Unhappy trails

MAT-SU — When Jennifer Simmermeyer met her new four-legged friend earlier this winter she was happy to take in a pup that was too small to join sled dog team. Little did she know at that time her new friend would soon end up trapped in a life-threatening situation.

Two days after Simmermeyer got Remi, a female husky, to her property in the Buffalo Mine area the unexpected happened. The dog pulled forward and her leash slipped out Simmermeyer’s hand.

“I was freaking out because I thought we might never get her back,” Simmermeyer said, adding that Remi is a shy and sometimes skittish dog.

Day after day Simmermeyer, partner Jeffery Lisa Charvet and friends searched for Remi, but their repeated searches came up empty. Along with searching, Simmermeyer set up a live trap — a canine-friendly cage that closes once an animal hits a trigger switch. Other animals found the live trap, but not Remi.

Despite not finding Remi immediately after she ran off, Simmermeyer and Charvet weren’t ready to give up. They and friends continued searching the area and found signs of Remi’s wandering presence.

About two months later, Charvet was starting to wonder if she would ever find Remi. Following a fresh snowfall, searchers would usually find a distinct trail of footprints and dragging leash, but signs were beginning to fade.

“For the first time in two months I didn’t see any of her tracks and my heart sunk,” Charvet said.

Although the signs were fading, Charvet continued her daily routine of checking the live trap and local trails. During her daily searches, she would come to a familiar point in the trail, a place where pig and cow remains are scattered among the trees. At the time, she thought the area might be a dump site for farmers, but she would soon learn the real story.

“I kept walking and all of the sudden there she was,” she said.

Remi was laying next to a tree with a snare around her neck. Not knowing how to remove the snare from the dog, Charvet turned to her other option — removing the snare from the tree.

Charvet and Remi hiked back to her truck and made a joyous phone call. On the other end was Simmermeyer. Remi was found the day before Thanksgiving.

“Ironically, it was the hunter’s trap that finally caught her, but it almost killed her,” Simmermeyer said.

Pets vs. trappers

Simmermeyer and Charvet said animals being caught in traps have become a serious problem in the Buffalo Mine Road and Soapstone Road area. Not only was Remi caught in a trapper’s snare near a well-used trail, but their other dog Lucky has also been caught.

A week before Charvet found Remi she, along with Lucky and friend Kevin Reddick, was hiking along a trail on their usual search for Remi. Lucky, a well-behaved and trained dog, was walking 10 feet from Charvet when he let out a horrifying yelp. His paw was caught in a foot trap. Luckily, Reddick has some experience trapping, so they were able to remove the dog’s paw from the trap.

In addition to Remi and Lucky, Simmermeyer said she knows of three or four other area dogs being caught in traps in the area over the past two months. As president of the local community council, she addressed the issue at the council’s last meeting.

Lt. Tory Oleck with Alaska Wildlife Troopers said troopers have received five reports of trapped dogs in the Valley since April 2007. The trapping season usually runs from Nov. 10 to the end of March, but depends on location and the animal being trapped.

With only five recorded cases, Lt. Oleck said the reports of pets being caught by traps is average.

“I can’t say that this is anything unusual,” Oleck said.

Dennis Lords, chief of Houston Animal Control and Safety, said his department is also familiar with dogs being caught in traps meant for wild animals. In fact, Officer Rick Molburg responded Feb. 2 to an incident near the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex.

“This isn’t the only complaint about animals being snared, but a lot of that falls back on the pet owner,” Lords said.

Especially as the Valley continues to experience population growth, it’s important for pet owners to keep dogs and other animals properly restrained so they don’t wander into trouble, Lords said.

“A lot of people don’t think their pet will roam too far from home, but you can be in trapping territory within two miles,” he said.

Although Simmermeyer is worried about animals in her community, she understands that trapping also has a place in the Valley and Alaska’s history. The problem, she believes, is when traps are placed too close to trails and homes where children and pets are at play.

“What’s wrong with trapping a little off the beaten trail?” she said.

Tradition vs. growth

Bruce Bartley, Division of Wildlife Conservation public information officer, said efforts to regulate trapping near populated trails or areas have been made in past, but results are limited.

Changes to trapping regulations have recently been proposed, but those changes only relate to trapping in certain areas of Chugach State Park.

“Basically, it’s to prohibit trapping within 100 feet of a trail,” Bartley said, adding the final decision for those regulation changes is expected in March.

Jim Wendland, animal control officer with Mat-Su Borough Animal Care and Regulation, said the conflicts seem to be happening in three main areas: Knik River Road, Sutton and Buffalo Mine.

“This is one of those situations that is very heated,” Wendland said of the debate over pets being caught in traps. “A lot of people are getting upset because their animals are getting hurt.”

Although pet owners are upset, Wendland said in most cases the trappers seem to be trapping legally. One problem is some might not be using the best judgment when it comes to placing traps in high-activity areas, he said. Contributing to the potential for pets to be caught is a lack of restraint. While some Mat-Su residents enjoy living in the Valley because of its wild nature and open spaces, animals are still required to be restrained.

Randy Zarnke, president of the Alaska Trappers Association, said his organization has been working to educate the public about trapping in hopes of reducing future encounters between trapping equipment and family pets. Similar to Wendland, he also stresses the importance of keeping animals restrained. The association has created a DVD titled “Sharing Alaska’s Trails” that aims to inform people of three useful trapping tidbits:

• how to recognize a trap line,

• how to recognize types of traps,

• and how to remove traps and snares.

In addition to public education, Zamke said his organization and others stress trappers practice responsible and safe trapping. While it may be convenient to place traps next to well-used human trails, that also invites greater risk of catching a family pet instead of the intended target, he said.

“We always emphasize that trapping too close to homes and people is inviting problems not only for the trapper, but for the entire industry,” Zarnke said.

One of the precautions trappers take to prevent people or animals being caught in traps is using signs, Zamke said, adding that this idea hasn’t been received well by all trappers. The problem is, signs can provide the exact location of a trap and some people — trappers and non-trappers — have been known to steal traps and animals.

Zarnke suggests using signs warn of traps ahead, but not giving their specific locations.

Another important consideration is that trails commonly used by people today may not have always been recreational trails.

“A lot of those trails that people use in outlying areas were developed and maintained by trappers,” he said.

Sandy Dube, a Meadow Lakes resident, has trapped in Alaska for 10 years. In the past, he trapped in the Point MacKenzie area, but decided to leave when human population began to rise. Now he traps by Sleeping Lady Mountain.

For the most part, trappers abide by regulations, he said. It’s a matter of making the best moral decision. When it comes to trapping near populated areas, Dube said it’s usually not worth the hassle.

“The risks outweigh the pros by far in this situation,” he said.

For more information about trapping or to order a copy of “Sharing Alaska’s Trails,” visit the Alaska Trappers Association Web site at www.alaskatrappers.org or call 907-457-1774.

Reporter Andrew Wellner contributed to this story. Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.