Had a customer hire me to trap marmots that were getting into their flower bed and crapping on their patio and deck, set out numerous traps, on 3 separate occasions multiple traps tripped but nothing in them, on another occasion 2 of the traps tripped and customer said the marmot burrowed out. Seemed kind of strange to me one burrowed out through patio stone and 1 burrowed out but no evidence of burrowing. Then today 3 traps moved from in front of active burrows and customer stated he moved them into the shade, bait gone from traps and traps sprung.
I'm thinking customer is taking the traps and doing their bunny snuggler thing and relocating the marmots.
Can't prove it because did not have cameras on traps but is really suspicious that at least 2 supposedly burrowed out as described above and 3 moved from under bushes to be "put in the shade" yet sitting on their lawn away from the bushes.
One side of me wants to confront the customer with my suspicions and the other says just pull the traps and chalk it up to experience.

Too much going on there, especially when customer starts moving traps. Don’t be confrontational…pull traps, no charge, “good luck to you and the mrs. with your future endeavors.”

Pull the traps.

If so inclined......you have found a covert place to drop off marmots from other jobs.

AND, a Stinker or 2!

That's what happens with per animal/per trip fees.

Paid up front flat rate fees puts a stop to that. The only other issue is the "no kill" types and that gets resolved up front on the phone by having the "what the regulations governing my license" talk before putting a price out there.

You got to pre qualify your clients.

It works out so well that I haven't had to have the no tampering talk in years.

Thank you one and all for your replies, explained to customer this morning when I pulled my traps that I put the traps where I did to increase the chances of a catch and if he was going to move them he should probably buy his own traps, my time was to important to me to have someone moving my traps. Wished him luck in controlling his marmot problem. Got loaded and parted ways. He did ask where he could move them to and told him it was State Law that if released they must be released on the same property they were captured on, only other choice was to dispatch them humanely, which excluded drowning, so he might want to invest in a 22 rifle and become proficient with it as head shots are best.

I thought footholds were illegal in Washington State?

They are was using cage traps and and when he starts buying his own traps he is going to be surprised if he gets anything besides the cheap hardware store junk especially out here.

Going to baitless trapping has stopped a lot of customers who thought they new best. They can’t fathom how it will work, and telling them trap placement is everything helps them see you as the professional.

I we don’t have too many people touching traps either. I casually mention how my business partner’s hand slipped while setting the trap and he broke his thumb. I think he actually sprained it, not broke it, but that’s how he tells it and it’s not my place to argue. It gets the point across not to touch the trap. While setting, I turn around so they can’t see what I’m doing anyway.

If you think they’re going to move the trap to release an animal, an earth anchor might keep it in place. Just clip the cable when you want to move it and consider it a cost of doing business.