JACKSON, Wyo. — It’s trapping season for furbearing species in Wyoming from now through April, and there’s a number of things for residents and visitors to keep in mind.
WGFD confirms trapping season for mink, muskrat, marten, weasel and beaver opens on Oct. 1 in a majority of areas. Trapping season for bobcats opens Nov. 15, and trapping season for badger open Dec. 1.
For mink, muskrat, marten and weasel, there are currently no limitations on the number of animals that can be taken in an open area. For beavers, Salt Creek, Upper Smiths Fork, Hobble Creek, Hams Fork River, South Fork Fontenelle Creek, Fontenelle Creek, LaBarge Creek and South LaBarge Creek, North Pole Mountain and South Pole Mountain have limitations on how many animals one trapper is allowed to take.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Bighorn County, Grand Teton National Park, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway and the National Elk Refuge in Teton County are closed to the taking of all furbearing animals.
A large number of areas in Teton County, in addition to other counties, are closed to the taking of beaver. Find the full area and limitation list here.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), any person holding a valid Wyoming furbearing animal trapping license is authorized to trap furbearing animals in any trapping area specified in the current trapping regulations, excluding species within limited quota trapping areas.
However, Wyoming Untrapped (WU) noted in an Instagram post this month that a lack of trapping reform in Wyoming and surrounding states has made the practice of trapping a threat to both those who recreate on public lands and their pets, a point that WGFD also confirms.
“The chance your pet will encounter a trap or snare is rare, but if you recreate in Wyoming you should be prepared if it happens.”
WGFD
“The chance your pet will encounter a trap or snare is rare, but if you recreate in Wyoming you should be prepared if it happens,” WGFD writes on their website. “Knowing when trapping seasons are open is one important step to preventing your pet from getting caught. You are responsible for understanding the risks of having pets off-leash.”
WU writes that trappers can place traps anywhere, including on hiking trails and public land, the only exception being within 30 feet of an officially designated road. Trappers are also not required to disclose to the public or WGFD the location of their traps.
Additionally, WU emphasizes that threatened and endangered species can also get injured or killed in traps that don’t discern different species, and research shows about half of animals caught in leg-hold traps experience suffering. Some suffer fractured or broken bones, and many animals will chew their leg off to escape the trap. All species are also potentially subjected to extended dehydration, cold temperatures and predators.
Steel-jaw leghold traps have been condemned as inhumane by the World Veterinary Association, the National Animal Care and Control Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. More than 100 countries have banned these types of traps, and a number of states including Florida, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, California and Washington have banned or restricted their use.
Body-gripping traps designed for quick kills often do not kill quickly, and animals die slowly from crushed skulls or other internal organs; WU writes that a number of states and countries have banned these devices for their cruelty towards animals, including Portugal, Ireland, Kenya, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Washington.
Despite the potential for suffering, WGFD says Wyoming prohibits killing or releasing wildlife caught in a trap or to close, trip or remove traps set on the landscape in order to preserve trapping heritage that is protected under the Wyoming constitution.
Learn about the ways to release pets from different types of traps with WU here, with video resources recommended by WGFD here. WGFD also recommends owners carry a Trap Release Toolkit that includes:
- A small trap safety for pet owners pamphlet
- Airline cable cutters for 3/16″ wire
- Stout rope (3/8″-1/2″ in diameter by 8′ long) or a covering to use as a muzzle so a dog does not bite while being released from a body grip trap
If a pet has been caught in a trap, owners are required to call 877-943-3847 to report the incident.
