Dog owners, hunters warned as trapping season begins in Alberta

Dog owners and recreational hunters, beware: trapping season has arrived.

The Alberta Trapper's Association has issued a press release warning rural residents and hunters that they are to begin working on crown land designations and private land wherelandowner permission has been granted.

According to the release, trapping is more thana means of making aprofit from pelts. It also helps to managepredator populations in rural areas andreducethe transmission of Echinococcusmultilocularis a parasitic European tapeworm that is prevalent among foxes and coyotes across Alberta.

CBC News reported in July that the tapeworm can cause a "tumour-like disease" that is potentiallyfatal for humans.

Both 'live hold' and 'lethal' devices used by trappers

The Alberta Trapper's Association release statesthat its practicesinvolvethe use of"live hold devices" and "lethal devices," which means Albertans should be particularly mindful of their pets.

"Even though there are very, very few incidents with dogs getting into traps and lethal snares, we'd like to make that zero," Bill Abercrombie, the president of the Alberta Trapper's Association, told CBC News.

"And the problemis that the killing traps are so humane now, [there is] very, very little time to get a dog out of one."

To help reduce that number to zero, Abercrombiesays that hunters who areworking with dogs should be aware of trapping areas.

He says this means checking for posted signs and exercising caution on virtually all crown lands, where it is illegal to let dogs run off-leash.

Abercrombiealso says hunters should check with landownerson farms, ranches and leased lands.

"The important thing to remember is, trappers are not in an area unless they have permission and legal authority to do so," he said.

"We want to coexist with other users on the landscape whether it be Crown land, leased land or private land and make sure that there is no conflict withtrappingoperations."