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CASTLE ROCK, Colo. – Castle Rock residents are concerned about a person reporting about alleged coyote traps in an area near Castle Oaks Drive.
Neighbors said people like to run and hike in those areas where the alleged coyote traps are, which is why they're raising concerns with local authorities.
Contact7 went to look into this potential problem.
According to the Castle Rock Police Department, investigators said they saw a post on a group in Facebook about this problem. In the post, the user said a coyote was “illegally trapped in the open space…Animal Control came and put it out of its misery.”
CRPD looked into the matter after Contact7 reached out to them. According to CRPD, they have not turned up anything from Animal Control or Colorado Parks and Wildlife about these traps as of yet.
However, residents in the area still have a lot of concern.
“Those traps really aren’t worth it,” said Herb Rose, who has lived in Castle Rock for 18 years with chickens and other animals on his land. “A young child could certainly get hurt by that, because they won’t be watching out. Those traps could be out there, and I wouldn’t want to risk it.”
“People walk back there,” said Jeffrey Massey, who moved to the area about six months ago. “People jog back there, they walk the trails and stuff, somebody could get hurt by them.”
Rose has been dealing with coyotes in his area since he moved to Castle Rock.
“Two moths ago we had a coyote break-in and he killed about a dozen of my chickens,” Rose said. “The other night I probably heard about 30 coyotes and it sounded like they were probably having a party in the barn.”
Rose has an electrical fence and fencing around his chickens and the rest of his animals. Rose believes those alleged traps won’t help with the coyote situation.
“The best security is a good defense,” Rose said. “Which is why the fencing (is there). Those traps aren’t going to do anything. You’re not actually going to get rid of the coyote population by trying that. You might trap one coyote, but like I said, there’s hundreds.”
In November 1996, Amendment 14 was passed by ballot initiative. This banned the use of traps such as snares, Conibears, foothold traps, etc. for the recreational take of wildlife.
Landowners, and others authorized by statute, may be eligible for a 30-day trapping permit where certain body-gripping/death traps can be used in order to protect commercial livestock and/or commercial crop production.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says if wildlife is causing damage to crops, real or personal property or livestock – a person (or any employee or agent of the landowner) may hunt or trap a coyote on lands owned or leased by the person without securing a license to do so.
