A beloved best friend and family member was almost strangled to death in a brutal #280 Conibear body-gripping trap off a Wardell Reservoir dirt road in Bighorn County, February 1, 2026.
ALERT!
BE AWARE THAT TRAPS ARE OUT THERE ON WYOMING LANDSCAPES. WHEREVER YOU SEE WILDLIFE, THERE COULD BE TRAPS OR LETHAL SNARES AND CONIBEARS.
BRUTAL TRAPPING INCIDENT WHICH ALMOST CAUSED STANGULATION OF A BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER.
On Sunday, 2/1/26, a beloved family member, an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie, was caught in a quickkill #280 Conibear, almost taking the life of this beautiful friend. The family was heading down a dirt road after the husband’s day of ice fishing when they heard a snap and immediately reached their dog. This is a highly trafficked area for families, pets, and bird hunters with their dogs, and an irresponsible place for a trap. Without the husband being there, the pet would not have been freed before it was strangled to death.
“My dog was caught in a kill trap during a casual outing at a public reservoir that is very popular for the locals. My husband grew up in the area and could not believe a trap was set in such a highly trafficked area, where family pets, hunting dogs, or children could easily stumble upon it. Fortunately, she was nearby, and we reached her immediately when the trap snapped shut. My dog was extremely lucky. She escaped with a slight lump on her nose where one side of the trap snapped shut, and the other side of the trap cut off her airway by closing down on her neck. Other than the lump, she does not appear to have permanent damage. I believe she only had about 30 seconds left until she would have been completely dead and unable to be revived. If my husband had not been with us, I would not have been strong enough to remove the trap and would have had to watch my dog struggle to breathe while she slowly suffocated to death. Trying to remain calm enough to get the trap off of her while she was being strangled to death was HORRIBLE. I hope I never see any kind of animal suffering in one of those traps again. I am nervous to let her go off-leash anywhere in Wyoming’s vast public lands with me anymore; this has really tainted an experience I have always loved deeply.”
The pet owner and WU contacted the local WGF Game Warden to investigate the incident. A CD was hanging above the trap, possibly an attractant for a bobcat or other animal.
The Game Warden courteously asked the trapper to move his traps out of this busy area; the trapper obliged.
This tragic incident should never have happened. WU and the public have requested trap setbacks off public trails and roads, mandatory trapper education, trap-free areas, and 24-hour trap checks. Still, state and federal wildlife management decision-makers have resisted, supporting less than 1/2 of 1 percent of Wyoming residents who choose to trap, anywhere it is also legal to walk a dog. People, pets, and wildlife have no place to escape these steel devices littering our landscapes.
Trappers are not required to attend a mandatory education course. For furbearers (beavers, bobcats, badgers, mink, muskrats, martins, and weasels), anyone can purchase one license and kill an unlimited number during winter. A trapper does not need a license for predatory animals (foxes, coyotes, and wolves in areas of the state, and more) and can trap, snare, shoot, or kill in almost any manner on any day of the year. Reporting of most trapped target or non-target animals is voluntary. Thousands of animals are killed that we will never know about.
No one is held accountable if your pet gets caught in a legal trap. Trappers can legally kill your pet!
Wyoming is rated among the worst states in the country for its lack of trapping regulations. Many states are adopting progressive, modern, humane wildlife management practices that use alternative methods to prevent and reduce conflicts.
Until we can remove these deadly steel devices from our trails and establish trap-free zones throughout the state, please know what to do before heading into the field.
Contact List
The following lawmakers, commissioners, and officials shape wildlife policy, trapping regulations, and enforcement standards in Wyoming. They need to hear from people who believe cruelty should not be enabled by law or minimized by penalties.
You do not need to be a policy expert.
You do not need to live in Wyoming.
You only need to speak honestly and respectfullySenators & Representatives
Wyoming Department of Agriculture
Director: Doug Miyamoto
doug.miyamoto@wyo.gov
307-777-6569
Animal Damage Management Board
Co-Chairs:
Doug Miyamoto: Doug@Miyamoto@wyo.gov
307-777-6569
Angi Bruce: Angela.Bruce@wyo.gov
Contact:
Jerald.Johnson@wyo.gov
307-777-6781
Wyoming Director of Wildlife Services
Jared Zierenberg
jared.r.zierenberg@aphis.usda.gov
307-261-5336
Senators & Representatives
Wyoming Legislators
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Senators:
https://wyoleg.gov/Legislators/2026/S
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Representatives:
https://wyoleg.gov/Legislators/2026/H
Wyoming Game & Fish Commissioners
These commissioners play a direct role in wildlife management decisions,
enforcement priorities and the standards that govern trapping and wildlife treatment across Wyoming.
