would this be legal?

[h20hunter]

I've been thinking of this lately....I've got a buck or two that come to my cam and being on the wet side don't hunt sheds much. I figure I could easily carry in a three lenghts of pvc and run some twine between them. I could create a little mini fence that would encourage the deer to hop over to get to any treats i've put out. Like a fence row....they hop over...antler may pop loose.

[pianoman9701]

So then anytime anyone has out any kind of feeder it an antler trap? If i go put out a bag of corn and then cover it with hay so the deer have to dig down to the corn with their horns than that's an antler trap? There are plenty of ways someone could build an antler trap without it hurting the animal in anyway. Basically youre attracting the deer to an area and as they come back often and their horn gets ready you hope it falls off where you want or close. Nothing is making that horn fall. Granted there are some traps that could be dangerous to an animal and shouldn't be used. But that doesn't make them all illegal. Horns fall when they want to fall. No one is making them. No different then when a buck rubs a tree to knock a horn off or jump a fence.

So done with this. Like I said, good luck - happy hunting.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Don't take this the wrong way, but have you heard of hiking around and finding a shed? If I saw an antler trap, I think I would wreck it. To each his own, I guess.

Would you wreck someones trail cam while you were at it?

Trail cams are legal for use in WA. There's no viable comparison here.

Sorry but a LE isn't the end all be all on what's legal or illegal (though I am sure OG has a much better grasp of it than most of us and I am certainly glad he posted here). That being said.. I think it's fairly clear that as the law is currently written antler traps (or whatever one wishes to call them) in and of themselves are not illegal. I do believe the blueprints laid out by the OP would be illegal because it is fairly obvious that an animal could become ensnared (that wouldn't be the case with all designs).

[Maverick]

So then anytime anyone has out any kind of feeder it an antler trap? If i go put out a bag of corn and then cover it with hay so the deer have to dig down to the corn with their horns than that's an antler trap? There are plenty of ways someone could build an antler trap without it hurting the animal in anyway. Basically youre attracting the deer to an area and as they come back often and their horn gets ready you hope it falls off where you want or close. Nothing is making that horn fall. Granted there are some traps that could be dangerous to an animal and shouldn't be used. But that doesn't make them all illegal. Horns fall when they want to fall. No one is making them. No different then when a buck rubs a tree to knock a horn off or jump a fence.

So done with this. Like I said, good luck - happy hunting.

Just when it was getting good 

[Devinshoe]

I drive for a big company over in  the northeast and there are a lot of people who feed all year long and alot during the winter. White tail deer and Mule deer are always there! Maybe they do it for the sheds maybe they dont.  So just curious what some think about oak creek? Is it just for sheds or to help out the animals.. There are fences around oak creek so are they considered to be antler traps to you Westsiders?