Yes, traps are put in random places. At least they can't be placed on water, grass or ash, so are safer sections to go through without doing search before each

Yes, traps are put in random places. At least they can't be placed on water, grass or ash, so are safer sections to go through without doing search before each step. That's why it's a really good idea to collect 4 Scrolls of Mapping for levels 1-24.