Two illegal traps found at Bend’s Shevlin Park

A dog was injured last week after it got caught in an illegal trap at Shevlin Park, and warning signs have gone up at the popular park west of Bend as authorities urge caution and look for whoever laid the traps.

The traps were discovered last Monday and the park was scoured for more traps last Tuesday.

Park caretaker Angie Lute has been living at Shevlin Park since 2007 and said Monday she has never seen anything like this. She lives close to where the traps were discovered, which is even more concerning, since she owns a dog herself.

One Bend resident who has lived in the area for 33 years hasn’t heard of anything like this, either.

“It’s insane — people who do things like that are crazy, vicious people,” Jim Hauser said.

The two traps were found hidden near the Aspen Grove area of the park. They were not noticeable from the path.

“Like you wouldn’t have seen them at all,” said Sasha Sulia of Bend Parks and Rec.

Hikers were not happy to learn someone did this.

“The fact that you’ve got these crazy bad people leaving traps out where they could adversely affect multiple creatures — it’s inexcusable,” Hauser said.

This time, an animal was hurt.

“Yeah, there’s foot traps, and it sounds like that’s what this dog entangled with,” Sulia said.

Oregon State Police are investigating who left the traps there, but they are going to be difficult to track down.

“I don’t know how much they can get with no names on it, unfortunately,” Sulia said.

It’s no surprise the traps were lacking tags. One thing Parks and Rec does know is that they were fur-bearing traps. They searched the area for more than the original two but found nothing.

It’s a big park, so they’re warning people to stay close to the path and keep a watchful eye on kids and pets.

Area residents hope the illegal trapper is caught.

“This is a pearl of a park, and it should stay that way. And no one should be afraid to use it,” Hauser said.

Anyone with tips that could help in the investigation is encouraged to e-mail the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at tip@state.or.us or call 1-800-452-7888. You can remain anonymous.