# Rabbit Snares.. legal or not???



## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Are rabbit snares legal in this country?
I was out walking today in the woods.. just off the road it was fenced but not securely, no notices to state private or whatever, my dog ran into a snare and it caught on his collar. he was really scared. i freed him and removed it from the ground. We then came across two more and removed them too.

What should I do if I come across them again?

xx


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

They are still legal unfortunately

Info here if you want it

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/wildlife-manage/pest-control/snares.htm


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

poisongirl said:


> Are rabbit snares legal in this country?
> I was out walking today in the woods.. just off the road it was fenced but not securely, no notices to state private or whatever, my dog ran into a snare and it caught on his collar. he was really scared. i freed him and removed it from the ground. We then came across two more and removed them too.
> 
> What should I do if I come across them again?
> ...


leave them its stealing


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

I didn't steal them I just undid them so my pup didn't hurt himself. 
The farmer who owns that land alows people acces to fields etc for exercising dogs and there has been no mention not to use these woods. 
There is also a small pheasant pen in the middle of the woods but its open.

x


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

If there is a pheasant pen in the wood, then I would think that the farmer would prefer you not to walk there, it is private ground, and they have every right to set snares. If I was you, I would find somewhere else to walk, if there are snares in this wood then there is probably some elsewhere on the farm.
They can inflict dreadful injuries on a dog.


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

If it is private ground then yes it is trespassing, and would technically be criminal damage,
If you took them with you it would be stealing, 

But I do know there are certain snares that you can't use,

personally pull every bloo*y one up you can find, without getting caught I think they are vile, Terrible way for any animal to die:001_unsure:

Em


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

I believe they are legal! but whether it is illegal to set and not check a trap I do not know!
DT


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

piggybaker said:


> If it is private ground then yes it is trespassing, and would technically be criminal damage,
> If you took them with you it would be stealing,
> 
> But I do know there are certain snares that you can't use,
> ...


Agreed. They're awful 

I hope your pup is ok now.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

It's not private land. It is a path that goes from the public road through a badly fenced area of wood. There are No 'keep out' signs or whatever.
My pups fine, but it sickens me to think these awful things are legal!  Fair enough there may be too many rabbits, or he wants to keep foxes or whatever away from the pheasants.. but there is no need to snare them  My pup was terrified being caught there for only a few seconds, I don't want to imagine how terrified the bunnies would be 

Not only that but there are cats who use the whole area, a family of ferral cats and loads on the farm. What if they got caught?? There is a stopper on the wire but not far enough down to stop damage to a frightened cat or dog! Grr

x


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Can you have a word with the land owner to see if they are aware of the snares?
Unless there is a public right of way, or the ground is registered as a right to roam site, then it is private ground. The only exceptions to this I believe are some heathland and recreation grounds


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

It is ilegal to set a trap and not check it. But as there's a phesant pen there be carefull with your dog although i'm not saying he would but it's illegal to let a dog chase the bird's in breeding season and as you no the pen's there you could find youself in court


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

The pen is open and looks completely unused.. I hope it is anyway cos theres junk in it and the water in the tubs is green.. The door is wide open. When is pheasant breeding season anyway?

Don't think we will be going there again, I don't want my pup getting hurt. Today was the 1st time we went in, it was on our way home.

I have warned the other people in the village who walk their dogs up that way not to let their dogs run through. They had no idea of the traps and agreed it was horrible. thanked me and said they will be avoiding that woods.

Apparently (according to the 'know it all' old woman) it's the son in law of the farmer who owns the land's job to 'sort out' the 'vermin'- he has been known to hang the dead things on his fence! Yuk! Wont go into details.. even though I was given them  

x


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

christine c said:


> It is ilegal to set a trap and not check it. But as there's a phesant pen there be carefull with your dog although i'm not saying he would but it's illegal to let a dog chase the bird's in breeding season and as you no the pen's there you could find youself in court


I agree with your first point about checking traps but are you sure about the second point about being illegal about dogs chasing birds? As pheasants that are outside the pens are classed as wild creatures.



poisongirl said:


> The pen is open and looks completely unused.. I hope it is anyway cos theres junk in it and the water in the tubs is green.. The door is wide open. When is pheasant breeding season anyway?
> 
> Don't think we will be going there again, I don't want my pup getting hurt. Today was the 1st time we went in, it was on our way home.
> 
> ...


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

rona said:


> I agree with your first point about checking traps but are you sure about the second point about being illegal about dogs chasing birds? As pheasants that are outside the pens are classed as wild creatures.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

i agree with some of the others Poisongirl, i'd pull them up & dispose of them!:yesnod: theyre so cruel.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

christine c said:


> As you no closed season is from the 1st of feb till the1st of oct. and No pen's are not just for poult's [BABY PHEASANT'S] they come back to there pen yeah after yr! Any game keeper worth his salt's will look after his or her bird's all year roundut:but anyway this thread is about snare's not pen's. my point was be it working dog or pet it's illegal to chase nesting bird's


I'm sorry Christine but the OP brought up about the pheasant pen.
And yes you do need to continue to feed your birds, just preferable not around your pens, as this can lead to a disease problem when your new poults arrive


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## vizzy24 (Aug 31, 2008)

I cannot believe these are legal !!!!!!!! this is an awful way to die!


