Making Snares, part 2

[fishermann222]

Dogs

Dogs

How do you think the dogs feel having photos taken of their backsides?

THis thread needed some humor.

 

[martentrapper]

My request for pics isn't a request to prove anything to me or anyone else. It is a request to contribute something more than the usual "ethics" ideas 90% of your posts are about, Mark.
Somewhere in the beginnings of this forum it was stated that this forum.........ODD as a whole I mean.........was began to help educate folks about the outdoors in Alaska. Where, what, how, maybe even sometimes, who. David recently added this trapping forum, and I've contributed 2 threads to help educate other trappers on how to do something. I'm requesting that you do the same. You have supported your family all, or in part, with trapping. Am I out of line to request someone as experienced as you to contribute an educational thread to this forum? We certainly don't need dead animal pics to learn new techniques. What sort of traps do you use? How do you use them? Pole sets, cubby sets, coni's, #1's, whatever. There's probably a hundred different pics you could show us of how you do something without any dead animals. Tho I can assure you that pics of successful catches really help motivate new trappers.
If you do choose to post your ways, I'll be honest........I may very well question what and why your doing things that way. Part of learning, right? You've certainly added your questions to my 2 posts.
When David first added this trapping forum, Mark, I questioned him if it would be in his best interest to have it. Trapping brings much more opposition than hunting. Internet hackers have been a real problem for other trapping forums Ii participate in. David chose to leave this trapping forum in place, so i have made an effort, however small, to contribute to it. I could just advise those interested to move on to other, more established forums. Their interests and questions can quite adequately be dealt with there. Instead of worrying whether or not I want you to "prove" something..........how about helping this forum out?

Good luck on your line. My first year trapping in the wilderness by myself I was in the same situation your in now. Late freeze, few dogs, only choice was to walk when the season opened. So I did. Walked riverbanks, cut trails thru the forest, found ways around or over partially frozen lakes and sloughs. Turned out to be one of the most successful seasons I've ever had. Of course it didn't hurt that the marten were so thick you could hardly turn your back on a set without catching one.
May your endeavors be equally successful.

 

[Matt]

martentrapper,

Awesome post. Thanks for taking time out of your day to share your pictures and the such with us! Gonna find some wire tomorrow and practice making some of these for myself this winter.

 

[martyv]

Thanks

Thanks

A good primer on snare making. I've never made any snares, other than rabbit snares. I think I'll try some.

 

[akpredator]

Just another little tip

Just another little tip

When making your support wire , if you dont feel like hand twisting dozens of sets . Go ahead and double up your wire and place one end in a vice (just like martentrapper said) But this time you can make your doubled up wire 15 or 20 feet (30 to 40 feet single strand) . Now get your self a cordless drill and put the other end of the wire in the drill and spin away. This will save your hands from cramping up and you get a nice tight twist. I bring my little Dewalt drill with me and pre-make all my conibear , foot hold, and snare anchoring wire before i drop my traps, it saves a whole bunch of time than doing it in the freezing cold.

Todd

 

[martentrapper]

Wanted to add a little info here. The only reason I can get away with, or anyone can get away with, using that small 3/64th cable on fox is cuz I check every day. I wouldn't trust that small a cable to hold a fox beyond 24 hrs. Fox and yotes are pretty serious fighters. (Don't use the 3/64th on yotes please)
Plus, whether alive or dead, an animal in a snare is sbject to weather, temps,and other animals. Get your catch asap to have it in the best shape and get the most money.

 

[akpredator]

A couple snareing questions

A couple snareing questions

Martentrapper, What gauge wire would you recomend for coyote?? Also when you set your snares do you use bait, scent post, or just put them on trails? If you use a bait arround snares how far away do you put up your snares and how many would you put out at a set. One more question (for now) do you use a sack of some sort to carry your snares in to keep everything scent free? if so what do you use?

Thanks for all the good info

Todd

 

[martentrapper]

Todd, from what I've read, there are guys using several different thicknesses of cable for yotes. In a 1x19 type(which is what I prefer,) 1/16th, 5/64th, and 3/32nd wil work. I would be leary of using 1/16th tho. Better hope you get a good hold on a yote and it expires. If you prefer 7x7 cable, and alot of guys do, better stick with 3/32nd.
You can catch yotes similiarly to wolves. Big baits work wonders for getting yotes and foxes to hang around. I've been successful using small baits here and there and snaring nearby. I suspect that scent posts have potential too.
I carry a pair of pruning shears and often cut my own narrow trails for the fox to use. Once there is snow, I can also narrow down a trail, by sticking twigs in the snow. Once there is enough snow for the snogo, I pretty much only snare in my snogo trail. I can often bust thru the shorter willows with the snogo, cut out a few choice willows, and then set in my trail. The foxes often appreciate the trail.............at least until they get caught. Of course once there is snow you can see trails the fox already are using.
I have some round canvas bags I carry my snares in usually. I think a clean plastic 3 or 5 gallon bucket would work also. What ever is convenient will work, just don't get any kind of strong smell on your snares.

