# Trapping and Snaring



## Geary_Johns (Oct 27, 2007)

I know that there is a &#8220;Great Outdoors&#8221; section, yet I think that Trapping and Snaring are great topics for S&EP. 

I don&#8217;t trap or snare at this point but have started to put together a bucket of traps and snares, as well as a bucket of trot-lines and the how to books that go with them. 

Having spoke with a few old timers that were trappers in the depression era, the point I took away was that trappers didn&#8217;t go hungry. Now you may be eating possum, raccoon, or something else that you might not think about eating yet, but you could catch something to add protein to your diet. 

Just a thought and a few other possible prep items.


----------



## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

I sold out most of my trapping supplies some years back but I hung onto a few traps and stretchers,just in case.I could set out a small trapline today,if circumstances dictated.And of course,the knowledge I gained over the years is never lost.And I tasted roast possum when I was a teen,and it was good.Greasy,but good.


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Snares never take a break. They are always right there, waiting for something to poke their head in it. A trap can get frozen in or mudded or crusted once in a while. About the only thing that stops a snare is ice from freezing rain. I showed a rancher how to set snares and he leaves them all year for coyotes. More than once, the snow drifts have melted off in the spring and he snared a coyote a few days later in a snare he set before winter. 100 snares weigh less than a trap, you can fit a handful of them in your bag, they will take big game if the need arises.


----------



## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

Practice is the most important thing. Poor kids during the depression could make a trap or snare out of about anything. It is good to know how to use these things.:thumb:


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

snares are illegle in Oklahoma


----------



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I really, really like snares. After fish traps, it's probably my favorite form of "hunting".

It's not particularly easy though in that you do have to find the game trails to use them on. You can't just put out a snare and expect animals to fall into it.


----------



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Allen W said:


> snares are illegle in Oklahoma


Yep, we can't use snares or connibear traps. Have to be leg hold steel traps only. But I got myself a mess of all of them anyway for just incase the SHTF.


----------



## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

Oldcountryboy said:


> Yep, we can't use snares or connibear traps. Have to be leg hold steel traps only. But I got myself a mess of all of them anyway for just incase the SHTF.


SHF and all bets are off concerning what's legal or not. Hunger will be against the rules at my place.:runforhills:


----------



## chickenman (May 13, 2002)

Oldcountryboy said:


> Yep, we can't use snares or connibear traps. Have to be leg hold steel traps only. But I got myself a mess of all of them anyway for just incase the SHTF.



And the foot traps have to be offset right?

I agree with everyone about snares. They're great for everything from squirrels to canines and they work in most weather conditions. They were legalized here a few years back and I've caught a couple fox with them just to familiarize myself with their use.


----------



## Riverrat (Oct 14, 2008)

Oldcountryboy said:


> Yep, we can't use snares or connibear traps. Have to be leg hold steel traps only. But I got myself a mess of all of them anyway for just incase the SHTF.


For us here it is just the oppisite....leg holds are only to be used for drowning sets, conibears are to be used for all others, or the quick kill traps.


----------



## jnh (Oct 4, 2007)

another thing to add to supplies that is legal in oklahoma is yo-yo's or automatic fishing reels when put out like limb lines they are very effect and you will be surprised at the size of fish they will hold, i used them when i lived in oklahoma and you can get them at most walmarts in the area


----------



## Geary_Johns (Oct 27, 2007)

jnh said:


> another thing to add to supplies that is legal in oklahoma is yo-yo's or automatic fishing reels when put out like limb lines they are very effect and you will be surprised at the size of fish they will hold, i used them when i lived in oklahoma and you can get them at most walmarts in the area


Good point, added to the list for the bucket!


----------



## Geary_Johns (Oct 27, 2007)

Oldcountryboy said:


> Yep, we can't use snares or connibear traps. Have to be leg hold steel traps only. But I got myself a mess of all of them anyway for just incase the SHTF.


I'll point out that I don't currently run traps, and if I do it will be because I need meat in the pot. At that point illegal or not the snares and connibears get set.


----------



## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

I never got into snaring because it was illegal in my area,but I did set a few years ago for the practice.I have a few snares rattling around here somewhere,but might be simpler to buy a few than to find mine.I always liked the looks of the meat when skinning muskrats and thought about trying it..now I wish I had.I know it made a good bait for fox and mink.


