Accidentaly trapped animals??

[Bassboy1645]

So my buddies are trapping for the first time in their lives and the first thign he catches is a fox SWEET!!!! what an accomplishment. He thought he was big stuff until a few days ago before school he found a wolf in the trap. OOPS! what is the right thing to do here???? He never told me what he did with it. I know his dad has caught cats which he just threw in the weeds but what about endangered animals?? Do u call the warde nand explain the situation or what?? it is an honest mistake....

[Gissert]

A wolf? Was this near Cleveland?

If so, it was probably a coyote and fully legal.

[Meaney]

any pics?

[Jackpine Rob]

With a wolf in the trap a call to the local CO is an extremely good idea. Wolves are protected by the Feds, and killing one can land your friend in heap big trouble.

I've released two over the years when I was too far back to get help, and it is anything but fun. Lots of long poles to box the trap chain and keep the beast from moving too far, and then a couple of stout sticks to depress the springs, with the wolf a few feet away spitting fire and gnarling on the sticks. Both times the wolf didn't realize it was free immediately, so I had time to back off.

[so haaad]

My father once caught an albino hen pheasant in a trap. The thing had very little color other than black/gray/white.

[USDA3]

Bassboy- What size/type of trap was he using, If it was a foothold I have a hard time believing a wolf wouldn't have pulled out of a fox trap. Reguardless, if it was a wolf, call the CO and either they or the feds will handle the animal.

[Jackpine Rob]

Most of us who trap in snow country up-size to a #3 coil for fox, and that is usually plenty of snort to hold a wolf. I have had a couple of traps absolutely destroyed by wolves - bent and mangled and totally unsalvageable.

There are a couple of little tricks to avoid the wolf, involving placement of sticks that would not readily allow the larger wolf foot on the pan, but that sometimes backfires and causes a miss on the fox if stick placement isn't perfect.

[fishermann222]

If you are getting a #3 to hold a wolf you are doing VERY well and must have done some serious mods on that trap.

[Jackpine Rob]

No modifications, but I have discovered that not all traps are created equal!! I have a dozen old Hudson Bay brand coil spring traps purchased from Herters a looooong time ago that really are tougher than nails. No problems holding a wolf in those babies. I had purchased some Northwoods brand coil springs when fox prices were through the roof back in the late 70's, and they are the ones that were mangled/busted/unuseable after a wolf encounter.