Here it is called "recreational trespass"and the dog is not held responsible if he crosses boundaries.I've heard a lot of guys,especially oldtimers talk about the right to shoot dogs on private property.Not true.IF said dog is caught in the act of killing livestock it is legal,but you better catch it in the act.And it is not legal to shoot dogs running deer here either,though a lot of guys claim it is.







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Here it is very legal to drop him in his tracks.

Know what your state laws are.

Here we use the Three S rule...

Mo. no doubt favors dogs more than most states and the reason is here; https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/education/olddrum/StoryofBurdenvHornsby

It's actually against the law to shoot your own dog, have to get a vet to inject it. That said, if I'm legal and have the permissions, I will tell all the neighbors that trapping season is up coming and that I will trap, if they let their dogs roam they might be trapped. I have loaded a few dogs up and hauled them home and had a talk with the neglectful owner. once per customer has been enough so far with each incident being a warning to others that I was really trapping.
I have never had any visible damage with stock traps and my daily checking routine, but, I don't trap in town either.

I’ve given up some good coyote ground because of running dogs...ticks me off that the dog owners just let their dogs run, and I’m the bad guy when one gets into my set....

Dog owners always say, oh my dogs don’t run, hmmm I can prove they do...

If a modified trap helps on foot damage on an incidental catch that’s great, because you’ll never find a mod that will help the dog owners on keeping their dogs from runnning.....

Only way to prove to them that their dogs run is for the dog to never make it back home. Carry them to the pound.

I have found that a liberal application of Purple no Trespassing paint to the dog before release seems to get the attention of the dogs owner. I have never caught the same dog twice, so far. As far as modification goes have at it if you want. I have spent hours doing the same until I realized I could save time and money buying traps that needed no modification. By the time you add the cost of baseplates, laminations, helper springs even if you figure your time is free you could have bought well made traps in the first place.