----------



## chickenman (May 13, 2002)

oth47 said:


> I never got into snaring because it was illegal in my area,but I did set a few years ago for the practice.I have a few snares rattling around here somewhere,but might be simpler to buy a few than to find mine.I always liked the looks of the meat when skinning muskrats and thought about trying it..now I wish I had.I know it made a good bait for fox and mink.



Muskrat is fine table fare. I like it better than squirrel.


----------



## megafatcat (Jun 30, 2009)

Snares are easy to make. See trapperman, basic sets. A bit of solder will make sure everything stays secure.


----------



## gunseller (Feb 20, 2010)

Don't know what size snares are being talked about compared to what size trap but 100 snares of a size bigger than rabbit size will weight quite a bit more than 1 #5 foot hold trap weights. Another statement that is incorect is leg hold traps. The traps are foot holds. Snares 8x8 5/64 will hold any deer that walks and will work down to **** sized animals. If a trap is set right it can snow over and still be working after the snow is gone. Snares work from rabbit to deer. Shortly after SHTF I would be supprized if there are many deer left. But there should be lots of rabbit sized and bigger animals to catch and eat. This will include cats, dogs, beef, horses, etc. I will eat all of the wild or tame animals I can before I use anything I have set back. I will collect them with traps, guns or clubs. The picky eaters will be the first to starve.
Steve


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

heres ya place to learn about survival snaring.


http://www.snare-trap-survive.com/index.html


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I have been going throu this site in my spare time. A lot of good info here.

http://www.trapperman.com/


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

there are tons of types of traps and snares and ways to set them.

heres a way i make a fast and easy set for sumer time groundhog trapping.i dont cover or bury traps.the groundhog just crawls across the trap.....and snap.....gotem


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

to keep traps working in winter time.heres what ya need and how to do it.

BUT BE WARNED !!!!!!! WAX CAN CATCH FIRE !! SO DO IT AT OWN RISK !!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!

waxed dirt.get dry dirt in summer and run threw ya sifter box.then heat it up and add wax and stir .it takes several bricks of wax to do a batch of dirt.then store it in a 5 gallon bucket for winter time use.wax dirt sheds water and snow etc and keeps ya trap working.heres a few pics of e making some.


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Glad to see every one chime in to make sure a newby is on the right track. I agree that in a shtf situation all bets are off. I would really like to see snares, or cable restraints as they are being called in places today, legal they would be a great tool for controling hogs.


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

gunseller said:


> Don't know what size snares are being talked about compared to what size trap but 100 snares of a size bigger than rabbit size will weight quite a bit more than 1 #5 foot hold trap weights.


100 of my 3/32" coyote snares with a camlock, double ferrule, stop, and copper tag weigh 6 1/4 lb. I don't feel like weighing a #5 right now, but the difference would be tiny, especially with a chain and drag. And the snares still give you 100, compared to 1 trap. And they pack nicely in a coffee can.


----------



## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

You guys realize that these things are a very cruel way to get an animal, right? Why don't you go hunting and shoot them?


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Dutchie said:


> You guys realize that these things are a very cruel way to get an animal, right? Why don't you go hunting and shoot them?


Hunting and shooting takes a great deal of time is loud and puts one in the open for a bit too long.

These methods are what is needed when a person is short on time and long on having to provide for themselves or a family. It increases the odds of catching something greatly. Might not be the most pretty way but dieing of starvation isn't very pretty either.


----------



## megafatcat (Jun 30, 2009)

I know that I will not change years of media propoganda, but properly set traps on water use a quick drowning method. My land traps often have the critter sleeping when I check in the AM.
I have never broken a finger by accidently snapping a trap on it, though I have done it often.


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Dutchie said:


> You guys realize that these things are a very cruel way to get an animal, right? Why don't you go hunting and shoot them?


No I didn't, would you use your first hand knowledge to explain it to us, please? :flameproofundies:


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Allen W said:


> No I didn't, would you use your first hand knowledge to explain it to us, please? :flameproofundies:


Let me know if you learn something new.


