Traditional steel-jawed foothold or leghold traps with jagged metal “teeth” have not been used in North America for many years; their use has been banned for almost fifty years. The only place you will see them today is in the museum – or in animal activist publications.
Modern foothold (or “restraining”) traps are very different from the original versions. They have no sharp “teeth” and the holding bars on “soft-catch” traps are coated with rubberized cushioning and the jaws may be “off-set” (i.e., the metal jaws do not close completely. The chain that anchors the trap includes shock-absorbing springs and swivels that prevents injuries to the captured animal.
Answer by :
Biologist, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Missouri, USA)
Further information
How to set a foothold trap for bobcat, coyote, and fox
By Frank Boyd, Alabama State Director, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services.
