Trapping and dogs: There's got to be a better way
We had the trail to ourselves. But you wouldn’t know it.
My dog — a 4-year-old golden retriever — and I were on the Paul Bunyan Trail near Nisswa on one of those recent 50-plus degree days. It was a weekday, so there was absolutely no traffic on the paved trail as we walked south from Nisswa toward Merrifield. A perfect day — and a rare opportunity — for him to enjoy time off the leash to stray just a bit off the beaten path. Not too far, mind you, but far enough to enjoy some freedom.
As early as a week before that, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it.
But not on this day. And probably not anytime soon. It’s just not worth it.
A week earlier I did a story involving two dogs killed by Conibear 220 traps in the greater Brainerd lakes area. Up until then, I didn’t know these traps were out there. And while there may not have been any such traps anywhere near the Paul Bunyan Trail between Nisswa and Merrifield, I wasn’t about to take any chances.
That I felt threatened (at least for my dog), and at the same time powerless to do anything about it, frustrated me.
I’m not a trapper, but I have nothing against trapping. I know it helps control certain species, and monies from licenses help fund DNR projects and efforts, which is good. And if someone wants to make a few extra bucks trapping — even a living, in some instances — that’s OK.
But these traps are not.
Conibear 220 traps are commonly baited and set — on the ground — inside a 5-gallon bucket or small crate. A lightweight, powerful and compact body-gripping trap with a jaw spread of seven inches, it’s effective for trapping and killing bobcat, fishers and otters in this area. The animal sticks its head in the bucket or crate — and the jaws of the trap — in search of the bait, trips the trap, has its neck snapped and is dead within minutes.
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A reader from the Palisade area emailed me after the story, saying “Less than two weeks ago, while on our daily walk, my daughter-in-law's boxer was nearly killed by a trap, which was placed 10 feet off our road. If the neighbor (who knew how to
Then you have the working dogs. Since there are no sheep and few goats in my area and the cows are in the union, which doesn't allow them to work with dogs, they've never had jobs in the first place. Talk about an economic crisis. I had two dogs that
standing outside her home. She agreed, though, that she needs to reduce the number of pets in her home. "I have too many dogs. It's become a 24-hour job," she said. "I'd like to keep my original five favorites, plus a couple I bottle fed."
The program would educate residents on how to live with coyotes in their midst, offering tips such as using noisemakers — air horns, coffee cans loaded with coins — to scare the animals off; keeping dogs on a leash and cats inside; and eliminating
“I have never run into anyone who was upset about my dogs being off-leash in there,” she added. The city's bylaw enforcement officers have issued some charges for off-leash violations in the area, Doug Godfrey, manager of bylaw compliance and security