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

I might, I'm going to read some of Mira's Nuggets on Trapperman. http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/27/2/Mira_s_Nuggets.html


----------



## whiskeylivewire (May 27, 2009)

We trap every year. We got numerous possums, 1 gray fox, 1 red fox, 1 coyote, a couple of ***** and 4 nice bobcats this year. It is not as painful as PETA puts out. The leghold trap cuts off the feeling in their leg. It's no more painful than making a bunch of racoons die from distemper-which happened here a couple years ago. I guess that's "natural" though so it's okay. There is no gurantee either that you will shoot an animal right and kill it immediately. I don't know how many times I've heard stories of deer running miles with a gunshot wound.

We also **** hunt so PETA really hates us.

You can do cable restraints in MO but no snares(I think, correct me if I'm wrong) and coonibears only in the water-again, I think(DH is the trapper, I just go along for the ride). 

We sell our furs and yes sometimes eat the meat. The 300 bucks we made this year paid for an electric bill. So, I'll choose a bit of pain for an animal over my kids being cold any day of the week.

We have found MANY animals sleeping while caught in a trap. We have also let many go that were not damaged. We don't want to trap everything out so if it's a young female or a young male we turn them loose(which can be interesting as well). We saw an old, fat, limping bobcat at the zoo the other day-I found that sadder than anything. In the wild he would have been gone before he got that bad.


----------



## hermy68 (Mar 12, 2011)

tell the three chickens in my coop that got killed in the last 2 days. EATEN ALIVE by the way. set the traps out again around the chicken coop today. normally get a ****, sometimes a skunk or possum. but they always die a better death than the chickens they ate alive!


----------



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I've heard the reason why my state (Oklahoma) doesn't allow snares and connibears is cause of the number of houndsmen. They don't want their dogs caught or killed. I don't blame them as I'm a houndsmen myself.


----------



## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

I read a book in school about a poor little otter that got caught in a trap and stayed there for 3 weeks till his leg rotted off.I had no doubt that trapping was cruel and inhumane.So happened,a trapper lived next door and I was telling him how cruel trapping was and he asked me if I'd ever been on a trapline..he took me along to run his traps and took the time to explain to me about the trapper's philosophy and viewpoint.I learned that trapping was not what I'd read in books,and otters don't spend 3 weeks in a trap.I'll ever be thankful for what he taught me and for his patience,and for the loan of two traps to start my own mini trapline.He opened up a whole new world to me.And I'd rather drown or be shot than die a slow lingering death from cancer..


----------



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

The bleeding heart PETA mentality seeps in everywhere, even to S&EP.


----------



## Geary_Johns (Oct 27, 2007)

Ernie said:


> The bleeding heart PETA mentality seeps in everywhere, even to S&EP.


Aye, and the topic was having the equipment and knowledge to be able to put meat on the table when times got hard, or there was no meat at the grocery store. 

We as a society have become soft and whiny, which we have been able to afford due to living in good times. I fear though that when times do turn lean, and the wolves are at the door most of our society will not be able to adapt. So I just pat them on the head when they make childish comments and pay them no mind.


----------



## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

Trapping quail has always been illegal around here, although I don't know if it was when I was a kid.......that was a long time ago.

My Pa fashioned a quail trap from small stakes that had been debarked with a knife. When finished, the quail trap looked like a pyramid, but it had a flat top instead of a pointed top. The small stakes were laid on top of each other like a log cabin is built, with each round of stakes getting shorter as the pyramid grew in height. Finished, it would be about 40 inces long and about 12 inches high. The flat top of the pyramid was covered by more stakes laid across the opening. In the middle he fashioned a small trap door just big enough to get your hand into. You can secure the stakes at the corners with wire or small tacks to make it stay together. It needs to be fairly stout.

The "trap" part of this "contraption" was a small board and a little ditch. You scoop out a small ditch on the surface of the ground about 4 inches deep and half as long as your pyramid. Lay the small board across the ditch about 4 inches from one end of the ditch. Now place the pyramid so the edge of it rests on the outside edge of the board. Open the end of the ditch up a little so it doesn't resemble a hole in the ground. Put a rock on the top of the trap to hold it down. The trap is lightweight. 

