Be careful in the woods

A new educational video about wildlife traps is now available on Idaho Department of Fish and Game's website.

"Avoiding Wildlife Traps While Walking Your Dog" shows the variety of traps and snares dog owners may encounter while hiking or walking with their pets.

Some traps and trap sets are easy to spot, if an individual knows what to look for. However, depending on the species targeted, many traps are difficult to see.

"The intent of this video is to aid viewers in knowing what to look for to help them make decisions about whether to keep their dogs on-leash in certain areas," states a news release issued last week by IDFG.

The nine-minute video created by IDFG can be viewed at fishandgame.idaho.gov/trap along with a companion video posted earlier, "Releasing Your Dog from a Trap."

Although Fish and Game does not know exactly how many dogs are caught in traps each year and not reported, trapper harvest reports indicate an increasing number of incidental dog catches over the last several years.

In the 2012-13 trapping season, 32 accidental dog captures were documented.

Fish and Game reports 52 documented dog captures during the 2013-14 season.

Last winter in North Idaho, several dog owners spoke to the media after their pets became caught in traps.

In response to this increase in the number of incidents, and a heightened concern voiced by dog owners, Fish and Game developed these two instructional videos.

Kennel clubs, gun dog and sportsmen groups, neighborhood associations and dog training clubs are encouraged to post the video on their websites.

Trappers are also going to do some learning.

IDFG staff, at the direction of the agency's commissioners, are working with trappers to develop a mandatory education program for all trappers.

The proposed classes would begin Jan. 1, 2016, with a requirement that all trappers be trained prior to purchasing licenses for the 2016-17 season.