Hay sets and entanglement.

Or any other set for that matter. Our regs stipulate the catch circle has to be free of any debris, natural or manmade that could pose an entanglement issue for the target animal. I'm curious if setting more than one trap at a set such as a hay set could be viewed as an entanglement danger.

I'd ask the guy in your area writing the ticket.

Your game commission must not have much to do.

In retrospect, the answer seems obvious.



"Best practices" is how they refer to it.

I know its not exactly what you are asking but i avoid where hay has been fed in fields. The farmers seem to always miss some hay bailing string and that will surely tangle some stuff up. Its usually buried and only found once the critter tears the set up and they will be a big ball of mess. That string will seize up swivels if it gets wrapped up enough. The worst was when i caught a skunk and he scratched up a bunch of string and then sprayed it so i had a bunch of stinky string to cut loose from a trap. The most recent was an otter on a long chain beaver foothold on a pond dam. Apparently years ago someone dumped a roll of hay and it was under the muck. The otter found the string and got wrapped up in it on the bottom of the pond in about 3 ft of water. I had to cut him loose and untangle the whole mess.

I'm a farmer. I hate it when farmers don't pick up all the twine or net wrap!! rrrrrrrr!

Doesn't matter. Input is almost always a good thing.

PA has a similar law that pertains to cable restraints only. Our CR's have to be non-lethal and any type of entanglement could make them lethal.

But I don't quite understand your Maine "no entanglement" law for footholds. What is the purpose, to keep the chains and swivels from binding up thereby possibly causing foot damage? Seems like that law would severely restrict where you could set. Our CR law sure does.

Are you asking if the second trap would pose an entanglement issue?

i would not take this to the proverbial bank, this my take.
i sat in on one of the first public meetings where this was discussed.
i believe entangled as they wrote, is meant to keep a critter from wrapping around an object. i.e. tree, bush, etc.
i think the was the intent.

at that very sam meeting i questioned why in the world was the drag/grapple outlawed in lynx areas/
the top biologist stated that they were concerned that animals could injure themselves on the pointed ends!
i kid you not. that biologist is now the commissioner!

Are you trapping a WMU because the entanglement rule is only for there.

Look on page 7

It also states woody vegetation rooted to the ground I would say hay is fine not woody or rooted.

Posco, you can stake your trap back away from the bale, such that the hay bale is not within the catch circle, even though the trap may be right up against the bale. It's a pain, but it's doable and legal. If you don't do that, then the question of whether hay causes entanglement is fairly subjective, site-specific, and open to interpretation. As mentioned above, the local game warden's opinion is the most important one, just be sure to explain in detail what you are doing so they understand fully and can give you the proper answer.

Sounds like one of those, "we'll let you trap but we really don't want you to catch anything" rules so "they" constantly think up and throw down dumb ideas to make it more of a hassle for trappers. Good luck!!

ya in maine we need 3 swivels per trap,

Yes. Even though you stake the traps so they both clear each other when you sweep a catch circle, there's nothing to keep the animal from getting caught in one trap and then stepping in the other.




I think that is their intent, too, Mac.


Thanks for the response, jwood. I was thinking of the hay set where guys strew hay over the ground and then set the traps loosely in the hay itself. I have a good relationship with the local warden as I've gotten to know him from tagging critters to dealing with roaming dogs. We all want answers cast in stone rather than arbitrary interpretations of the regs. His interpretation is the one that counts.



I was thinking that just the other day. We can use cage traps to trap for bobcat but the cage opening height can't exceed thirteen inches. Most guys agree, a cat likely isn't going to enter a cage that is that restricted. Biologists can use a trap with any opening height the wish but the average trapper can't.

What's going to stress a cat more, releasing a cat from a cage or removing a trap from its foot? I don't know who dreams this stuff up.

Here's my take.

The State's definition of a catch circle is different than a trapper's definition of a catch circle. As you know, the law reads:

"Foothold traps must have the catch circle cleared of woody vegetation, debris and man-made material that could cause entanglement of a trapped animal. Small sticks and rocks, and rotten/decaying woody material may be used for stepping guides, blocking, and backing for trap sets, if they are not rooted to the ground. A catch circle is defined as the area that can be circumscribed by the outer edge of a trap when the trap and trap chain are fully extended and moved in a circle (360°) around the anchoring point.

That being said, as long as each respective trap cannot physically touch the other, I believe it complies with the law. It doesn't matter how far the animal can reach. I do what JWood suggested and set my trap back from any trees by stretching out the chain when I anchor my trap. I had a conversation with my warden where we discussed that a wooden cubby inside the catch circle would be legal as long as it wasn't fastened to the ground and could be pushed aside easily. It didn't present an entanglement hazard.

Here's another thing to consider though....... Do you think a hay set, the type of set where a trap is bedded on top of a bale of hay, meets the requirement that "Foothold traps must be set at or below ground, ice, or snow levels" ? I'm not sure........Unless the bale of hay has been snowed on.

I know this is really nit-picky, but that's the way some wardens view it. When I had questions earlier this year I just called my warden and asked him for his interpretation of the law. He would be the one writing the ticket so that's all that really matters.

I wondered about that, too. I assume it can be placed in a column of snow so long as the trap doesn't breach the surface of the snow. Another thing I was reluctant to do was set with an exposed pan for cats. As best I can tell, as long as the trap is set flush with or below grade, I see no requirement that it has to be covered.

I'll have a chat with the warden when he tags my cat...hopefully cats. Sign dried up.