th in Sand Dunes SF near Zimmerman. Would your dog stick it's head in the trap to reach the bait?
Here is a close-up of an abandoned bucket set just 20' from a trail.
What a body grip trap looks like from a dog's perspective
WARNING: This is a simulated graphic.
MN Trappers have killed more than 100 innocent dogs.
The same sets that have killed dogs since the 1970's are still legal to use in MN and are still killing dogs.
WARNING: The following story is the worst that I have heard in reviewing more than 100 cases of dogs being killed.
On December 23 just 2 days before Christmas a brave puppy made her way home after surviving injuries that would have killed most dogs. Two weeks earlier on the opening of bobcat trapping season she ran into the woods while being walked. She was gone!
Two weeks later she made her way home and banged her head on the door. Excitement turned to horror when her owner saw that the trap had crushed her skull. The only humane thing to do was to say goodbye to that brave little girl. In the two weeks she was missing she had lost 20 lbs and endured indescribable pain but she somehow she still made it home to Mom.
The trap had to be returned to the trapper according to the law because in this state nearly everything regarding these deadly traps is legal.
Like most of the dogs that have been killed she was probably drawn to the lure placed at the trap by the trapper. That is the cause when dogs cross invisible property lines and does not permit a property owner to kill the dog.
Zip Tie Quiz
Will Zip Ties Save Your Dog?
Will you know your dog is caught so you can start searching?
Dogs cannot bark or yelp to let you know they need help and every hunting dog is out of sight and hearing while hunting every hunt. It’s unlikely that you will even know your dog is caught and dying. Have you ever lost track of your dog for one minute? Two minutes? Those minutes mean life or death. Most hunters lose track of their dog throughout the hunt.
Will you know where to look for your dog?
Our dogs move so fast it’s impossible to keep track of them at all times. How will you even know where to start looking?
Can you find your motionless dog lying in thick cattails or brush in time to save it?
Many dogs are unconscious within seconds. When Birdie a full grown Labrador Retriever was killed on Dec 30, 2012 she backed straight up 3’, laid down, pooped and died. There were no signs of struggle in the fresh snow. Have you ever had trouble finding a downed bird?
Can you remove the trap in time?
Body grip traps are designed to kill within a few short minutes. You’ve already lost precious time just deciding whether your dog is out of sight hunting or is dying in a trap. You lost more time searching for a dog that may already be dead. Body grip traps are very strong and are hard to remove under the best of circumstances. You may have already run out of time before you even find your dog.
Will your dog escape mortal injuries from a trap that strikes the throat and spine with 90 lbs. pressure?
Many dogs are injured so badly they die even if the trap is removed immediately. An English Setter named Sue was killed while hunting in the Dry Sand WMA near Staples. She was caught right next to the trail and her owner found her quickly because her collar beeped when she stopped moving. He removed the trap immediately and she died in his arms. A Beagle named Frisbee was caught in October 2011. She was unconscious when her owner found her. He removed the trap and gave her CPR. She recovered and now 3 years later scar tissue is forming in her throat and will likely shorten her life.
Do you know how to perform CPR on a dog?
This fall another dog caught in a body grip trap was found and the trap promptly removed. Despite the fast action and luck of the hunter the dog had stopped breathing within a couple of minutes. It took 15 minutes of CPR to restore breathing to the dog. It's not uncommon for a dog to stop breathing even if the trap is removed immediately and without CPR the dog will die.
Unless you answered YES to ALL 6 questions zip ties won’t save your dog.
BONUS QUESTIONS:
Why does Alabama do a better job of protecting dogs than MN?
Why does MN allow the use of these lethal traps on the ground where our dogs can find them?
If the new (2012) regulations work why is the trappers association distributing zip ties and paying for the zip tie ad in the MN DNR Hunting & Trapping Regulations Handbook?
The trappers association claims the primary reason that dogs die in body grip traps is because the hunters doesn’t know how to remove the trap. Now that you know the 6 preconditions necessary for your dog to survive a body grip trap what do you think? Could the primary reason be that the trap was improperly placed on the ground?
