Leg trap to catch a fox are is to cruel? - Page 2

I've never heard of a fox chewing it's foot off.  The offset trap is a little gentler on the fox but, a regular trap does not hardly ever break the foot.  It just holds them.  It would be a learning experience for your family members to watch a fox kill and eat a chicken.  It is slow and painful.  Betcha they would change their tune on what is fair treatment of that predator after that!

If you choose to allow that fox to frequent your enclosure, he will eventually find a way in, usually.  You are very fortunate in that you don't have to worry about non-target animals.  My worst success has been with cage-type traps. 

Go to YouTube and do a search on "trapping fox" and "dirt hole set". 

It is not cruel and it is not terribly hard to catch fox (or anything for that matter) in leg hold traps. My dad traps every year and I love to go with him. I have NEVER seen a fox even nibble at it's foot and I have NEVER seen a fox with a broken foot in one of these traps. My dad uses offset traps, but I know plenty of other people that don't use offsets and nothing happens to the feet.

My dad has caught pet dogs and cats that have been allowed to roam (dad has requests from sheep farmers to trap nuisance animals, sometimes these animals are pets) BUT they have always been let free with not even a scratch.

I have seen several animals asleep in the trap when we walked up..not often because I talk a lot..but often enough. Every trapper I know has gotten a hand/finger caught in a trap and they have all 10 working digits.

They are called leg hold traps...not leg-catch-break-maim-torture traps.

Those leg hold traps  I have seen have a cushion unlike the older ones that where like sharp teeth that locked together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mattemma 

Those leg hold traps  I have seen have a cushion unlike the older ones that where like sharp teeth that locked together.

As far as I know, most states it's illegal to use the traps with teeth.

Is that what everyone pictures when someone mentions leghold traps? Teeth? That's a serious question by the way, I'm not trying to be rude.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmb19 

As far as I know, most states it's illegal to use the traps with teeth.

Is that what everyone pictures when someone mentions leghold traps? Teeth? That's a serious question by the way, I'm not trying to be rude.

I really think that this is the image most have of leg hold traps.  Everything that you state in your post # 13 coincides with my experience.  Leghold traps are no longer legal in NJ so all legal trapping must be done with snares.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourland 

I really think that this is the image most have of leg hold traps.  Everything that you state in your post # 13 coincides with my experience.  Leghold traps are no longer legal in NJ so all legal trapping must be done with snares.

Well I guess that explains why a lot of people I know pitch a fit when I post pictures on facebook of dad's trapline. I guess this year I'll have to post a picture of the trap itself. I never even thought about it before now.

In PA, you can't use snares unless you complete a course. My dad will probably never use snares, he worries he'll kill a cat or dog, when he knows he can release them from a leg hold trap

Have your Dad check into the course.  Set where they can not become entangled, snares rarely kill the captured animal.  I have released several cats and dogs uninjured, and most fox are alive (very aggravated, but alive.)

Most people who 'pitch a fit' have absolutely no experience in trapping and are clueless as to what actually happens.

I love to trap and used to help out at our local trapper education classes so it pains me to hear misconceptions about trapping. There is no such thing as a 'leg hold trap'. If you are catching an animal on the leg you are doing something wrong...using the wrong size trap or the trap is not tuned right. 'Pad hold trap' would be more accurate because that is really all the contact you need to hold an animal but they are actually called either coil spring or long spring traps. Years ago traps sometimes went unchecked for long periods of time and the blood flow could be cut off to the animals toes causing them to lose feeling there...when the animal chewed on the trap to get away it could chew on it's toes without feeling it. That problem has been solved by 24 hour trap checks and offset or padded jaws. An animal would never chew it's leg off as the leg always has blood flow.

Mskayladog, if your trap is the right size, tuned right and staked down tight there is no reason why you shouldn't use it to catch your fox. If you are unsure about any part of this contact the Indiana State Trappers Association. I saw on their website that they are dedicated to "Connecting trappers with people who need animal damage control or help with animal related issues" so having someone come in to do the trapping might be an option for you.

http://www.indianatrappers.org/component/content/frontpage