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
President: Ashlee.Lundvall@wyo.gov
Vice President: Mark.Jolovich@wyo.gov
Kenneth.Roberts@wyo.gov
John.Masterson@wyoboards.gov
Rusty.Bell@wyoboards.gov
Fonzy.Haskell@wyoboards.gov
Bill.Mai@wyoboards.gov
Wyoming Game & Fish Department
Director: Angela.Bruce@wyo.gov
Additional contacts
Governor Mark Gordon:
Governor@wyo.gov
307-777-7434
Sara Direnzo, Governor’s Office: Sara.Dirienzo1@wyo.gov
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Director, Wyoming Game and Fish Department: Angela.Bruce@wyo.gov
Please get in touch with any questions: info@WyomingUNtrapped.org
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This pup’s mom shared details on our WU website incident report form.
| Activity at the Time of the Incident | |
| I took our dog out to visit my husband, who was wrapping up a day of ice fishing. We took the pup for a brief walk to stretch her legs before returning home, and she encountered the trap near the dirt road we were walking on. This is a highly trafficked area for families, pets, and bird hunters with their dogs. An absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible place for a trap. My husband was barely able to free our dog in time; she was going limp and was unable to breathe. If he weren’t there, I would have been unable to free her by myself, and she would be dead.
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| Trapping Device Description | |
| The trap was a 280 8” body grip trap set on an embankment slightly off a road in a very popular public recreation area. There was an obvious trail leading to the trap, and it was only marked by a cd hanging in some bushes about 10 feet away, which we noticed when we were leaving after freeing our dog. The CD was not visible to me until I reached the trap, and even if I had seen it, I would not have known it indicated a nearby trap. There was a dead cat thrown into a ditch nearby that seemingly met its fate in the same trap. I hope no one is missing a beloved family pet and that it met a quick end.
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| The Story | |
| My dog was caught in a kill trap during a casual outing at a public reservoir that is very popular for the locals. My husband grew up in the area and could not believe a trap was set in such a highly trafficked area, where family pets, hunting dogs, or children could easily stumble upon it. Fortunately, she was nearby, and we reached her immediately when the trap snapped shut. My pup was extremely lucky. She escaped with a slight lump on her nose where one side of the trap snapped shut, and the other side of the trap cut off her airway by closing down on her neck. Other than the lump, she does not appear to have permanent damage. I believe she only had about 30 seconds left until she would have been completely dead and unable to be revived. If my husband had not been with us, I would not have been strong enough to remove the trap and would have had to watch my dog struggle to breathe while she slowly suffocated to death. Trying to remain calm enough to get the trap off of her while she was being strangled to death was HORRIBLE. I hope I never see any kind of animal suffering in one of those traps again. I am nervous to let her go off-leash anywhere in Wyoming’s vast public lands with me anymore; this has really tainted an experience I have always loved deeply. |
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Watch our full-length webinar workshop:
bit.ly/WyomingUntrapped-webinar-workshop
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Download our Pet Trap Safety Brochure to your smartphone for access in the field:
wyominguntrapped.org/trapping-brochures/
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Watch our 11-minute video: “How to Release Your Pet From a Trap.”
wyominguntrapped.org/portfolio-item/how-to-release-your-pet-from-a-trap/
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Be Snare Aware! Learn all about these lethal snares:
https://wyominguntrapped.org/snare-aware/
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Carry tools as needed to help release your pet. We have assembled UNtrapped Packs to make it easier for you. At a minimum, carry an aircraft cable cutter if your pet is caught in a snare. These tools could save your pet’s life. You can find our UNtrap Pack and cable/snare cutters on our website.
wyominguntrapped.org/programs/untrap-packs/
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Have you experienced a negative trapping incident involving you, your pet, your family, or another living thing?