Wolverines are legally trapped for fur in North America despite low population densities and slow reproduction, creating welfare costs that disproportionately impact a vulnerable species.
Wolverine trapping creates welfare harms that are compounded by the species' conservation vulnerability. Animals caught in leg-hold traps experience acute pain from the grip mechanism and prolonged confinement stress. Their large body size relative to traps designed for smaller furbearers means injuries from struggling are frequent and severe. Body-grip traps designed to kill quickly may instead cause traumatic but non-immediately-fatal injuries when set incorrectly for wolverine size. Each individual welfare event also carries population consequence: for a species with extremely low population density and slow reproduction, each trapped individual represents a significant proportional loss. The combination of poor welfare outcomes for individuals and conservation vulnerability of the population argues strongly against continued wolverine trapping.