Measuring Jaw Spread

State regulations limit jaw spread (diameter) on foothold, foot-encapsulating, and bodygripping traps.

• To measure the jaw spread of foothold traps, follow these steps.
1. Set the trap.
2. To measure the jaw spread, Ohio requires the measurement to be made at the widest point parallel with the dog. Ohio law also requires the measurement to be made from the inside of the gripping surfaces.
• To measure a bodygripping trap, measure the distance between the outermost jaws parallel with the dog. Again, this measurement is made from the inside of the jaws.
• To measure a foot-encapsulating trap, measure the diameter of the opening or along any one side.