January 2021: I found a dead skinned bobcat when hiking on public lands. It was a horrific scene with the fur cut off at the paws, and fur removed from the face and the rest of her body. I did not see a trap in the area but knew they were nearby – hidden – as trappers usually bury them, often on lightly used trails where I was walking. I worried for the rest of the hike, and now for the rest of trapping season, what other horrors I might find and worried I might step on one, being very cautious with each step. The sad death this animal must have suffered, it was a very sad and disturbing day I will never forget and I lost the joy of being out enjoying public lands, instead worried and anxious about what I might find.

–Caja del Rio Plateau near Headquarters Recreation Area and Camino Real National Historic Trailhead on the Santa Fe National Forest about 3 miles from Las Campanas