# Trapped mountain lion is finally killed by officials



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

*Trapped mountain lion is finally killed by officials*

Stefanie Briggs The Dickinson Press
Published Wednesday, January 17, 2007

GRASSY BUTTE - Another mountain lion was found in a bobcat trapper's foothold trap north of Grassy Butte and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park's North Unit on Monday.

Due to the animal's condition from enduring cold weather, North Dakota Game and Fish Department staff determined it was best to euthanize the young animal. The 46-pound immature male lion's foot caught in the trap was beyond repair and had suffered greatly in the freezing temperatures the state has had lately.

The trapper called Watford City District Game Warden Brent Schwan, who then called department furbearer biologist Dorothy Fecske.

"Scat at the trap site indicated there was another lion at the site at some point," Schwan said. "Since it was a relatively young male, it wouldn't be unlikely the other cat was either the mother or another juvenile cat."

Schwan added it was hard to tell how long the mountain lion had been trapped, but it was relatively skinny. He didn't think it had been there more than a night or two.

"The trap site was along a trail on a bench midway down a butte," Schwan said. "He was in the exact area he was caught. The trap had a short chain."

In November, Keith Zastoupil and his son found a live mountain lion in a bobcat trap in Billings County. That cat was freed and released with a collar to be tracked by the Game and Fish Department.

"This is only the second call to my knowledge we've received about a lion caught in a trap," Schwan said. "There is a considerable amount of trapping pressure so it's not real surprising it happens on occasion, but hopefully people will call us. There are no consequences by accidentally catching one, we know it can happen."

The only time there would be consequences is if the trapper did not contact the department, he added.

Fecske said in a recent press release, since the lion was less than a year old; it was most certainly born in North Dakota.

"As with all the other cats harvested in North Dakota, we will be collecting biological samples to help us further understand the mountain lion population in the Badlands," Fecske said. "This animal is important to that effort."

The research on the body includes seeing what its main diet has been, DNA analysis to trace a lineage and determine its origin and checking its overall body condition, Schwan said.

Fecske said the private trapper has since pulled all of his bobcat traps from the area to avoid catching another mountain lion.


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

I know in Minnesota you have to check your traps every twenty four hours does ND have a law like that??


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## sierra03 (Jan 27, 2005)

..


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

that would be scary walking up on a trap and seeing a mountain lion in it!!


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Maybe a stupid question? With the talk of Eco-Tourism in ND do we REALLY need to be trapping a furbearer, bobcat, that many of us that live in ND have never seen in the wild? Are there that many Bobcats?


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## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

There is no trap check laws in ND and personnaly I don't feel that there should be! If you have never trapped coyotes this probably will make no sense, but the more disturbance at a set the lower the odds of that set producing. If possible, I check mine with binoculars from a distance. Were I live, I check all my traps everyday, snares weekly - every 3 days at the most, this is dictated by the weather temps. The badlands is a whole different world when it comes to trapping, expecially on public land were no off road vehicle traffic is allowed.

Here is the state regs.

The Department along with the North Dakota Fur Takers Association recommends that all traps be visually inspected and all captured animals be removed at no greater than 48 hour intervals, and that rubber gloves be worn for skinning and handling of all furbearers.

Does ND have large numbers of bobcats - No! Do we have a trappable population of bobcats - definately!


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

I'm not a trapper (nor will I ever be probably), but I think they should have to check them daily. I am an avid outdoorsman, but I don't understand why we would let an animal suffer like that.

I am not against trapping, I just think it is unethical to allow a creature to be captured in a trap for more than 24 hours because the trapper is too lazy to check them every day. If you can't check everyday, you probably don't need to be trapping. JMO


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## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

Remmi,

I can understand your point of view and respect your opinion. But I do not see trappers as lazy.

They are some of the most committed people I know. When I want to go hunting or fishing I can decide the evening before and if the weather is crap in the morning I can decide to stay home were it is warm.

As a trapper I can't, once I (we) place a trap in the ground or hang a snare we have a committment to the animals we are after to check the sets. Should that be done everyday, again, I do, should we be required to, No!

