• designed to hold the animal by the limb so it does not damage the pelt
• spring-loaded so when triggered, it slams shut on the animal’s body part causing torn flesh, tendons, and ligaments but it can break bones
• wound becomes worse as the animal twists and pulls to free themselves from the traps or chews their own limb off to escape
• sometimes set underwater pulling the animal under, called drowning sets
• The victims of these traps are mostly minks, beavers, muskrats, raccoons, and otters
• banned in Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and New Jersey – who also bans the manufacture and possession

Conibear Trap
also reffered to as a body-crushing trap

• made of two metal rectangular jaws hinged at the sides with a spring affixed to one or both sides and when triggered it snaps shut on an animals neck, head, or body
• closes with a scissor-like action and it is intended to kill the animal but it fails 40-60% of the time
• Victims include beavers, mink, muskrat, and otters
• Banned in Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma

Snare
also called a wire noose

• wire noose that is attached at one end to a stake or an anchor
• works like a noose, where as the animal struggles the snare tightens causing many animals to suffocate if it around their neck
• Banned in Oklahoma, Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Arizona who only prohibits its use on public land which is about 80% of the state

Trap Checks

Most states require the traps to be checked every twenty-four hours. Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming allow the traps to go two or three days without checking. Michigan, North Dakota, Alabama, Alaska, and Kansas actually have no trap-check requirements meaning that an animal can suffer for weeks before the hunter returns. When they do return, most hunters skin the animal right there and leave the carcass to nature. In some states, it is illegal to disturb a trap even if it is to release a trapped dog or cat.

Trash Animals

The animals that are accidentally stuck in a trap but are not used for fur coats are referred to as “trash animals”. These animals are the nontarget animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, deer, songbirds, owls, livestock, and even endangered species. A former professional trapper said, “At least two nontarget animals are trapped for each target animal.” These animals usually are thrown away, hence the name trash. Most trappers usually kill the animal if it still alive, remove the body, and leave it for nature. In some cases, neighborhood dogs and cats walk through the trap or sniff it and they set it off. The Humane Society of the United States reported finding a Doberman that suffered 18 hours with a trap shut around her neck until she suffocated.