North Dakota Furtakers Educational Manual
Snaring
The use of snares in trapping furbearers and other animals goes back even farther than the foot-hold trap itself. In
fact, the Indians had been snaring animals long before the white man came to North America. Snares used by the
Indians and white men were extremely primitive by today's standards. Today's snare is an efficient trapping device
that is grossly overlooked and underrated by the average trapper. Basically, a snare is a specialized steel cable that
has a sliding lock on it to form a loop. The loop closes very easily when an animal places pressure upon it, and once
it closes, the slide lock prevents the loop from opening up. It only tightens when it's pulled. An animal is usually
caught around the neck, body, or legs, restraining it, sometimes alive, until the trapper arrives. To be effective, a
snare has to be positioned so that the animal walks, runs, slides, or swims into it. (The most natural place is along
a trail in nearly any type of country.) There are a great many trails, both game and cow trails. Predators and other
furbearers habitually use these, making them a natural place for a snare setting. However, the trapper must be
cautious regarding their use and avoid areas where livestock, deer or pets could possibly get into them. With these
precautions in mind, snaring can be a very effective, safe, and humane way of taking furbearers. First of all, they can
be carried in quantity into the back-country. Snares, can be carried for long distances and in great quantities, leaving
plenty of room for other set making materials. Their use simply requires a lot of common sense. Nearly anywhere an
animal travels regularly, a snare can be used to trap it. Setting snares in these places simply involves forming a loop
of the proper diameter and height in the path of the animal. One important aspect to being effective with snares is to
have a proper size loop and the right distance off the ground. This all depends upon the animal you're attempting to
snare. For fox, raccoon, and bobcat, a loop about 10 inches in diameter and 8 to 10 inches off the ground is about
right. For coyotes, a loop of 12 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches off the ground, for beaver a loop of 10 inches
in diameter and 2 inches off the ground is about right. The preceding loop size are approximate (with each specific
situation governing the appropriate size loop. The advantage in using snares is they will continue to work even during
periods of heavy snowfalls or extremely wet weather where freezing can occur. Unlike the steel trap, the snare is set
above the ground level and not as susceptible to freezing. A trapper usually finds it's faster to set a snare than it is to
set a foot hold trap.
Snares when new will have oil on the locks and cable. To remove the oil, snare are boiled in baking soda water for
1/2 hour than rinsed off with clean water. Sometimes it best to do it twice to insure a good clean job. Though snares
can be homemade, it is best to buy them from reputable manufacturers.
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