# Question about trapping animals.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-trapping-animals/141117>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 7, 2002, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-trapping-animals/141117 "2002-12-07T09:27:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-trapping-animals/141117/1 "2002-12-07T09:27:08Z")

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So, if a hunter sets a trap for an animal (What kind of game is trapped anyway? Beavers? Muskrats?😕 )When the hunter goes out daily to check his trap, and finds there is a live animal caught…what is the legal way of killing the animal? Shot it? pound it over the head? What do the teach in those DNR classes? I’m interested in what the LEGAL method is, not the best or most used. I’m certain that my Uncle the trapper just hits them over the head with a boat oar, but I’m guessing that’s not legal.

Or is it?

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**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-trapping-animals/141117/2 "2002-12-07T14:30:16Z")

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How about as quickly and painless as possible?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-trapping-animals/141117/3 "2002-12-07T14:53:25Z")

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There are traps that are called “kill-type” traps that kill the animal instead of merely catching it. Otherwise, I don’t see anything offhand that specifies “legal” methods for killing trapped animals. It only seems to be specified that it has to be “humane”, so a killing method that was not humane would thus not be legal.

And it looks to me like Uncle Bob is in line with currently accepted practice.

[http://www.mntrappers.com/trapchecking.html](http://www.mntrappers.com/trapchecking.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Whenever possible, drowning or killing sets should be used for animals such as beaver, mink, muskrat, raccoon, skunk, opossum and weasel. Kill-type sets are not recommended for the larger land fur bearers because they can be hazardous to people and domestic animals and they are generally ineffective. For these reasons, large kill-type traps are prohibited for land sets in Minnesota. Animals trapped in foothold traps in upland areas should be shot in the chest or head with a .22 caliber rife or pistol.
> 
> Young trappers who do not have a firearms safety certificate should restrict their trapping to water sets and small upland carnivores which can be captured in small kill-type traps, or they should trap only in the accompaniment of an adult. Older, more experienced trappers can kill trapped animals by stunning them with a hard, sharp blow with a heavy hardwood or metal tool which renders them immediately unconscious. Once the animal is unconscious, death is assured by compressing the chest near the heart. This method is not recommended for trappers who lack the strength or experience to do it properly. fur bearers held in box traps can be shot or drowned by submersing the trap in water or gassed with an engine exhaust after covering the trap.

[http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/trapping/code.html](http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/trapping/code.html)

> [@](#):
>
> During trapping operations, trappers should
> 
> show compassion for the animals they capture;  
> develop skills so that furs are properly prepared for market;  
> know and practise proper releasing and killing methods;  
> record all trap-set locations and captures of furbearers;  
> dispose of animal carcasses properly; and  
> report the presence of diseased animals to a Fish and Wildlife district office.

[http://www.gov.mb.ca/natres/wildlife/hunt\_trap/trapping\_guide/humane.html](http://www.gov.mb.ca/natres/wildlife/hunt_trap/trapping_guide/humane.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Trappers should note that, on finding a live furbearer or wolf in a trapping device, the animal should be immediately and humanely killed.