Distance between traplines?

[alacringa]

Hey, all...just wondering if there is a set or minimum distance between traplines in AB? Took the dog for a run today, and we ran into first a bunch of wolf tracks and then what seemed to be a baiting station (3-4 deer legs attached to a tree by fencing wire). This was just under 5 km from a known active trapline. Does this sound reasonable, or suspicious?
I already had the dog at heel because of the very fresh wolf tracks, so I just led him out the way we went in without looking for traps.

[Flight01]

Not necessarily suspicious. If it was not a trapper they would have to have signs up warning of the bait site.
As for traplines it is actually a trapping area "registered fur management area"

Could be one township or could be 6 or 8 townships. Also , trapper A can trap right at the border of his neighbor trapper B. Could be two major sets only a few hundred yards apart if they aren't communicating with each other

[alacringa]

Originally Posted by Flight01

Not necessarily suspicious. If it was not a trapper they would have to have signs up warning of the bait site.
As for traplines it is actually a trapping area "registered fur management area"

Could be one township or could be 6 or 8 townships. Also , trapper A can trap right at the border of his neighbor trapper B. Could be two major sets only a few hundred yards apart if they aren't communicating with each other

I see...I had assumed there would be more separation than that. We had avoided an access road where the gate had an "active trapline in area" sticker on it. I do realize that hunters would have to label their baits (my personal sentiment is that trappers on public lands should have to do the same).

Thanks for the response, 01.

[H380]

Originally Posted by alacringa

I see...I had assumed there would be more separation than that. We had avoided an access road where the gate had an "active trapline in area" sticker on it. I do realize that hunters would have to label their baits (my personal sentiment is that trappers on public lands should have to do the same).

Thanks for the response, 01.

If not mistaken , wolf baits on public ground "are "supposed to be signed .

[alacringa]

Originally Posted by H380

If not mistaken , wolf baits on public ground "are "supposed to be signed .

My understanding of the regs is that if wolves are taken under the authority of a trapping license, baits do not have to be signed. Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I'd love to call this one in.

[KegRiver]

minimum distance between trap lines is one inch.

In other words there is not minimum. I trapped both as a resident trapper and as a registered trapper.
No where in the regulations does it say anything about minimum distances between lines or sets.

On my registered line by neighber used to set one side of the main access cutline and I set the other side. His line was on one side and mine on the other. No one ever said a word about it to me even though that cut line was used by F&W to reach more remote parts of the country.

After several years he asked me if he could trap it exclusively, in exchange he would not trap another cutline further back that we shared borders on.
I agreed, and eventually signed over a sqaure mile of my line so he could build a cabin on it. He had no decent cabin locations within reach.

That's how it goes with most trappers, we work together. It serves us well to do so. They look out for me and I look out for them.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by alacringa

My understanding of the regs is that if wolves are taken under the authority of a trapping license, baits do not have to be signed. Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I'd love to call this one in.

There is nothing specific to Wolf trapping and bait in the trapping regulations.

Under Bear hunting and trapping it says this;

Each bait site must have a readily
observable sign legibly showing the owner’s name or Registered
Fur Management Area number.

It say pretty much the same thing about hunting Wolves and Coyotes in the hunting regulations. I suspect this would also apply to trapping using a bait station. But it doesn't specify that.

Each wolf or coyote bait site must have a readily observable sign showing
the owner’s name, WIN, Big Game Outfitter-guide Permit Number, or Big
Game Guide’s Designation Number.

[Strix]

[QUOTE=alacringa; what seemed to be a baiting station (3-4 deer legs attached to a tree by fencing wire). .[/QUOTE]

This may not be trap line related at all. Did they use barb wire to attach the bait to the tree? I wonder if someone is researching the area and put up a bait station to collect hair and DNA samples to determine what animals frequent the area. Did you go close enough to see if there were trail cams nearby? Just a thought.

[Big Grey Wolf]

The only exception is major rivers such as Athabasca do separate one trapline from another.

[alacringa]

Originally Posted by Strix

This may not be trap line related at all. Did they use barb wire to attach the bait to the tree? I wonder if someone is researching the area and put up a bait station to collect hair and DNA samples to determine what animals frequent the area. Did you go close enough to see if there were trail cams nearby? Just a thought.

I don't think the wire was barbed. I did think about trail cams later. Once I saw the bait, I just wanted to get the dog out safely in case there were snares - fortunately, he heels pretty well.

[Torkdiesel]

Wolf baits on RFMA's don't need signage. Period.