EVALUATION OF MECHANICALLY IMPROVED CONIBEAR 220™ TRAPS TO QUICKLY KILL FISHER (MARTES PENNANTI) IN SIMULATED NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Mechanically improved Conibear 220™ traps failed to render irreversibly unconscious in ≤3 min fishers single-struck in the head-neck region, or double-struck in the neck and thorax regions. Although the Conibear 220™ trap is often recommended as an alternative to the steel leghold trap, it is unlikely that it has the potential to humanely kill fisher.