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Live Traps

© Stephen Vantassel

One of the continuing misnomers in society can be seen in the way people use and understand the term "live trap" Live trap is the typical term used to describe traps that capture animals by envelopment. In other words, live traps are devices that "imprison the animals". Typical examples include, cage traps such as those made by Havahart, Safeguard or the Grand-dad of the cage trap, Tomahawk Live Trap Company.

The trouble with the term "live trap" is that it implies that other traps are "kill traps." After all if the trap doesn't envelope or imprison the animal "alive" then by default, the trap must kill the animal. Since people think that "keeping animals alive is good" and "killing animals is bad", it is thought that cage traps are better and more humane than all other traps. The problem, of course, lies in the fact that this belief is not necessarily true.

But before going through the problems with the notion that cage traps are somehow more humane than other "live traps", I would like to discussion the idea of "live traps." First, I want to point out that the term "live trap" is vague and professionals shouldn't use the term. The fact is the term "live trap" can be used for a variety of traps including but not limited to, snares, footholds and cage traps. Are you surprised to learn that snares and footholds can be considered live traps? Well they can and are. You see too many people have outdated notions about these traps. Fur trappers have been using snares to "live catch" beaver for years now. I know of a coyote trapper who has been using snares to "live catch coyotes" for field research. The fact is, snares and footholds don't necessarily kill the animal. What they do is restrain the animal. The trapper can then decide if he wants to make the entire trap/set location as a lethal one or not. For example, with snaring, the trapper decides if he is going to use a relaxing snare lock or not. If he uses a relaxing snare and ensure there are no places for the animal to "tie up" then the animal will only be restrained by the trap, not killed.

The same applies to the foothold. The trapper can decide whether he wants to use a slide wire or not when setting the trap. If he does, then he increases the chances and speed of an animal drowning in a water set. Note: that on land, footholds aren't used in kill sets. But in either case, the trap doesn't kill. It only restrains the animal. How the trap in used in a location, is what makes it kill.