Seems like this whole morning has been spent following up with Fish and Game and other state authorities on the trap site. I'm sorry to say that the site is legal and there is not much in the way of regulations trappers are required to follow. Its a damn shame... they used to have requirements to post signs at the start and end of any trail, today trappers don't have to post anything.How is one supposed to keep their dogs, or their children, safe? Wildlife offers us enough hazards on the trail... its a damn shame we now have to watch out for 'man' as well. I cant explain how disappointing this is...
Education seems to be the solution to most things and being prepared. We will now carry bolt cutters and polish up more on our knowledge of traps in case we find ourselves in this situation again. From what I understand traps can legally be set ANYWHERE on public land and the public does not have to be notified or any posting present.
There are a few things I realized from our emergency that I'm able to think about now that my mind is a bit more calm. The shock of what happened hasn't completely warn off but its getting close.
The bond I have with the dogs was key to all this coming out as well as it did. The trust present within each of us made the situation as easy to handle as it could have been. I could have been injured with dog bites and the dogs could have freaked and injured themselves even more.
When I arrived at the scene there was a certain sense of calm over each dog, they were scared at having the traps on their legs, but they knew I was there to help. If anyone other than myself tried to rescue Hera from her snare I know she would have choked to death before they could get close enough to even touch her. She is extremely shy towards strangers...
When I arrived she calmed down and didnt pull any more on the snare. She was acting almost as if she were home on her line in the dog yard, tied in just waiting for me to release her.
I should have maintained a bit more calm but I think this comes with experience. I was much, much more relaxed than I was when I had my first encounter with snares. Then I barely had any knowledge of how the things worked or how to get them open... imagine if you can, your dog, your child, your life partner choking to death right in front of you and your powerless to do anything about it. The snare was so tight he couldn't even call to me for help. It was only by a miracle that I was able to see him in the forest on the ground unable to move.
But I have to see some good in this or I will never heal... have to see it clearly in order to have the strength to move beyond... its hard though. I still worry about every trail weve ever been on, every trail we have yet to explore. We will get out again, we will continue to explore but the scars will be clearly felt on all of us... it may not show but it will be there.
There are good scars within though... the memory that none of us left the other, that we were all right there as a pack, as a family, as a strong solid unit. That is a memory that will never die, in time it will help us heal. And there is further blessing in that the pups were not with us learning the trails as other pups have in the past.
The speed of our team has been much too fast for them and our trail conditions have left us training in ways we normally wouldn't this time of year. What ever caused the pups to be left back at the truck I am grateful for. Young bones could have been broken and certainly young minds would have been scarred. They are much too young for such a serious life lesson.
I still fear for loose dog walkers in the area. With the traps set only .87 miles from the parking lot Im sure there are bound to be more captured but hopefully no fatalities.
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