At the Idaho Fish and Game commission meeting this week in Post Falls, Idaho they will discussing the fate of conibear use in our state. Here is a link to the proposal...

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffishandgame.idaho.gov%2Fpublic%2Fabout%2Fcommission%2F2014%2F11_November%2F5c_Conibear_Trap_Restrictions.pdf&ei=F4RiVLKKFszsoAS1n4LgAw&usg=AFQjCNEjb0kxer0GB0PocNn71jvVa6OT1Q&bvm=bv.79400599,d.cGU

There is no time to waste! Read the proposal and immediately contact the Idaho Fish and Game commisioners to let them know as an Idaho trapper that you DO NOT support the proposals. Here is the link for the commissioners...

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/about/commission/?getPage=183

Even if you are not a trapper, please send an email to the commissions to oppose these restrictions, they are nothing but feel-good legislations that will do nothing but hamper the Idaho trapper.

Thanks.

I'm not a trapper but have used the Conibear 110 around my property for pest reduction, always in a box to protect my dog.  

My dog has been caught twice in abandoned leg hold coyote traps (Nevada, not Idaho), both times without much harm.  Had those been body grip traps, my dog would be dead.

Educate me on how to protect dogs from a Conibear.  I’m willing to listen.

New from the Fish and Game Commission:

"Use of these body-griping traps came into question after the two dogs were killed last year in Idaho. The Commission feels these are isolated incidents that will be better avoided by teaching trappers how to use Conibears and other traps safely.

Rather than making new rules affecting trapping mechanics, Commissioners prefer to explore mandatory trapper education including training, safety, and ethics (like the state requires now for hunters and wolf trappers) to reduce recreational area conflicts and incidental trapping of nontarget species, especially dogs."

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Follow Idaho's leash laws when on public property?



The ITA did a good job of representing Trappers and putting this "feel-good legislation" in the trash.

WTF?  I ask nicely for your input and get this crap.  My dog is a German Shorthair.  We hunt birds on public land.  Can't use no stinking leashes.

When trappers get a bad rep, we can point to people like you.  You a member and represent the ITA?  Are leashes for hunting dogs an ITA recommendation?

BTW, Idaho has no State leash law, idiot.

Can you post a link to Idaho's leash laws as outlined in the state statutes?

The post by the OP to "use a leash" really pissed me off.  I wrote the the Idaho Trappers Association (ITA) and here is their thoughtful reply, with which I completely concur:

Very interesting, pluscount… I certainly appreciate the fact that you took the time to write to us regarding this issue.

The ITA has at times advised recreationists to leave an area entirely or tether their pets immediately when they encounter snares with spring-assisted lock mechanisms on them. While we advise trappers to use those tools very prudently, and that includes body-grip traps, we cannot police or control all the trappers in the state, and that’s why we make that recommendation to people enjoying the outdoors with dogs.

What I would like to have happen if a person with pets in heavily trafficked areas encounters body-grip traps or snares is that they first remove or restrain their pets, and then contact us as you have done. I pledge that we will use every avenue open to us to locate the trapper responsible and discuss the situation with them. The idea is to protect the pets first, and in the situation described above that starts with the help of the pets’ owners, and then we can try to work with the trapper on the situation and suggest better sets or locations for the target species if the situation warrants that.

We hope that all recreationists understand that the ITA is not in control of all trappers in the state. In fact, we do not control any trappers; we make suggestions when we have the opportunity. A trapper out enjoying their right to trap may or may not be an ITA member, but we will try to help regardless of the trapper’s membership status.

It’s also worth noting that hunters and houndsmen who work with dogs off the leash are subject to, and accept some risk in their outdoor pursuits. The ITA is diligently trying to minimize conflicts between trappers and hunters and houndsmen, but the fact that we all tend to hit the woods at the same time means we can’t remove all the risks for our chosen activities. My bird dog stepped in a coyote trap a couple seasons ago and I released her unharmed. Sounds like you understand what that is like. We do believe our relationship as trappers with the hunting community is very important, so we keep the channels open for comments and suggestions from hunters to that end.

I read the forum posts and I really appreciate the link. I have no way of knowing if the person who posted “Follow Idaho’s leash laws when on public property” is an ITA member. The person did not say they were a member. The poster simply said that the ITA had done a good job in foiling one more instance of poorly-thought out regulation changes. He is right on that part.

What I can say about the post, with a reasonable degree of certainty, is that none of the officers of the ITA made that post, and that we would not have encouraged another member to make that post. Follow Idaho leash laws on public property? I take my bird dogs out every day where trapping is legal to let them run until they need help back into the truck. That is why people take their dogs to the Great Outdoors. I don’t think there are any leash laws in the Great Outdoors, but I could be wrong. If so, maybe I am breaking the law by letting my dogs run? Point is, that is a ridiculous comment, as I’m sure you agree, and that’s why I will state again, that comment did not come from any current officers or members that I know personally.

Further note on conibear use: The problem that caused one person in IDFG to believe that restricting conibear use was a good idea involved the use of bait behind large conibears in a heavily used public area. If there is a silver lining from the tragic circumstances surrounding the event in N Idaho that the IDFG release alluded to, it is that we will have mandatory Trapper Education courses in place next year. The ITA pushed for the idea of mandatory Trapper Education and expects to use that education program to instruct trappers on the benefits of better trapping methods for large predators other than large baited conibears. The ITA expects to have a large impact on reducing conflicts between trappers and non-trappers with the educational program in the works.

Thank you again, very much, for your efforts at contacting the ITA regarding this matter. Please feel free to repost my message from the ITA.

Andy White, Secretary
Idaho Trappers Association, Inc

It's not crap, I answered nicely with my opinion.

You seem quite angry, and you seem to be uneducated about the great outdoors and trapping. I'd be willing to let you accompany me on my trap line if you would like...

As you like to point out others perceived lack of knowledge, please help me out.
Above I asked you to post a link to the Idaho leash law that you recommended others follow when in the great outdoors with their pets.
You failed to reply and instead went for the junior high route of name calling and sexual orientation attacks, so I'll ask again...

Can you please post a link to the Idaho Leash Law as outlined in the State Statutes?  The very law you recommend others follow.

Nope. There is no Idaho leash law, I got it mixed up with my county leash law.

And I didn't call you any names.