Had that problem when I was a volunteer trapper at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Tourist would not know how to release a raccoon from a Conibear trap (bucket set - with DANGER written on it), so they would through the trap, bucket, and raccoon out into the creek.

I believe everyone goes thru this a time or two, until they get out where most won't try to take the time to be.

Happens to me and others here as well, yes it's a mood changer for sure, however doing something about it would make more news, which would bring a larger black eye on trapping !!!

Not traps, but crab pots, people run them, steal them, cut them off, run them over.....every lost pot is 50 bucks plus....it's the cost of doing business unfortunately...

Frankly I'd rather not catch them, jail sucks.....

Back in the 30s. My grandfather and his brother trapped togather. They were teenagers at the time. Fur was big money then.
They both knew someone was getting to there line before them. Stealing fur and the traps.

My great uncle waited at a mink set down by a creek. Hiding of course. Sure enough just at dawn. Here came a guy. Walked down to the set. Bent down to pick the trap up. My uncle shot between the fellas legs. Yelled and told the guy don’t move. Or the next shot is in your head. The game warden was called. The guy got arrested. Lesson learned I am sure. My grandfather and his brother were good trappers. They both taught me quite a bit.

I don’t recommend this to anyone. But that time period was a lot different. But a thief is still a thief. !!!!!

…. I got a friend that did a lot more than shoot between the legs

I remember you posting about this. Glad it worked out in the end.

Need to aim just a leetle bit higher!

Well you can't post that and not tell the story!

Like others have said, back in the 70s and 80s, it was a fine line of setting on sign and hiding your sets from thieves. Threw it down more than several times catchin the low down garbage. We didn't have cell phones then so you took care of things where they stood. Hate to think that the thieves are trappers/hunters to but that seems the case most of the time. I've reported missing traps to the gw before and apparently it's not a top priority. Was told they rarely ever find anything.