An excursion into Kenai National Wildlife Refuge sounds like an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of unspoiled Alaskan nature through a long, relaxing walk. For two dog walkers, it led to an injured pup and an appearance before a federal judge to begin the fight against a pair of tickets issued by a federal government employee.
On January 13, 2026, Laura McIndoe, along with her son Trafford Evanoff, appeared in one of Alaska’s federal courts to plead not guilty and contest the citations they received last year for violating the Code of Federal Regulations by engaging in “Interference with persons engaged in authorized activities.” The pair was written up for destroying fur traps legally placed and marked within the Kenai Refuge after their dog was injured by one of them.
Trapping remains a viable industry in Alaska, with over 28,000 state trapping licenses issued in 2022. Trappers are subject to state law, additional regulations around municipalities like Juneau and Anchorage, and, when on federal public lands like the Kenai Refuge, federal laws as well. Dogs being injured by traps meant for other animals has long been a problem in Alaska, though the numbers have dropped sharply due to preventive measures. But as McIndoe and Evanoff would likely claim, it’s still an issue.
Trapping Heavily Regulated
Alaska’s size and massive tracts of relatively undeveloped land allow animals of all types to thrive. This, in turn, creates a steady supply for fur trappers and hunters, who ply their trade with targets that include martens (sables), minxes, and beavers. With an eye on maintaining wildlife numbers and ensuring public safety, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game provides yearly updates to its trapping regulations.
Trapping is also permitted in certain areas of federal lands within the state, such as the Kenai Refuge. Administered and overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, safe and proper land use falls to Federal Wildlife Officers, who serve as part of the Kenai Refuge’s law enforcement.
According to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge regulations, traps are subject to both state and refuge-specific rules, including trap-check intervals and distance requirements from roads and high-use areas. Animal traps used within the Kenai Refuge must adhere to both state and federal requirements. For ground-based traps, these may include:
- Traps must bear a distinctive mark that allows identification of the trap’s owner
- Depending on where the trap is located, it must be checked either every four or every seven days
- The jaws of the trap must have a spread of nine inches or less
- The jaws of the trap must be toothless
- All traps must be placed at least one mile from any public roads, campgrounds, and road-accessible trailheads within the Kenai Refuge
- All traps must have signs hung to alert those who may pass nearby
While the foottraps must be far away from roads, there’s no regulation about how far they must be away from established trails.
On February 5, 2025, Federal Wildlife Officer Shay Hurd spoke with a trapper near the Funny River Road. The unnamed trapper claimed that McIndoe had threatened him with physical harm after her dog had wandered into his trapline and been caught in one of the trapper’s foottraps. The trapper said he offered help, but McIndoe had cursed at him and said she had two sons “in their 30s and big men” who would kill him if they saw him.
Hurd caught up to McIndoe and Evanoff farther up the trail, along with another male. McIndoe was walking the dog, while Evanoff was carrying a feather with its base wrapped in foil and a large piece of paper in a Ziploc bag that had “ACTIVE TRAPLINE AHEAD PLEASE KEEP DOGS ON A LEASH” written in red on it. McIndoe was in a hurry to get her dog to a vet for treatment, so Hurd let them go.
When he met up with the trapper soon after, Hurd was told that two previously untouched trapline sites had been destroyed since he encountered McIndoe. The trap that had been on the dog had also vanished. The trapper added that the feather and the sign that Evanoff had belonged to him and had been hung at the site where the dog was injured (the feather served as a “flag” to attract animals). At some point on February 5, Hurd wrote citations for Interference with persons engaged in authorized activities to both McIndoe and Evanoff. Each ticket carried a total fine of $280.
Hurd made follow-up calls later that month. Evanoff claimed he found both the feather and the sign lying on the ground. McIndoe, after arguing that trapping shouldn’t be allowed within the Kenai Refuge, said that she had seen the warning sign on a tree but couldn’t read it because she had the sun in her eyes. Perhaps most importantly, the dog was okay.
Keep Your Big Trap Shut
Incidents involving other dogs injured by traps in January 2025 occurred before new Alaska state laws banning traps near popular trails in the Matanuska-Susitna (MatSu) Borough went into effect later in the year. There is no evidence that the Kenai Refuge plans on following Alaska’s lead.
McIndoe and Evanoff offered no insight into a possible defense while entering their not-guilty pleas. The next hearing is scheduled for the spring.
Related Resources
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Re-Opened for Oil Drilling (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
- What To Do if Someone Threatens You (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
- Select State Laws on Hunting and Trapping (FindLaw’s Land Use Laws)
