Leghold traps have been used to control wild dogs in Australia for over a century. However, the traps used these days, unlike the steel-jawed traps of old, are designed not to cause damage to the leg of the captured animal. The “Soft Catch” or rubber-jawed foothold traps are used in the fur trade in the northern hemisphere and meet the standards outlined in the International Agreement on Humane Trapping Standards.

Laying a trap

Each state has its own regulations regarding the type and size of the foothold traps permitted for use. Wild dogs trapped in foothold traps are generally euthanised with a firearm in accordance with the National Code of Practice for Ground Shooting Wild Dogs.

Further information is available in the PestSmart Standard Operating Procedure for soft-jawed traps.

Professional wild dog controllers are also available to support wild dog management activities and are often used to support baiting activities or to target wild dogs that have avoided other forms of control.

Jim Miller is a wild dog trapper from the arid and semi arid rangelands of pastoral Western Australia. In this series of videos Jim explains and demonstrates some of the methods and equipment.

Large cage traps may also be used to trap wild dogs. These are generally used in and around peri-urban environments, where dogs have become accustomed to human activity.

Further information is available in the PestSmart Standard Operating Procedure for cage traps.