Wolverines remain legally trapped for fur in several North American jurisdictions, and trapping methods vary significantly in the welfare harm they cause to captured animals.
Wolverine trapping causes welfare harm through two primary mechanisms: injury from trap mechanisms, and prolonged distress during trap confinement. Leghold traps, the most widely used type, do not kill — they restrain. A trapped wolverine may struggle for hours or days before trap check, sustaining injuries from both the trap and its own escape attempts. Even well-maintained traps cause tissue trauma from the clamping mechanism. The welfare case for shorter mandatory trap check intervals is strong and relatively simple to implement through regulation. The larger welfare question is whether wolverine trapping is justifiable given their conservation vulnerability and the compounding stress of climate change on populations. As wolverine ranges contract, each trapping death represents a disproportionate welfare and conservation impact.