People are always collecting, buying and selling traps stamped with "Property of the U.S. Government", or a state or other entity. Is it illegal to possess and buy and sell these traps? I know it's very common place and the governments involved probably have bigger fish to fry. But, I'm just curious if anyone knows of law enforcement action with any transactions involving government traps?

I personally wouldnt.

most of the traps are years old and my understanding was they belong to the trapper using them ,

The programs I worked in they belonged to the govt entity. I wouldnt touch them without some authorization.

How many years has it been since any government entity stamped traps? Serious question.

If buying and selling government stamped traps is unlawful, the government entities - be it federal, state, tribal - is missing an opportunity to collect more money from its citizens. Government stamped traps are bought and sold on a regular basis. Maybe not every day, but I would bet at least once every week.

And yes, I’m posting this on an open forum for all government agencies to see. Trust me, they DO watch internet sites like Trapperman.

From my understanding government stamped traps were sold as surplus by the various government agencies years ago

What use do they have of them now? I would pay to see my game wardens try to set a #4 newhouse, lol. and i love my game wardens i deal with but still.

Has anyone on here bought traps from an agency or at a government surplus auction? I know there is an awful lot of them in private ownership. I'm just unaware of any history on the governments selling or giving away traps. I just started wondering how did they go from government ownership to private ownership. Maybe I shouldn't be asking these questions ---. Don't mean to stir anything up. I'm just curious on the history.

I have never heard of the Government selling traps, State or Federal. I have never heard of them selling guns. I do know of them selling PU's, ATV's and snow machines. I am not saying they never have, just I never heard of it.

Some government guys will quit or retire and keep equipment as if it's owed to them. I'm not speaking of all but there are some that certainly do. Then their is some equipment they mark off on their inventory as old and discarded but keep for themselves. I lived by an old government trapper that retired and kept a lot of his government issued equipment. He then had a auction a few years after he retired and sold all that government equipment, traps and M-44's. I bought a box with 7 new MJ600's in it. That box still had the invoice in it. It was paid for by the government.

I don't think the government is real concerned with trying to waste resources or funds in recovering trapping equipment. Now if it were firearms that would be a different story.

This directive from the aphis/usda website dated 7/9/21 evidently says they are supposed to be doing it now.

b. All traps used by WS will be labeled (Property of U.S. Government, Property of
USDA, Property of Texas, etc., as appropriate), either with an attached tag or stamped
directly on the trap.