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This month marks the Cowboy State’s start of trapping season for the majority of furry animals like beavers and martens.
Dave Pauli has four decades of experience in animal rescue and capture and said evidence of the sport can be present year-round, posing a risk to unleashed dogs on walks with their owners on public land.
“These devices are out there 12 months of the year,” he said, “that’s one of the key points we want to make people aware of.”
He gets at least a couple of calls a year from hikers or hunters who have lost their dogs in public lands. They ask if he could come help them look for their dog.
“And I say, ‘No, I’ll come help you look for tonight,’” he said, “and in the morning, they might not be alive.”
He has put on workshops for years with Wyoming Untrapped, most recently this month in Laramie and Alpine, to show pet owners how to undo the metal clasps and cables of foothold, body grip and snare traps.
“People were so engaged in touching these devices and learning how to use cable cutters, trap setters and their leash to protect themselves and their dogs,” he said.
He said most cases of trapped dogs go unreported, but there’s been an uptick in reported cases.
“It’s important that people report,” Pauli said, “in Wyoming, there’s been more fatalities in recent years.”
He attributes that trend in part to better awareness promoted by groups like Wyoming Untrapped. They encourage people to report incidents for an online log. No agency keeps track of dogs caught in traps.