The bait we used was cracked corn. That's all we had and it came from our field. It the grains of corn ain't too big, you can use whole grain. Sprinkle the corn all around in front of the trap and then concentrate a bit at the front of the little ditch. Concentrate some corn all through the tunnel and then put plenty inside the trap as well. 

How it works is that the quail start feeding on the cracked corn and it gets eaten up pretty quick. As they eat, a quail makes a little clucking sound much like a chicken does when it feeds. A quail will find the corn in the ditch and as he eats, he clucks and the other quail come up behind him cause she's calling with that little clucking sound. Their heads are down feeding on the corn and they all get to feeding in the little ditch and one will go into the trap and come up on the other side of the little board you placed at the edge of the trap and find the corn inside. They ALL will then go feeding into the trap and come up inside it.

When they get through eating the corn inside they can't get back out. Even though the little tunnel is still there and open, they won't lower their head to get under the board. Unless they're feeding, quail keep their heads up at all times. If you construct it right, and bait it well, you can catch the whole covey.

We lived off the land a lot in them days. My Pa would take a piece of wire and make a tiny shepards crook in the end of it. When you got quail in the trap just put this little wire in there through one of the spaces between the stakes and snag one of the quail by the foot. That will hold him still while you put your hand through the little door on top and lift him out. 

Even though you can get them all this way, be sure to let a couple of them go for "seed" or you can quickly wipe out the quail in your area. A male will have white on it's head with a black stripe running through it. The female is mostly brown on the head. It is a deadly device for quail. 

Tip. When you look for quail sign, look for a place in a dry sandy or dusty area along a fence row. They will go there to wallow. When you find a place like that where they're taking a dust bath, bait it with corn before you come set your trap. When you go back and they've eaten that corn, you might want to do it again before you set the trap so they get used to the corn. There will be more quail coming to the corn if you do this. The thing is, you're liable to catch Red Birds as well. They will go into the trap just like quail and so will a couple more kind of birds. If you catch a red bird beware, because they will bite h e l l out of your finger and you'll be sorry you caught him.


----------



## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

Dutchie said:


> You guys realize that these things are a very cruel way to get an animal, right? Why don't you go hunting and shoot them?


Not if it's done properly. Kind of like putting a bullet in something.


----------



## megafatcat (Jun 30, 2009)

Illegal in every state but related to survival is the corn baited trotline. Strung up in the field you will have Thanksgiving dinner for the neighborhood. You can go smaller hooks for smaller birds. (Illegal also, FYI only.)


----------



## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

got a ground pig the other day in a 220 connie,

had no doubt what ever it was would be there the next day. was hoping it was a fox though. 

old den that was being reused this year. recent trouble lead me to believe it may of been the culprit.

anyhow groundhog aint too bad.


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

jnh said:


> another thing to add to supplies that is legal in oklahoma is yo-yo's or automatic fishing reels when put out like limb lines they are very effect and you will be surprised at the size of fish they will hold, i used them when i lived in oklahoma and you can get them at most walmarts in the area


I've only seen them in catalogs. If you put a little snare at the end, would it hold a bunny or squirrel off the ground?


----------



## jnh (Oct 4, 2007)

ed
they should hold a small rabbit or squirrel off the ground, if i were in a post shtf time i have thought about using wire leaders like the ones used for walleye and pike as the snare part of the rig, never tried it but i do believe it would work, the yo-yos that i used fishing held some good size channel cats up out of the water when i set them on limbs hanging over the water


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

For a good snare for rabbits and squirrels and little stuff, find a roll of that old fashioned picture wire like they use on picture frames. It is steel, multi strand, with a fairly loose twist. Bend an inch of it around itself, then twist several times to leave an eye like on a lariat. Leave the eye loose so it slides easy. If you leave the twisted end not quite twisted all the way, the frayed ends will hang onto the neck hair to help hold even more. 

I never thought a yoyo held the fish out of the water. I thought it held tension to keep the hook in tight. I suppose if you check your lines several times a night like we used to, that wouldn't be bad.


----------



## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

For those who may be interested in the yoyo reels and can't find'em locally,Memphis Net & Twine Co. has them 12 in a box for $22.70 plus shipping.They also have cast nets,trotlines,hooks and every kind and size of cordage you can imagine.I'm not affiliated with this company,just passing on info.


