Cottage Q&A
QUESTION
In your last issue, you mentioned the danger to pets of traplines in the woods. I’m concerned that our dog
might stumble upon a trap hidden beneath the snow. How can I find out where traplines are set in winter? What
should I do if my dog gets trapped?
Maria Faucher, Toronto, Ont.
ANSWER
Before Mike Bohm, wildlife services coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), will talk about the specific dangers of traplines, he reiterates how important it is to keep your dog close and under your control at the cottage. Train your dog to stay with you and to come when you call. “Don’t let your dog run at large. It can get into trouble on its own,” he says firmly.
Now that you’ve been duly warned, here’s his answer on traplines. Yes, traplines are common all across the province, especially on Crown land but also on private land where owners have given trappers permission. To find out where the lines are, call or visit your district MNR office. Staff will tell you the general location of any lines registered in the area on Crown land. (But, for privacy reasons, they won’t tell you who the trapper is.) It gets a bit trickier to locate traps on private land: The MNR only keeps records by trapper, not by location. Your best bet, says Bohm, is to ask neighbouring landowners directly. Bohm also notes that no area (along shorelines, for instance) is more likely than any other to be the site for a line.
What should you do in the unfortunate situation that your dog is caught in a trap? Proceed with caution. You should be able to spring your pet from a trap meant for a small animal, such as a mink, by carefully opening the trap jaws while suppressing the spring on one or both sides. But heavy traps, meant to quickly “dispatch” larger animals – raccoons or beavers, for example – can’t be so easily opened (and shouldn’t be touched by anyone unfamiliar with how they work). On private land, you would need to contact the landowner, who would in turn request that the trapper come and clear the trap. On Crown land, get in touch with your local MNR office to inform the trapper. Like Bohm says, keep your dog close and safe.
Christine Langlois
* Published in the November/December 2007 issue of
Cottage Life
