[sixball]

We went into town yesterday morning and when we got home about 2:00 pm there were no dogs to greet us. I figured they were out gathering bones or had followed some "wild" horses off for a while. Around 4 I began to worry and started calling them. It is getting dark early and there was a storm on the way. Around 4:30 I thought I could hear barking in response to my calls. I took the tractor to the saddle above the house, the closest I could get to where the barking seemed to be coming from but the wind and snow was blowing through there so hard I could not hear anything. Knowing they were over there and were not coming meat the must be caught in something. All the land over there in private even part of ours. I got in the pickup and drove around to the roads that go up that side about a two mile drive to get 1/2 mile from where I was on the tractor. By now it is getting dark and the "roads" are 4x4 trails sloppy & muddy from a couple of days of rain and beginning to mix with snow. I could hear the dogs but there is a couple of thousand steep brushy acres to search. The dogs because of their fear & stress would not always respond to my calls but I was able to locate one by 5:30 in the dark. They were both caught in illegal coyote traps a couple of hundred yards past our property line on our neighbors property. No one else lives up here. It took quite a while to get the trap off of the youngest dog's front foot and the blood rushing back into it was very painful for her and it swelled up quickly. The other dog was only 30' away but it took another half hour to find her. She had gone into a protective mode and would not make a sound. Finally the flashlight caught her eyes. She was caught by a hind foot. I got her out a little easier. I had already put the first on in the pickup she walked there pretty well. The second one was having more trouble walking and is too heavy for me to carry. I had to take a longer less steep route back to the truck but we made it. We got back to the house about 7:30 and all came in to warm up and rest. Their feet seem to be OK this morning with less swelling and warm toes and pads. They are walking well with slight limps. I think they will be OK. Several years ago one of our dogs lost a leg from a trap. I'm thankful I found them last night there is 3" of snow this morning and still coming down. It would have been a tough night for us all and a though and maybe no so happy search today.

These guys think they can trap anywhere and Nevada does not require them to put IDs on their traps anymore. They only have to check them once a week. When they use bait, which is illegal, or strong scents the prevailing winds bring the smalls here and the damn dogs follow their noses. I have two more traps in my collection of dozens and no doubt will find more when I go back to search.  Kind of funny that we are to only house near and yet in almost 50 years not one of these trappers has ever come here looking for missing traps. After the storm I'll set up a trail camera and try to get a picture of the trapper. If he is lucky I won't know him. Today I'll contact the other property owners just to make sure they have not given someone permission to trap on their property and tell them of my plan to stop it. With Coyote hides going for $50-$100 and bobcats around $150 there is a lot of incentive and because trapping in largely done in remote spots breaking the rules is easier and seldom discovered. I don't have a problem with hunting coyotes there are plenty around here.

[EDNY]

That's sad to hear...sounds like the traps had offset jaws...saving the dogs feet.  Even here in NY traps must have owners ID and checked every 24hrs.  Glad they aren't using snares...which are illegal in NY.

Hope the dogs recover fully.

[62131]

That's bad it could have ended worse, glad your dogs are ok.

[sixball]

 Thanks guys. They have been in the house most of today sleeping. It must have really worn them out. Their feet look and feel OK with less swelling. The traps were ground with a small space between the jaws and one had an ID tag but the wildlife department can not tell me who they belong to. At least they can't set out poison anymore.

[chopper526]

I'm glad to hear your dogs are ok. I don't know anything about this stuff, but can't the area be posted for no hunting, trapping, etc? Maybe that won't help anyway.

[TFoch]

Glad to hear you got there in time for your dogs!

[sammons]

Sixball, sure glad you found them in time. Glad their injuries were not bad. Been on a few of those stormy nights looking for critters.
Years ago i lost my big grey Tabby before a big storm. He didn't greet me at the door when i got home from work. Me and a buddy looked and whistled for him till the blizard got too bad. Looked for him for a week and half
 Even had the ol boy that owned the old lumber yard to let me in to look. After giving up the search, coming home from work, i happend to glance across the street. There he was standing up plastered on the inside of the picture window of the old church like Garfield the cat. The old doors sometimes swung open if the wind blew hard. He sure was glad to see me when i dug open the door.