The majority of trappers do check everyday, we don't need rules or laws to tell us this. A coyote in a trap for 3 days, also takes away the productivity of that set to catch another animal.

As with everything, there are idiots out there that are unethical, trapping included. It is because of these people that we see people wanting more and more government control over us. Lets police ourselves and put our efforts into raising the fines for these violators!


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Trapper62 said:


> The majority of trappers do check everyday, we don't need rules or laws to tell us this. A coyote in a trap for 3 days, also takes away the productivity of that set to catch another animal.
> 
> As with everything, there are idiots out there that are unethical, trapping included. It is because of these people that we see people wanting more and more government control over us. Lets police ourselves and put our efforts into raising the fines for these violators!


Thank you, this is the response I was hoping to hear!


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Remmi I second that

I was happy to see that response from trapper. I don't have anything against trapping either, but will if they start leaving animals in them for days.

If you can't place the trap in place you can check it daily with binos then you shouldn't place it at all.


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## sierra03 (Jan 27, 2005)

I am not against trapping 100%. I am a little against the use of leg hold traps. The thought of an animal having to chew it's leg off to escape is a little extreme. Thats like rocket fuel to the anti's. Which can put danger towards hunting and fishing.

But i would still support the sport of trapping.

My opinion only, feel free to disagree!


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## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

Wigglesworth, can I interject a little trapping knowledge here, nothing personal, just see an opportunity to educate?

Trappers do not use leghold traps, they use foothold traps. Maybe this sounds like a play on words but it is not. If a trap caught an animal on the leg it would cause un-needed damage to the animal as it slid down to the foot. A trap is designed to grab onto the fleshy portion of the foot just above the pad. (Assuming that the trap setup was appropriate and tuned correctly-traps are not ready to use right out of the box)

Other modification are also being used, laminated jaws to reduce the amount of pressure on the foot to get a better hold with less loss of blood flow to the foot. Center swiveling to stop the foot from being slid across the trap jaws, reducing the chance of cutting the tendons of the foot. In line swivels to allow the animal to roll when initially caught, thus reducing foot damage.

Animals also do not have the reasoning capability to chew their foot off when caught in a trap. An animal chews on the object restraining them, the trap. In the process, IF the foot goes numb and the animal chews on the foot it pulls out. The above modifications keep this from happening, the animal will not chew on itself if it can feel when it bites its foot.

The North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association (NDFHTA), of which I am a charter member and district director, is working very hard in cooperation with the NDGF to educate people about trapping. We have just received the first printing of our North Dakota Cooperative Fur Harvester Education Program (NDCFHEP) Manual; it is a great product. This is to be used in a similar fashion as the hunter safety program, only it will not be required to obtain a license, it will be a voluntary program. Also take a look at the Best Management Practices, (BMP's). These are intensive research being done for the trapping industry to allow trappers to continue trapping in as ethical and humane way as possible.

Okay enough from me, but I will ask all of you to take a look at our website, http://www.ndfhta.com.

Check out the links to the manual, it is an adobe file free for all to look at, it's great. Also check out the BMP's, the four completed BMP's are linked on the site as well.

Also if you feel that these are good worthy products pass the word and get as many looking and becoming educated as possible. Trapping has been a target for many years with the animal rights groups. We need to stick together because they will be after everyone eventually!

70# beaver









Start'em young 


















Morning check









Winter snaring 









See the snared coyote laying in the right vehicle track behind us?


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## sierra03 (Jan 27, 2005)

I think foothold trapping is the #1 focus among the anti. Especially when it comes to a companion pet being killed. the less focus they(anti's) have on our sport, the better.

Thanks for the info trapper. Like I said it was my own opinion.


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## M*F (Nov 3, 2006)

Well put trapper62!


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## Hollywood (Jan 22, 2006)

1) Get Trapping outlawed

2) Then Hunting

3) Then Fishing

Stick together or die apart. Any hunter or fisherman that does'nt back the trappers 110% may as well be digging their own grave. Whether they understand trapping or not. The plan is as simple as listed above- we all need to watch the others backside!


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Hey T62, Thanks for the education. We appreciate it!!!! :beer:


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