Insight/suggestions regarding getting bird dog out of trap

[RobinHoodlum]

It hasn't happened and hope it never does, but I am trying to educate and equip myself just in case. Hoping the trapping community will chime in here.

I am planning to expand my hunting horizons this season to include states that allow body gripping traps. Been watching videos posted by various state wildlife agencies regarding how to deal with spring and pan, conibear, and snare type traps. I feel like I now fully understand how to release tension on these traps and plan to be equipped with leash or cord and cable cutters, but am interested in hearing any other first-hand suggestions from trappers or others with experience on this topic.

Much appreciated!

[KFhunter]

Strong Zipties and small "high leverage" wire rope cutters


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Channellock-9-in-Compound-Joint-Cable-Wire-Cutting-Plier-910/306089850?MERCH=REC-_-pip_alternatives-_-100675084-_-306089850-_-N&


You won't have much time (if any) on bigger conis for beaver, so stay away from beaver water. 

Train your dog not to blast through fencelines, mine waits for me at fences to "lift a wire" and tell em to go through, a natural product of having electric fencing all throughout my property lol but I like it, coyote snares are on fencelines a lot, so if a dog waits at a fence no snare

Footholds aren't a big deal unless your dog seriously panics but I've trapped yotes with footholds way back when with harsher traps than is used today and don't remember a broken foot.  Today's traps are generally offset, or padded and easier on feet.

Kill snares if your dog doesn't panic you got time to snip if its not a big running dog

I'd worry about M-44 cyanide traps more, so I'd call APHIS if you have specific areas you want to go, really pay attention to signs, I hear they're not really well posted.

I'm not totally against cyanide traps, but they need to be well posted!

[Mt.Beaver]

  I believe it was the Idaho game dept that had a video on releasing dogs from traps. It was well done and might be helpful to you. I would suggest something you could throw over a dog so it would not bite you while releasing it.

[Machias]

[Machias]

Also, if you contact a local trapper, most would be more than happy to give you a hands on demonstration.

[RobinHoodlum]

Much appreciated guys! Hate the idea of one more heavy item in my hunting vest, but wire rope cutters and zip ties are on the list

[JakeLand]

What are zip ties for ?

[KFhunter]

A dog that won't hold still will make it very diffulicult to work a rope or leash, flip a safety catch, and do all that.

Zip tie you squeeze the spring while pulling on the tag end and it'll stay,  then the dog yanks, you loose your grip, but you didn't loose the spring, the zip still has whatever progress you made.

On bigger coni you could use two hands to squeeze, and your teeth on the ziptie.


I'm talking pretty big zips


I've never done it myself, the odds of a dog in a coni are much much lower than a dog in a foothold or snare.

You'd find 220's in buckets hung on a tree, which would get lab sized dogs on the muzzle, but a thinner headed dog like my britt could get in it

I think most states 330 size conis are suppose to be under water?  A 330 would be *very* bad.

[JakeLand]

 Caught the neighboring farm dog in a dirt hole set a long time ago and he was pissed , threw a coat over his head pinned him and depressed springs on a #3 coil spring ( which are mainly used for land sets ) zip ties might help on long springs but not coil spring traps

[KFhunter]

I don't know why you'd want a ziptie on a coil spring foothold?

[3dvapor]

I had a dog caught in a foothold trap a few years ago while  chukar hunting.  I thought he was in fight with a cat under the cliffs I was hunting.  I reached and was able to get him out I thought for sure his leg was broken because it was just limp.  I sat down and waited a few minutes with him and just like that he got up and started hunting again on his own.  Thank God because I don't think I could of carried him out of those big rocks down the mountain.

[Jonathan_S]

A dog that won't hold still will make it very diffulicult to work a rope or leash, flip a safety catch, and do all that.

Zip tie you squeeze the spring while pulling on the tag end and it'll stay,  then the dog yanks, you loose your grip, but you didn't loose the spring, the zip still has whatever progress you made.

On bigger coni you could use two hands to squeeze, and your teeth on the ziptie.


I'm talking pretty big zips


I've never done it myself, the odds of a dog in a coni are much much lower than a dog in a foothold or snare.

You'd find 220's in buckets hung on a tree, which would get lab sized dogs on the muzzle, but a thinner headed dog like my britt could get in it

I think most states 330 size conis are suppose to be under water?  A 330 would be *very* bad.

Heavy stick to feed through the spring eyes. Or a gun barrel, then you can stomp a 330 down to the catch pretty easily. In a calmer situation I can squeeze a 330 spring but not with a dog struggling around!

[KFhunter]

You could if you were squeezing and pulling on a zip with your teeth


If I had a 330 laying around I'd do it