What is the penality?

[Jingles]

Have traps out and in one area that is promising  a lot of hippie bedwetting sissies hike with their phydoughs and this one trap in particular is cable locked to a tree, my question is if these bedwetting sissy's damage/mess with the trap and caught on trail camera is there anything that they can be charged with?

[10thmountainarcher]

Damaging would be malicious mischief.

[Mt.Beaver]

 I would call the local game warden and ask the question.  He might pursue it or knows if the local prosecutor would file any charges. I would guess you would have a better chance of a ticket being written over on that side of the mtns. 

[Jingles]

Thanks for the reply was kinda hoping would be more but then we are in WA.

[MADMAX]

The spandex runs the valley 

We hunted the rendezvous Methow wildlife area up on Lewis Butte  for the chewuch late hunt
the amount of hikers,walkers without hunter orange and loose running dogs was unbelievable and frankly dangerous
People parked in the no parking area near the handicapped Hunter access
Just to avoid having to pay for a discovery pass
I thought about writing the WDFW but talked to a local guy who said if you squawk guess who will lose access to the wildlife area
The hunters 🤦‍♂️
 

[Jingles]

You got that right driver, had a discussion with one the other day and said that this is WDFW property not Parks and Recreation  they huffed and acted all snotty.sure felt good to spin up their BP.

[JakeLand]

Well here’s the answer on the west side and it sucks. Had a guy find a trap or his dog did and he released a bobcat and stomped on my cage then threw it on the railroad tracks how I know is I followed his tracks to the trap on the tracks then followed them to his house where he admitted to doing it and quote he’s a defender of wildlife  :dunno gave him 2 options
#1 write me a apology and pay for cat and trap
#2 I call the warden and we go that route
His was to basically piss off so one call two call finally get a sheriff of all people and we talk he goes talks to the idiot who confesses to everything, worthless cop comes back and says he wants to just pay me which at this point that deal is off the table to me .
I got the game dept. Involved and they get statements and all that again and he files it with king county which after 3 years drops the case on the shmuck and I’m told I have to take it to small claims court
So I would say if you catch someone messing with your traps just save the time and money and just beat the piss outta them with a smile

[Twispriver]

I've always found the valley to be a pretty spacious place with plenty of room to get away from people. If it's a high traffic area I wouldn't set there anyway but then again I suck at trapping and the places I chose don't seem to produce much.

[Jingles]

So I would say if you catch someone messing with your traps just save the time and money and just beat the piss outta them with a smile

That would be a option but there cones a time in life and an age when you stop busting knuckles and start busting caps.
Another solution would be extract skunk essence with needle and syringe and inject it between window and rubber seal on doors of their vehicle, same place locksmiths slide a slimjim.

[Katmai Guy]

So I would say if you catch someone messing with your traps just save the time and money and just beat the piss outta them with a smile

That would be a option but there cones a time in life and an age when you stop busting knuckles and start busting caps.
Another solution would be extract skunk essence with needle and syringe and inject it between window and rubber seal on doors of their vehicle, same place locksmiths slide a slimjim.

LOL, the gift that keeps on giving!

[Ridgeratt]

That reeks of pure evil 😀😀

[Jingles]

That reeks of pure evil 😀😀

Only place that would be better is the heater intake vent.
Like the saying goes
       "Don't get mad,
        Don't get even,
          Get ahead"

[bearhunter99]

In this day and age, especially in W WA, I would expect that there was a greater chance of them going after the trapper for hurting the dog, and thus, the owner's feelings than for anything they do to the trap.

[Jingles]

In this day and age, especially in W WA, I would expect that there was a greater chance of them going after the trapper for hurting the dog, and thus, the owner's feelings than for anything they do to the trap.

That would be the probably scenario here in the Methow with all the spandex wearing Judas Goat following sheep that have infected the valley, Come on Covid purge the valley.

[timberfaller]

here is what has happened to the Methow!!   Its gone from self sufficient people to implants of Sheeple's!!

https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1463326035626405893?s=20

[Humptulips]

Here is the statute
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.15.180
Penalty for a misdemeanor

https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.92.030

Call your regional office and complain to enforcement. Maybe nothing will come of it but maybe something will. Most likely if they know who it is a talk from Enforcement will deter them from doing it a second time. Repeated offences will get more attention.
Truth is since they started requiring trials for minor offences like this, prosecutors don't want to be bothered. Enforcement knows this so why waste your time on the paperwork. Surprised?

[Jingles]

Thank you Bruce I was hoping there was some kind of legal within the law means of nailing the SOB's at least as a starting point then if the legal system fails time to solve the problem myself. But I will not give up what I can do and do enjoy just because some tree hugging (insert you favorite term) is opposed to what is legal.
I know I'll probably pizz some folks off this winter when snow actually starts to accumulate as the plow on the buggy (S x S )is going to keep some roads open for me to access my traps  and undoubtedly screw with their non groomed skinny ski trails.

[UrbanTrapper]

In WA State it is still a crime to interfere with a legally set trap (unless you own the land) and releasing a legally caught animal is also theft. I would press charges every time but as described above the prosecutor may not follow through for you. I would then see if a lawyer would, for a share of my awarded damages, take my case to small claims court. 

[OutHouse]

Were these offenses automatically going to some type of diversion program? Also, every crime ultimately has to be tried or pled out.

[Oh Mah]

sue her.https://aksportingjournal.com/trapper-squares-off-in-court/