After two dogs were killed in traps while out on walks with their owners in North Idaho this winter – and amid increasing incidents of dogs being caught in traps statewide – Idaho’s Fish and Game Commission has agreed to look at new rules to restrict certain trapping practices. “The tragedy of those two dogs is just that, an absolute tragedy,” said Brad Corkill, the Panhandle representative on the Fish and Game Commission.

Idaho won’t ban trapping – it’s enshrined in the state Constitution, thanks to a hunting rights amendment overwhelmingly approved by the state’s voters in 2012 – but it’s working to find reasonable restrictions on certain types of traps to allow trapping to continue while protecting pets. The Fish & Game Commission voted unanimously last week to enter negotiated rule-making with stakeholders for new restrictions on "conibear" or body-gripping traps placed on the ground; both North Idaho dogs were killed within a minute by baited conibear traps set out to catch bobcats. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com, and watch an 8-minute video here from Idaho Fish & Game on how to release your dog from a trap.