BUCKFIELD – Selectmen granted trapper Bill Harmon permission to trap coyote beginning in mid-October along the town-owned recreation trail.

According to Town Manager Cindy Dunn, the traps will be set 1 to 2 feet off the main walking trail, which is wide enough for a vehicle. The traps will only be set on the trail beyond the gate leading to South Pond. The majority of residents don’t utilize that end of the trail, said Dunn.

In part, Harmon chose to set his traps beyond the gate for this reason.

Harmon traps coyote and beaver with permission from private landowners in the area. He has been trapping for more than 20 years.

Harmon emphasizes the difference between traps and snares. A snare snags the animal with wire and is more dangerous than a trap, as well as more controversial. Snares will not be used along the trail, said Harmon.

According to Harmon, the growing coyote population has prompted state officials to expand the coyote trapping season by one week in the autumn. Coyotes decimated the deer herd at a local deer farm, which is one reason Harmon asked the town for permission to trap along the recreation trail.

The traps, which have an offset jaw, are considered more humane than older traps, and will not snap an animal’s leg. They are also too small to trap a human foot. Roaming dogs may get trapped, but will not be injured, said Harmon.

“Anyone with a little know-how could free a dog from a trap,” Harmon said.

Out of 107 coyotes Harmon trapped in a previous year, only one sustained injuries to its leg, which Harmon attributes more to the violent personality of the animal than to the trap.

Harmon will visit each trap every morning before daylight.

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