TRAIL SET SNARE.
Many of the boys, writes an Indiana trapper, have come forth with
their particular snares and methods of making same, all of which I
believe are good, but most of them require to be baited, which is one
bad feature as applied to certain districts, for such has been my
experience that in many localities it is utterly impossible to get
animals to take bait. This snare may be used as a blind or set with
bait as your trapping grounds, or rather the animals, may require.
It is very inexpensive and so simple any boy can make it. First get a
strip of iron one-eighth inch thick, three-eighths or one-half wide.
Cut it in nine inch lengths and bend in the shape of Fig. 2, having
drilled a one-fourth inch hole in either end. Next secure some light
sheet iron, or heavy tin, cut in pieces 2 3/4 inches by 5 3/4 inches
for the pan, and drill a one-fourth inch hole in center of same as
shown in Fig. 3. It is now a very easy matter to rivet the pan or
Fig. 3 to Fig. 2. This done, take some 20 penny spikes and cut off
the heads as per Fig. 1.
[Illustration: TRIP PAN OR PLATE.]
Now brass, or preferably copper wire, can be had on spools at most
any hardware store, which is used for the loops, as it is so pliable
yet sufficiently strong to hold any of the small fur bearers, as it
is made in many sizes. Use the brass or copper wire only for the
loops, as ordinary stove pipe wire is just the article for the
finishing of the snare.
For a blind set to be placed in the run of the animals, make a double
loop, that is, two loops for each snare. Now, take a bunch of these
with you and find the runs or follow the ravines and creeks where
they feed. If you can find a tree in a favorable spot on their runs,
take one of your headless spikes and drive in the base of the tree a
few inches from the ground.
Now take No. 2 with the pan riveted thereon and hook bent and over
spike, driving spike into tree until pan is level and until there is
just room enough to hook loop of wire over head of spike. (See
illustration.) Dig out under pan so same can fall when stepped upon.
Then secure a rock or chunk of sufficient weight and fasten to other
end of wire. Throw this over limb of tree and hook loop over head of
a spike, having first put No. 2 in place.
Put one loop on one side of the pan and the other loop on the other
side, so that an animal coming either way will step upon the pan to
his sorrow. This done, drive a staple in tree over wire running from
spike to limb, which will prevent the animal being pulled over the
limb and escaping.
[Illustration: DOUBLE TRAIL SET.]
Having covered everything up with the natural surroundings and left
no signs, you may claim the first furrier that happens that way and
he will be waiting for you. This snare may also be used with the
ordinary spring pole by driving spike in a stake, then the stake in
the ground, in which case it is best to make the usual V-shaped pen
with stakes or stones, covering same over at top and setting so the
pan will be right in the mouth of the pen and the single loop just
between pan and bait. In this way they tread upon the pan just before
they reach the bait.
You find this snare easily thrown. They will not cost you over three
cents a piece, and any man can easily carry one hundred of them and
not be half loaded.
* * *
In many ways the snare is splendid for lynx. Here in Western Ontario,
says a well known trapper, where the lynx seldom take bait, they may
be taken quite easily in snares set on snowshoe trails. Fig. 1 shows
a wire snare set on such a trail. I go about it in the following
manner: Having found a suitable place along the edge of some swamp or
alder thicket, I cut a spruce or balsam tree, about ten or twelve
feet long, and throw it across the trail. I press the tree down until
the stem of the tree is about twenty inches above the trail, and make
an opening in the trail by cutting a few of the limbs away on the
under side of the trail. Then I set a couple of dead stakes on each
side so as to leave the opening about ten inches wide and hang my
snare between these stakes and directly under the stem of the tree.
[Illustration: TRAIL SET SNARES.]
The snare should be about nine inches in diameter and should be
fastened securely to the tree. It should also be fastened lightly to
the stakes on either side, so it will not spring out of shape. The
best way is to make a little split in the side of each stake, and
fasten the snare with a very small twig stuck in the split stake.
I make the snares of rabbit wire, about four or five plies thick,
twisted. Some trappers prefer to use a cord. The dark colored codfish
line is best, and it is best to use a spring pole snare, and Fig. 3
shows the method of tieing and fastening to the stakes. It will be
seen that when the lynx passes his head through the snare he only
needs to give a slight pull to open the slip knot and release the
spring pole.
To prevent the rabbits from biting a cord snare, rub it well with the
dropping of the lynx or fox and also, never use any green wood other
than spruce or balsam, as any fresh green wood is sure to attract the
rabbits. You may also put a small piece of beaver castor along the
trail on each side of the snare, and you will be more sure of the
lynx, as beaver castor is very attractive to these big cats.
* * *
We will now proceed to make another spring pole snare, altho the one
described before is more practical, says a Colorado trapper. It is
made like the preceding one except the trigger, etc. This one is to
be used on a runway without any bait whatever. The illustration shows
the trigger as it appears in the runway. No. 1 is the trip stick; No.
2, the stay crotch; No. 3, the trigger; No. 4, the loop; No. 5, the
pathway, and No. G, the stay wire.
[Illustration: PATH SNARE.]
The animal in coming on down the path (5) passes its body or neck
thru the loop made of stout soft insulated wire (4); in passing it
steps on the trip stick (1) which settles with the animal's weight,
releasing the trigger (3) which in turn releases the stay wire (6)
and jerks the loop (4) around the animal; the spring pole onto which
the stay-wire it attached lifts your game up into the air, choking it
to death and placing it out of reach of other animals that would
otherwise destroy your fur. A small notch cut in the stay crotch
where the end of the trip stick rests will insure the trigger to be
released. This will hold the trip stick firm at the end, making it
move only at the end where the animal steps.