The death of a dog in a beaver trap is pushing pet lovers and a state senator to call for changes in the state’s trapping regulations, a contentious issue that’s bound to stir up lively debates in the Wyoming Legislature.
Motivated by the death of her 8-year-old English bull terrier Jester, who was caught in a beaver trap in February, Becky Barber of Afton is leading the push for reform.
She told Cowboy State Daily that she’s working with state Sen. Don Dockstader, R-Afton, to introduce a bill for the Legislature’s 2025 session.
The bill will call for mandatory setback distances for traps from public trails, as well as mandatory education for trappers, similar to Wyoming’s hunter education program, she said. Supporters have initially discussed a setback distance of 50 feet.
Dockstader did not return requests for comment.
A Wyoming trapper told Cowboy State Daily that while the reforms might be well-intended, they’d likely do more harm than good. Along with animals such as beavers, trappers catch numerous predators, John Eckman of Greybull told Cowboy State Daily.
“I'm 100% against setbacks,” said Eckman, who is the vice president of the Wyoming Trappers Association. “Most predators, like people, travel on trails so how are we supposed to manage them 50 feet off the trail?”
Dog Training Program Part Of The Puzzle
As part of what she’s calling “Jester’s Legacy,” Barber recently helped organize training sessions for dogs, teaching them to avoid traps.
Providing dog training could demonstrate that dog owners are willing to do their part, she said. The trapping reforms could be a way for trappers to do theirs.
“This is something that could help break that gap (between trappers and pet owners), she said. “We don’t want to stop trapping. I’m not a fan of trapping, but I’m not a hunter either, although I used to be. We recognize that everybody has their thing they like to do.”
Trap avoidance for dogs could bridge the gap when it comes to the topic of education.
“As far as (trapper) education, I support education but not mandatory, unless it's mandatory that recreationists and dog walkers are mandated to attend a class,” Eckman said.
Setbacks Could Be A Sticking Point
Whether mandatory setbacks for traps should be implemented could be a sticking point.
Jester was caught in beaver trap that had been set right next to a road near Afton where Barber and many other residents like to walk their dogs.
A person Wyoming Game and Fish didn’t identify was cited. The citation ticketed the particular model of trap used, which wasn’t legal for that area.
Other models of traps were potentially legal in the same spot, Barber said. That’s why Barber and others pushing for mandated setbacks.
Eckman said that although setbacks might initially seem like a good idea, they could undermine trapping – which is vital to predator control.
“It's public land, why isn't it mandatory for dog walkers to walk their dogs 50 feet off the trail? Why does the trapper always have to sacrifice?” he said.
“Trapping is predator control, which means less livestock and wildlife predation, healthy predator populations. What value does dog walking bring to an ecosystem? Especially unleashed pets. When I say pets, I'm not referring to hunting dogs,” he added.
Not The First Go-Round Over Trapping, Dogs
The proposed bill won’t be the first time that trapping and its effect on dogs in Wyoming has come up.
In a case that dragged on for years and ended up before the Wyoming Supreme Court, a family sued a trapper over the deaths of their three Saint Bernard dogs in snare traps.
The court ruled last year that trappers can’t be held liable when pet owners let their dogs run free.
The Cardenas family lived near the base of Casper Mountain in 2014. They were in the habit of letting their Saint Bernards Barkley, Jax and Brooklyn run loose unattended on state land near their home.
On the afternoon of Nov. 29, 2014, the family let the dogs outside to run. Barkley and Jax later came home, but Brooklyn did not. Days later, the children went to look for Brooklyn, taking the other dogs with them.
During the search, Jax and Barkley got caught in snare traps and died, even as the children tried to free them. And Brooklyn was also discovered dead in a snare trap.
Parents Robert and Ashely Cardenas, along with the children, sued Sigiel J. Swanson, who had set the traps, for emotional damage.
However, the court ruled that dogs are property in Wyoming, and Swanson could not be sued for emotional damage.
Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