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

vizzy24 said:


> I cannot believe these are legal !!!!!!!! this is an awful way to die!


Yep, everybody worried about a few 100 foxes and the hunt, when hundreds of thousands of animals are dieing sometimes long lingering deaths in snares and traps all over the country


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Have tosay i didn't think people used them now. i havn't seen one round here for year's. seem to use ferret's round here. I'm also wondering if the pen is a redundent one because unlike rona i've never herd of a pen being left open at anytime of the year.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

they definately use them in my area, last year when we were at the vets a young badger was brought in it was really poorly, they had someone there from a newspaper doing a story on it, the receptionist said theyd had foxes & badgers brought in before it wasnt uncommon


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Any for of trap will catch the wrong thing. i don't agree with any not even the suposed humaine one's.


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## Muddyeth (Nov 6, 2008)

christine c said:


> Any for of trap will catch the wrong thing. i don't agree with any not even the suposed humaine one's.


Does this include live cage traps?


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Muddyeth said:


> Does this include live cage traps?


to be honest i think ther'er worse


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## Muddyeth (Nov 6, 2008)

When considering rabbit's. why are they worse?


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Muddyeth said:


> When considering rabbit's. why are they worse?


would have thought it's painfull to stuck untill they are killed or does it kill them striate out?. If it's a quik death then i've got no problem with it in the right place!


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## Muddyeth (Nov 6, 2008)

Live cage traps are just that cages that imprison their quarry until someone release them or despatches them. the following link has a picture:Rabbit Live Cage Trap opo0010


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Muddyeth said:


> Live cage traps are just that cages that imprison their quarry until someone release them or despatches them. the following link has a picture:Rabbit Live Cage Trap opo0010


I no what they look like and i realy don't like them. I SHAW they don't sit like that in a snare do they?


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## Muddyeth (Nov 6, 2008)

Live cage traps are Non lethal. Yes they will cause distress but not pain. As with all pest control there are no perfect options.


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

I just think it's better to dispatch rather than trap. But am also aware if controling vermin it's not alway's possable. But can you tell me does the snare kill or trap?


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2009)

This is gives a good description of snares, in my time I have seen too many animals suffering because of these bl**dy things 

Quote:
In theory the use of free-running snares, and the daily inspection of those snares required by law, means that snared animals do not suffer. They either strangle quickly, or hold their victims for a day at most, until the animals are killed humanely by the persons who set the snares.
Well, that's the theory. In practice it is all too easy to set a free-running snare in such a way that it will cause tremendous suffering. If a snare is attached to a post (such as a fence post), the captured animal in its efforts to escape will end up wrapping the wire round and round the post until the noose is so tight that it causes serious injury. Snares have also been found positioned on the tops of walls or banks, so that when they catch their victims, the animals fall and are hung to death.
Even when a free-running snare is set properly, the wire can easily become kinked or tangled in such a way that the snare acts like a self-locker. A self-locking snare continues to tighten as its victim struggles, but does not relax when the animal stops pulling. This causes the noose to cut through the animal's skin and into its flesh, causing terrible suffering.
A slow death by strangulation - or even near decapitation in some cases - is bad enough. But snares do not only capture animals by the neck. Some animals get their legs caught in snares, and end up with the snare cutting down to the bone. Such animals may attempt to escape by gnawing off their own limbs. Other animals are caught around the body. Both badgers and foxes have been found with snares that have almost cut them in half, the snares around their bodies having tightened to around five centimetres in diameter. Some of these animals were still alive when found.


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## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Thank's for that so the morel to this is they are BLOODY painfull


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

I read on that webiste that the snares are supposed to have a stopper so the wire only tightens to a certain point. Can't remember what it was but the ones I came across the stopper was about 2" from the end. 
They were 'free running' ones, but one of them wasn't very well placed and came out of the ground with a tug.

