Foothold traps have been - and continue to be - used successfully to capture a wide variety of wildlife species in order to study the characteristics of individuals and populations. In fact, research conducted with the use of foothold traps has provided much of the information leading to our present understanding of biological and ecological phenomena. Wildlife biologists typically use these traps to capture animals that are then carefully monitored, revealing information on their movements, habitat requirements and reproduction that can be acquired no other way.

The river otters pictured at right were all captured with foothold traps in marshes in Louisiana and are being released unharmed into new areas to restore otter populations where they no longer occur. Similar otter restoration programs have been successful in Pennsylvania, maryland, New York and West Virginia. Many midwestern states now have thriving river otter populations thanks to capture and reintroduction efforts made possible by the use of foothold traps.

Foothold traps are generally the only effective traps for catching canid species such as wolves, coyotes and foxes. As a result, they are almost always the trap of choice when any of these famously wary species are targeted for capture by either the public or wildlife researchers. An example is the ongoing, important role foothold traps are playing in the restoration of several endangered wolf populations. Red Wolves are captured, examined and relocated to reestablish new populations; Mexican Wolves are captured for a captive breeding program that will provide healthy animals for a reintroduction program; and stock-killing Gray Wolves are captured and relocated to reduce damage and maintain public support for their continuing restoration.