Originally Posted by
Miele Man
I remember years ago about reading about a fellow who was a trapper. He had finished for the season and had his traps spread out around his basement after he had oiled the traps. The traps were open and set to allow the thick protective oil to penetrate into all the nooks and crannies on those traps. Some burglar broke into the trapper's basement via a basement window. When the burglar dropped to the floor from the window he landed on a trap and it snapped shut badly damaging the burglar's leg. The burglar sued the trapper and the burglar won. Even thous the trapper said if he had known the burglar was coming he'd have unset the traps. Yet another example of where the victim has fewer rights/protections than a would be thief.
Cheers
Hi Miele Man:
Cool story! I'd call "myth," though.
Trappers do not oil their traps. Such contamination and scent render foothold and Conibear traps somewhat useless in the field. Furthermore, the vast majority of foothold traps would never be able to damage a human's foot or leg. If the dude had some ancient, museum piece bear traps set all around, and the perp somehow stepped right on a pan, well, that would be one unlucky, hurting, thief.

Fun story, though.
Trapper Dave