Learn More
Trapping FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Trapping Overview
Trap Victim Stories
Audio Interviews with Trap Victims
Danger to People and Companion Animals
Destruction of Protected and Endangered Species
Animal Cruelty
Public Opinion
Trapping Photos & Videos
New Mexico’s Outdated Trapping Regulations and “Furbearers”
Trapping FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
The majority of people who recreate on public lands do so to hike, camp, observe wildlife, take photographs, and enjoy natural values. Those objectives are frustrated by the presence of hidden, baited steel jaw traps, steel cable strangulation snares, and poisons. Because of their indiscriminate nature, traps pose a serious, ongoing threat to public lands users and their companion animals. Traps kill wildlife indiscriminately. Endangered species such as Mexican wolves, wolverines, and lynx are caught and killed by traps, harming both individual animals and entire wildlife populations. More »
Trapping Overview
Traps are inherently indiscriminate, capturing those not intended for the trap, including endangered animals, pets and people, and can leave permanent physical damage to anything that gets caught. More »
Trap Victim Stories
New Mexico citizens tell their stories of encountering traps on public lands. More »
“My dog was caught in a trap and it was a horrible experience. Knowing traps can be lurking out there has taken away some of the peace I once enjoyed while hiking on public lands. Because of trap danger, I feel like I can’t hike in some places now.”
—Mary Katherine Ray
Audio Interviews with Trap Victims
New Mexico citizens relate their stories of encountering traps on public lands. More »
Animal News Hour with Terry Dubois
Danger to People and Companion Animals
Hidden, baited traps on public lands are a hazard to public lands users and their companion animals. More »
Destruction of Protected and Endangered Species
Many species are caught, maimed, and killed by traps including the endangered Mexican wolf. More »
Animal Cruelty
Traps inflict catastrophic injuries on victims inflicting extreme pain, stress and death. More »
Public Opinion
Statewide polling shows strong, 2-to-1 support for banning traps on public lands. More »
New Mexico’s Outdated Trapping Regulations and “Furbearers”
In New Mexico, trappers can place and unlimited number of traps on public lands year-round. There are no “bag limits” on the number of animals that can be killed. More »
People's Forum Panel Report on Public Lands Trapping
The New Mexico Legislature should ban trapping on public lands in New Mexico because traps harm people, animal companions, and whole populations of wildlife including rare species. Most New Mexican voters believe that trapping is cruel and unnecessary.
TrapFree Friends
Animal Protection Voters
Black Bear Bureau
Footloose Montana
Fur Free Alliance
Furbearer Defenders
League of Humane Voters
Lobos of the Southwest
Mercy for Animals
National Urban Wildlife Coalition
No Cruel Traps on Public Lands
People's Forum Panel on New Mexico Public Lands Trapping
Predator Defense
Project Coyote
Pulling for Life
TrailSafe Nevada
Trap Free Montana
TrapFree Oregon
Wyoming Untrapped