----------



## whatrset (Apr 13, 2010)

Another neat thing to look at is slat traps. I knew an old man who made a slat type trap outta willow and fished them year round, He never went hungry, and many folks nowadays wouldnt even recognize it as a trap. He fished his shallow and laid old brush on top... Very effective.

Oh, and dont forget turtle as a good meat. My grandfather used to nail hooks on either side of a sunning log and catch them when they tried to fall off of the side.... Another depression era tactic.


----------



## NJ Rich (Dec 14, 2005)

Geary_Johns said:


> I'll point out that I don't currently run traps, and if I do it will be because I need meat in the pot. At that point illegal or not the snares and connibears get set.


I feel the same way when SHTF. Man's laws mean little when there are hungry family members to feed. I have been wanting buy this prep item for awhile now but money and more important needs have taken first place on the list.

Does anyone have a favorite make and style of trap and snares? NJ Rich


----------



## Riverrat (Oct 14, 2008)

If you want to make simple, only to use in a SHTF situation, make them from clothes line with the rubber taken off. This works well for fox and coyote, little to big for rabbits. It is illegal to use, but if you need food.....If you are going to trap now, use proper snares, where legal, with slides and locks.


----------



## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

When I was trapping on a regular basis,I was partial to Blake and Lamb longspring traps.They were well built and very strong.Not made anymore,but still abound on ebay.I used 0s and #1s for muskrat,# 11 for mink and grey fox.I always did more water trapping but always set a few traps for grey fox.Oneida Victor has a package deal for trappers either for land or water sets.I think the Victors are the only ones made in the US anymore,except for some specialty traps.I used whatever traps were available,some Victors,B&L,tried a few Montgomerys,but always preferred B&L.I'm not experienced enough on snares to make a recommendation.


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

I'm thinking historically trappers lived and worked in remote areas, where furbearer's were plentiful. Now there 'are' trappers that work near their homes...

I'm also thinking that a hunter gatherer lifestyle still must be a nomadic one. Large game will disappear in weeks, in all but the remotest regions (unless a "Survivors" type scenario ensues, where 99% of the population dies overnight) and if the road's are still 'up', game there would get scarce. Once the big game is gone, domestic animals would go, and then the small game.

Right here, from the Depression up to the mid 50's, there was no big or small game, at all. Pa said if they saw a squirrel, it was stew meat, and then they wouldn't see another one for years... deer were extirpated for decades. Killin' a **** was worthy of telling over and over in the neighborhood. 

It's good to have the tools to do it (trappin/snarin') but don't bet the farm... think of it as something extra under the Christmas tree, when you expected nothing...


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> You guys realize that these things are a very cruel way to get an animal, right? Why don't you go hunting and shoot them?


"Cruel" is irrelevant when you're hungry enough.

I could put out 20 snares, but I can't hunt in 20 places at once.

Some think shooting animals is "cruel"


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

NJ Rich said:


> I feel the same way when SHTF. Man's laws mean little when there are hungry family members to feed. I have been wanting buy this prep item for awhile now but money and more important needs have taken first place on the list.
> 
> Does anyone have a favorite make and style of trap and snares? NJ Rich


Before buying any foot hold traps check your laws. I think even possesion of them is illegal in your state, let alone legally using them. Wouldn't want some one to get in trouble practicing. Trappers get the dirty end of the stick every time someone gets caught breaking a trapping law, or even when some one lets their dog run and it gets caught.


----------



## Homesteadwi5 (Mar 16, 2008)

jnh said:


> another thing to add to supplies that is legal in oklahoma is yo-yo's or automatic fishing reels when put out like limb lines they are very effect and you will be surprised at the size of fish they will hold, i used them when i lived in oklahoma and you can get them at most walmarts in the area


Have been looking at those reels lately,wondered how well they worked but nobody i know has ever used em.


----------



## Homesteadwi5 (Mar 16, 2008)

Dutchie said:


> You guys realize that these things are a very cruel way to get an animal, right? Why don't you go hunting and shoot them?


Actually when the correct size trap is used for the target animal it isn't all that cruel.Do a little research,maybe with your local conservation warden instead of peta.


----------

