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Post by fuzzybelly on Dec 12, 2013 15:32:06 GMT -9
I just received this e-mail from an associate of mine at the Glacier Ranger Station in Girdwood.
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The Forest Service received a report of traps set under trail bridges on the Iditarod National Historic Trail near the Muskeg Meadow trailhead – MP 72.5 of the Seward Hwy (shown as Cabin Meadow parking on attached map). I checked the report out yesterday and found the 2 traps that were reported, the first one had an ermine trapped in it, the trap was set under the bridge inside a white plastic bucket, the bucket was large enough for any dog to get into trouble, and the bucket would make it harder to remove this trap! The 2nd was same set-up, conibear trap (harder to release…esp inside a bucket), not sprung, ready for an animal to get caught.
These traps are between the Seward Hwy & Ingram Creek. There were signs of other traps set off the trail but I did not see any other traps.
Please share to prevent dogs from getting caught, share as much as possible!
Ingram Creek has a full-ice crossing – I did not try it, but there were people’s tracks going across.
FYI, it is totally legal for these trap to be where they are, but it goes against the trapper’s “code of ethics”, no. 3 which states:
“Promote trapping methods that will reduce the possibility of catching non-target animals.”
By placing traps on a recreation trail, this trapper is promoting a method that has a high likelihood of catching a non-target animals….your pet ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone please be careful out there while you're caching with our geo-pets.
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 12, 2013 15:54:02 GMT -9
I just received this e-mail from an associate of mine at the Glacier Ranger Station in Girdwood. <snip> Everyone please be careful out there while you're caching with our geo-pets. Thanks, Scott! Two other Valleys of Death that cachers with pets should be aware of are Indian and Bird Creeks in Chugach State Park. Up in the Interior, Creamers Refuge and Goldstream Valley are just two of the locations where traps are frequently set by trappers too lazy to actually go where there are furbearing animals to catch. Trappers are not required to place warning signs when they set trips, so it's up to the backcountry adventurer to maintain awareness and carry a length of parachute cord or an extra shoe lace to open those very deadly conibear traps. Check out the January 2013 and February 2013 for crucial information on how to free your pet from several different types of traps.
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Post by fuzzybelly on Dec 12, 2013 15:56:12 GMT -9
Thank you for those links LBK.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Dec 12, 2013 17:29:40 GMT -9
And...
Dogs go on leashes.
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 12, 2013 21:58:06 GMT -9
And... Dogs go on leashes. Generally good advice, but sled dogs and leashes? Ain't happenin' without the risk of torn rotator cuffs or worse, so we just don't take our dogs where there are hazards like that. We trained our first leader to heel on leash which led to the unintended consequence that when training and racing he would run only on the extreme left-hand side of the trail which meant he would drag the whole team (including the driver or skier) through trailside low-hanging alders and other brush at 22 mph. One the other hand, we work on lots of voice control (leaders have to take voice command at a full run and we train all our dogs to lead), which works pretty well unless a dog rams a stick through his eyeball and spends the next five days running away from what is poking him in the eye. Sadly, all it takes in some areas is for the dog to smell the bucket of herring or salmon that has been set out as bait and get curious before I realize what is going on. Those conibear traps scare the living daylights out of me due to their kill efficacy even if one knows how to open one.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Dec 13, 2013 7:36:10 GMT -9
Aren't sled dogs on harnesses? Same as a leash, just different. My point is simply about walking with a dog on the trail. Even when it isn't trapping season, it is better for everyone that the dog is on a leash rather that running loose along a trail where there are other people and wildlife around. One thing that bothers most is to be walking along a trail and have someone come along with a free roaming dog. Usually, the dog comes running up to check you out, which is the natural response for a dog. A strange dog running up to you on the trail is a bad experience for most people. I have the two friendliest powder puff pups on the planet. They'll run around and love everyone at the campsite or picnic. But when walking a trail, they go on leash to keep them from wandering into danger or letting their curiosity take them to places I don't want them to go. And without a leash, they would both be running over to visit every single person they saw.
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 13, 2013 7:53:30 GMT -9
I forgot to use emoticons because our pack presents different challenges.
I agree about not giving dogs free rein to say hello to other people and dogs. Other dogs on the trail may not be friendly. Other people on the trail may not be friendly. Our dogs are taught to "on-by" and ignore other dogs and people and to actually accelerate away once they pass a dog (think, racing...once the pass is complete, keep on going, fast).
During the summertime, we make it a point to free run the dogs on open ridges where we don't anticipate seeing other folks or dogs and where hazards such as bears and moose can easily be seen.
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Dec 13, 2013 9:15:07 GMT -9
Could be scary stuff for geo pups but I'll be sure to keep my caching friend on the trails with leaches. Thanks for the attention on this issue because it is something that I forget about out in the wilderness.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Dec 13, 2013 9:18:05 GMT -9
Mideval medical practices for pets?
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Post by fuzzybelly on Dec 13, 2013 10:33:16 GMT -9
I need to be better at keeping my pal on a leash while on the trails. sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.
I'm sure it is scary feeling to some people to have a dog run up to them(just trying to say hi). I'm always yelling to the person, "she's friendly, she's friendly". Me, I don't mind a dog running up to me. I'll usually just lean down with my hand out and say, "come here sweety, come here", as they're running to me.
I'd really like to think the dogs that are off leash are kind ones, and if they weren't they'd be on one.
But one things for sure. If a dog smells that bait, ain't nobody gunna stop em.
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Post by NorthWes on Dec 16, 2013 10:02:31 GMT -9
Thanks for the update, Scott S... You did a great job with this information last year (which can be seen at the links in an earlier post). It's important to remember there are other trail users out there, many of whom do not have our pets' care as their first concern. That's up to the owner of the pet in question. And - as we know regarding trail etiquette in the wintertime, sometimes we have no business bringing pets on particular trails which are groomed for skiing or for the exclusive use of sled dog teams. It pays to know the trail 'assignment' for user groups before you just set out on a path in the winter.
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 16, 2013 12:01:03 GMT -9
This is a really interesting bit to read. When I lived in northern Minnesota, there was trapping going on, but certainly not in places where one would ever expect to be hiking/walking/skiing/etc. As a dog owner (currently between dogs, unfortunately), I would have had no idea that I would need to watch out for these traps on a multi use trail!
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Post by ftl-ak on May 7, 2014 17:15:47 GMT -9
Thank you! I just got a dog so this is great to know and keep in mind!
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