Entanglements

Entanglement increases killing potential in two ways. First, it may allow an animal to use the object to gain greater leverage when pulling, thereby allowing it to tighten the loop more. Secondly, it may reduce the animal’s ability to release tension on the loop (for example, if all or part of the animal becomes suspended off the ground).

• Land Sets: With land sets, care should be taken to avoid the possibility of entanglement by the animal once it is captured. Fences, rocks, trees, downed logs, heavy vegetation, farm equipment, and other obstacles all may provide an opportunity for entanglement.
• Water Sets: Underwater entanglement is permissible, and often intentional, for cable devices set in water to capture beavers and river otters. In these situations, trappers will often position cable devices so that beavers and river otters will intentionally become entangled underwater and expire from asphyxiation before the trapper returns.