Hunt on for injured coyote

Photo: Contributed - DJ Parm

Update -- March 23:

Conservation officers attended the area again Sunday morning after another sighting was reported.

Ken Owens says they were again unable to catch the coyote, but it appears the animal has removed the trap by amputating its right rear foot. He says the coyote is reportedly very mobile.

They are asking people to continue to call any sightings of the coyote into their RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277.

A local conservation officer spent hours Saturday scouring the area around Springfield Rd. and Hwy. 33 in Rutland looking for an injured coyote, but couldn't track it down.

Ken Owens said they received a call about a coyote running around with a leg stuck in a foot trap.

He explained it is still trapping season within the region and the city, meaning that licensed trappers can lawfully harvest coyotes with humane traps, but the call was concerning to him.

"The report we received this morning was that this coyote was mobile and it had a foot trap on its leg which was not cool," he said.

"It's always disconcerting when we get these calls because when the proper trapping methods are utilized this shouldn't happen."

Owens said in most cases licensed trappers are pretty good, and at this point he can't say whether the trap was humane or not because he was unable to locate the injured animal.

There are a whole range of laws in place about what types of traps can be used, how often they must be checked, and where they can be placed, as well as a mandatory three day trapping course that all licensed trappers must take.

Owens spent over two hours looking for the elusive coyote. He is asking anyone who sees the injured animal to report it right away to the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

"we don't want an injured coyote in distress out there."

Coyote trapping season ends March 31.

If you see a coyote in your neighbourhood send photos and video to [email protected]