Pet owners worried about trapping regulations
By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal
The need to protect domestic pets from harmful animal traps, a risk of interfering with professional pest controllers and affronts to private property rights again are emerging as sensitive issues as state wildlife officials renew debate over urban trapping regulations.
A subcommittee of the Nevada Wildlife Commission held a workshop on the issue in Reno on Wednesday, two days after a similar forum in Las Vegas.
A draft proposal, stemming from legislation passed by the 2011 Legislature, would ban leg traps within 1,000 feet of homes in Washoe and Clark counties.
Animal advocates say that’s not near good enough, pushing Wednesday for banning traps much further from homes — perhaps by nearly a mile.
“The more comfort we can have, the better off we are,” said Trish Swain, organizer of the nonprofit group TrailSafe. TrailSafe successfully pushed to ban trapping near popular hiking trails near Mount Rose in 2006 and now is trying for expanded regulations in residential areas of Nevada’s most populous counties.
The Legislature directed the Wildlife Commission to pass trapping regulations after it failed to do so in 2010.
Leg traps are animal cruelty. No matter what kind of animal. They should be banned completely.
Stop the Bear Hunt ,maybe that will save our pets, common sense .
I think hunting is a much more effective and less cruel way to control wild populations. I don’t see how stopping hunting can protect our pets. That’s silly. The reason up here in Tahoe that we have to guard our cats and small dogs so closely is that coyotes have no predators, no hunters. Regulated hunting is good.
If you are a responsible pet owner there is no problem! Leash Laws have it covered!
Robert, while I don’t have a problem with trapping, expecting people to keep dogs on a leash 100% of the time is both impossible to enforce and unrealistic to expect.
Basically once dogs are in the woods, they should be free to roam. I have bird dogs. Are they supposed to be on a leash when I am hunting. Is my dog supposed to be on a leash when I am in a duck blind? Am I supposed to train and work my dog on a leash?
Yeah there may be a law out there that says yes to all that, but it is a stupid law because nobody intends to enforce it and nobody intends to follow it.
Not to mention that coyotes have been known to snatch small dogs right off their owners’ leashes. More than once.
Just last week I was stalked walking my dogs (leashed) down our street by a pack of 7. Couldn’t scare them off. I may have to resort to a pellet gun. At least.
Dogwoman, a pellet gun is probably a good choice for you. I was told by a biologist that coyote hunting is not as effective as people expect. If a hunter kills the alpha male or female then it ruins the social order of the pack and makes it produce more pups than before. We were doing predator control on my buddies ranch and the coyote population kept increasing. It was peculiar. But I will say this, the coyotes on that ranch run away from people as fast as they can.
Dog women ,Be careful with the word hunting is ok , I would watch my back if I was you , you may just get shot,or trapped.Or your pets, also leashing a dog is a law in Lake Tahoe ,and about the coyotes,Yes there is plenty where I live and I keep my dog leashed at all times, SO USE COMMON SENSE WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE WOODS ,It only takes one time ,to die.
Kathy, 1)that sounded like a threat, and 2)I always keep my dogs leashed.
dog women no threat its a promise, People in Lake Tahoe is very aware of hunting in Lake Tahoe ,we are very much not looking to kill the Animals we cherish here,it would not be a forest with out them ,do not worry about threats ,Do you not live in the forest ?if you do ,you would understand , if you dont you dont understand ,thats all.
Scary.
,It is scary ,should be,and that way people stay on there toes .BE ALERT ,NO THREAT , Just be alert at all times ,common sense.
Kathy, I am going goose hunting on Tahoe tomorrow, maybe you should go to San Francisco for the weekend.
Cute John. You gave me a real chuckle. We needed some humor after the above exchange.