[sixball]

Great story Sammons. I like happy endings. 

Every realtor that has sold a house in this area for the last 50 years points to the mountains and tells the customer that Nevada is 86% government owned and they can go almost anywhere and do what ever they want. That is somewhat true but mostly BS to sell homes to city people who then also want all the left in town. People used to come here because it was what they wanted. Now they are leaving what they screwed up somewhere else but want all of what screwed it up to be here. Signs and to an extent fences mean little to them because their realtor said............ Do I sound bitter? I'll stop. 

So signs, hundreds of dollars worth and countless hours in putting up and replacing them.
Fences, old fences are mostly gone and new fence would cost tens of thousands. Gates on roads don't last long and are expensive. Or they just go around them or make another trail. I had a guy try to run me down a few years ago. Now I'll stop.

[sixball]

On my way home last night I saw headlights coming down from where the traps were so like an idiot I went over to check it out. It was the trapper and a cohort. When I asked if they were checking traps he asked if I had taken his traps. I told him I had taken my dogs out two traps but had no idea if they were his or not. He asked if I was going to return his legally set traps and I said yes if he could show me that he had permission from the land owners to trap there. Things went down hill fast after that so I said my ?@%# you and left. At 76 I wasn't interested in a tussle with two 30 year olds.

 This morning I called the mine manager again and he was surprised and upset to learn of the trapping. He had the plant manager call me and asked if I would meet him where the traps were. There were fresh tracks is last night's snow covering most of the roads and trail where the traps had been set. While talking While I was talking to the manager the trapper and his buddy showed up. They were pulling their traps and moving to a new spot. He claimed he had used his GPS and thought he was on federal land. I told him he was more than a 1/2 mile off but that particular piece of public land had no public access roads or trails. He got a bit testy but not so bad that I kept his traps. We have pictures of them if needed.  He said he used no scent on his traps but didn't answer when I asked what he thought caused my dogs to leave my porch and head out fo bee line to his traps a 1/2 mile away? It ended pretty well though I'm sure it is not completely done. He will try to find a way to get on the BLM land.

The mine guys want to post their property now and close the roads. It is kind of too bad most people who go there don't hurt anything. They ask me to help find the best places for signs. I think they will also give me the authority in writing to discourage trespassers. We have had a verbal agreement for many years but people are different now. All in all it is working out well.

[chopper526]

I'm glad you found out who set the traps and that, hopefully, they got the message. Also, sounds like you have a good ally in the mine manager.

[62131]

Hopefully the trapper will move on since he knows he been caught

[Rattiac]

Hope your dog's recover well. Not sure if I would have handled it calmly.  Those traps would be gone.
Generally if respect is given,  It'll be received back.
Once I did leave a jeeper on his side after getting some attitude from him trying to take over my winch but even his friends left him there. It was his girlfriends jeep.
Slept good that night.

[sixball]

This guy had gotten his rig stuck while trying to pull his traps early this morning even before I had contacted the mine owners. He was acting on what happened last night and what he found out about me. He told me that he had contacted other people in the area trying to find out who I was. I think someone told him something that got him out there a sunup in 6"-8" of fresh snow to get his crap out of there. He got stuck and walked at least part of the way out and called a friend for help. He was with the friend when Kenny and I talked with them. He said all of the traps were pulled and they were on their way to recover his car than had slid off the road into a gully. I wonder what he was told about me? It was just icing on the cake that I was with Kenny who was in a company truck. I doubt if it is totally over but at least the mine, another property owner & long time friend & I will be working together.

I probably didn't hurt that last Friday I delivered a big bag if Christmas goodies to the mine. Something my wife & I have been doing for nearly 50 years. Longer than anyone who works there now has been there. They are our closest neighbors and have helped us a lot. We have stood up for them at county meetings when new comers have complained about their operation. They are a good outfit and were here before anyone else. Two of my friends who are a little older than me worked there when they were in high school. One's dad started the place in the early 50s.