Ding ding ding!  Those are marten box traps.  You put the snare in the slots along the side and the animal crawls up into it looking for the snack at the back.

As the animals neck gets about halfway thru it springs and the trapper gets their prize.  You can google a pic, but only if you are okay with dead foxes, martens, etc.

yup, part of the "quick kill" method, designed to instantly snap on and break the animal's neck to prevent the highly possible foot entrapment and slow death by exposure and starvation, it also helps suspend the animal to prevent predation, both of which also mean that the trapper requires less traps and less trapping to make their living because they're not stuck with a bunch of extra unsaleable furs just to meet their quotas, which in turn helps protect the resource.
It's illegal to tamper with any traps and can net you a $150 fine for the first offence, so leave it alone.
If you're concerned about it's legality contact, GPS mark it and contact the local CO's office...
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 41
13 (1) A person shall not interfere with lawful hunting, trapping or fishing by,(a) tampering with traps, nets, bait, firearms or any other thing used for hunting, trapping or fishing;(b) placing himself or herself in a position, for the purpose of interfering, that hinders or prevents hunting, trapping or fishing; or(c) engaging in an activity, for the purpose of interfering, that disturbs or is likely to disturb wildlife or fish.
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/97f41#BK15

Last edited by scoutergriz (9/14/2024 7:13 am)

many times trappers will trap an area for a few years, then move on to another area to allow the population to increase again to sustainable levels before coming back (much like a farmer saving seed), they leave the boxes there for the next time.