We went past today on the way to the beach and they were still as we left them.. How often are you supposed to check them?? Surely if they were still set up you need to check them pretty regular incase something gets stuck in them and gets hurt?

x


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2009)

poisongirl said:


> I read on that webiste that the snares are supposed to have a stopper so the wire only tightens to a certain point. Can't remember what it was but the ones I came across the stopper was about 2" from the end.
> They were 'free running' ones, but one of them wasn't very well placed and came out of the ground with a tug.
> 
> We went past today on the way to the beach and they were still as we left them.. How often are you supposed to check them?? Surely if they were still set up you need to check them pretty regular incase something gets stuck in them and gets hurt?
> ...


that is so wrong, they should be checked at least once in 24hours and it is recommended that it is twice in 24hours.
I'm fuming, I hate the things, how many animals have been caught and left to die over days

Report it to the police, to the countryside and wildlife officer, apparently every police force has one.
I wish I was there with you to help


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

rona said:


> that is so wrong, they should be checked at least once in 24hours and it is recommended that it is twice in 24hours.
> I'm fuming, I hate the things, how many animals have been caught and left to die over days
> 
> Report it to the police, to the countryside and wildlife officer, apparently every police force has one.
> I wish I was there with you to help


I will be. I never had my fone so didn't get pics. Will take pics w date stamps and report it being unchecked.

x


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2009)

Defra, UK - Wildlife & Countryside: Wildlife Management - legal pest control

Have a look through this, it even gives you guidance on reporting wildlife crime

Found this amongst the bumph

Defra response: The Animal Welfare Bill will not extend to wild animals in the wild.
Once an animal has been caught in a snare it will be a 'protected animal' and if it
suffers unnecessarily there could potentially be a violation of the cruelty offence. In
addition, if an animal is left in a snare for a period of time, it may become an animal
for which someone is responsible for i.e. the person who set the snare becomes
responsible for the animal. In this situation reasonable steps would have to be taken
to secure the animal's welfare, which may include releasing or killing it. In
determining what steps would be reasonable, the court would have regard to any
'lawful activity' undertaken, which may include the lawful setting of snares.


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## jacker993 (Jul 17, 2011)

i am a gamekeeper in south of england it is perfectly legal to set a snare for rabbits or foxes providing they have a deer stop to prevent unwanted species such as deer from getting caught .it is also now a legal requirement to have deer stops fitted to all snare in scotland . on the other hand if you pull the snares up you are liable to be prosacuted for damage to property, ,tresspassing and you cant sue or claim if your dog is injured .hope this helps


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2011)

jacker993 said:


> you cant sue or claim if your dog is injured


Lovely! The poor dog gets injured, and the idiot who set the snare in the first place gets away with it. 

Pest control using snares is not a fair game.

For the record, I'm a game angler - so I'm not 100% anti-hunting.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

My view, yes, it's legal, and those who set the snares usually check them at least once every 24 hours, if not twice every 24 hours.

Chillinator, from someone who's OH has lost dogs to anglers line left attached to dead fish, I'm afraid you don't have my sympathies on this one. A young a very promising field trial cocker, lost because someone couldn't be bothered to clear up after themselves.


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## fire-siamesekitty (Jun 8, 2010)

PoisonGirl said:


> Are rabbit snares legal in this country?
> I was out walking today in the woods.. just off the road it was fenced but not securely, no notices to state private or whatever, my dog ran into a snare and it caught on his collar. he was really scared. i freed him and removed it from the ground. We then came across two more and removed them too.
> 
> What should I do if I come across them again?
> ...


I'd set them all off me and free the bunnies


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2011)

i do lots of hunting but i have never used snares dont like them


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## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

when my Granddad was a gamekeeper us kids were often put on snare duty for him (ie running and checking the snares with him) they were checked every morning before 8am and every night at dusk (the 2 most active periods for wild animals) so animals were ideally not caught for long. At each check they were tested to make sure secure and running smoothly.

They generally got at least one extra check during the day. Not ideal but when doing 'pest control' over several square miles per person there are few alternatives, after all we're the ones that messed up the whole predator to prey ratio and we are now stuck in a horrible situation. Hopefully a more humane alternative can be found.

One of my most long standing memories of my Granddad is when a half grown fox cub was caught in one but not dead. We got it out and took it back to the cottage, put him in the garage with some dog meat and a bowl of water, let him out at dusk after it was confirmed he was ok. Lil guy came back for a snack for several years after that - I called him 'Tod' and you could play tug with him and he played with the dogs.


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2011)

Sleeping_Lion said:


> Chillinator, from someone who's OH has lost dogs to anglers line left attached to dead fish, I'm afraid you don't have my sympathies on this one. A young a very promising field trial cocker, lost because someone couldn't be bothered to clear up after themselves.


I know, sadly there are still idiots out there who fail to clean up after themselves. Educating these people is the key.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Ok... who joins a forum to dig up a very old thread?! :lol:

I have since been back to the area (well, in feb this year) and the snares we bent up out of the way, are still as we left them. Nothing has been moved. Imagine if an animal had got caught in one, I wonder how long it would have been stuck there before someone found it.


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## Lady Sol (Aug 20, 2009)

> Ok... who joins a forum to dig up a very old thread?!


That's what I was thinking. Maybe they Googled something else and the thread came up so they decided to reply? Someone dug up one of my old posts in the rodent forum a few months back.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Oh I didn't think of that!
I guess, someone joined to PM me after googling something about a 'dog trainer' a while ago


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