 

[martyv]

Made my first batch

Made my first batch

I just made up my first dozen tonight. I really like them. I messed one up by overloading it and then trying to "unload" it. Had to throw it away.

Otherwise, I think they will work great.

Thanks again

 

[fishermann222]

mistakes

mistakes

If you only overloaded one snare you did better than I did when I first started. I still loose one once in a while. Be sure to take pics of your catch for us.

 

[Snyd]

I don't trap, not against trapping either, just thought I'd chime in. Isn't it against the law to trap in the city limits? I suppose it depends on the city. What about Fairbanks? I live right in downtown Fairbanks and go running along the chena in the winter. There are lots of fox running around, lots of beaver on the river, I even saw some otters one winter. The beaver have become a nusance, dropping the tress the borough plants in the green belt. I thought I had a heard that periocically they allow it to be trapped. This would imply that it's not open to trapping. Not sure though. As far as catching pets, well, there is a leash law in the borough so if trapping is legal and someones dog gets caught in the trap it's the dog owners fault if he's off leash. I'm guilty of letting my dog run with me off leash from time to time so I guess I better find out about this. Don't want to get hung up.

I do however hope that they don't trap all the fox, all the beaver or the otter from the river area in town. Nuthin against trapping. I just like seeing critters while I'm jogging!

You guys have a great trapping season and be carefull out there on that thin ice.

Perry

 

[AKmud]

Question...

Question...

Is there a way to make a lock for the snare or are homemade locks unreliable? I was just trying to figure out how the old timers did it. Would it simply be a loop back on itself, or is there a special way of wrapping the cable?

 

[martentrapper]

Snyd, there used to be a city law in Fbks prohibiting trapping. I suspect it is still in effect. So obviously, using snares within city limits wouldn't be a good idea.
In the late 80's I lived in Fbks and at that time, ADF&G gave out damage control permits to trap beaver, which was other wise closed to trapping in that area. The Fbks police got me one day, and there was a day long debate between the city and the state on whether the city could outlaw trapping. Ended up they could, so no more damage control. There is now a feb. beaver trapping season, under ice, within the city.
Don't worry about the critters snyd, we won't get them all.
Mud, there is a loop you can tie in the cable to make your own lock, but I don't know how. Seen it in a book. Manufactured locks are very reliable in general, tho different trappers prefer different locks. If you look at some of the locks, the principle is the same and I'm sure a guy could make his own lock, just time consuming.

 

[martentrapper]

Oh, snyd, you echo my personal feelings on loose running pets. Almost every year, a child is killed in rural Ak. by dogs. Last april, a very close friend of mine had his 6 yr old daughter mauled by loose dogs in Ruby. I have no room what so ever in my heart for loose pets and the people who think there pet is welcome anywhere and everywhere. (Don't take that as a slap at you, please). If trappers are to be responsible, so are pet owners. Check with ANY medical facility in the USA.........I bet statistics will show far, far more people and children are injured by pets than by traps. How many of you either have been bitten, or know someone who has been bitten, by a strange dog? How many of you know someone who has been injured by a trap or snare?

 

[Pete E]

Martentrapper,

Very interesting and informative post.

I make my fox snares slightly differently in that my anchor wire is the same material used for the snare itself and joined using a swivel. I find using a swivel helps to prevent the fox kinking up the snare so badly, it breaks.

I have seen various homemade swivels used, but I like the SS ones designed for sea fishing...I think my last lot were 75lb test, and held up fine and they are only a few pence each and can be reused...

For a support, I use a seperate a bit of fencing wire that can be driven into the ground using a notched "driver" stake and hammer...or at least it can over here as we don't get the frosts you guys get!

The free end of the fencing wire goes is held by a little plastic collar on the snare...

Over here we are not allowed to use locking snares on animal cruelty grounds. Even our sportsmans association is pusing non- locking snares as a none leathal "holding device" in a bid to make snaring more PC...Even when I check my snares daily i rarely have a fox alive in them due to where i set them....

My mate however prefers to anchors his snares on drags so that the fox can drag them into cover (and out of sight of joe public)...his terriers usually follow the track and dispatch the fox if its still alive before he arrives at the scene..

Regards,

Pete

 

[AKJOB]

Thanks For a Great Post

Thanks For a Great Post

MT,

Thanks for a great post. I live down in Juneau, and I'm not likely to do any fox snaring, but this was a very interesting and instructive post. I really resent that it got hijacked into yet ANOTHER ethics/judgement thread. MT was only trying to make an informative post, and everybody is trying to read too deeply into it.

Obviously every hunter/trapper has to make sure he knows the laws, and make a judgement call about where it is appropriate to hunt or trap. MT's area is obviously different form ANC or Fbks. Enough said.

 

[Steve]

Excellent thread...

Excellent thread...

Martentrapper,

Thanks for sharing your setup information and photos. Very informative.

I'm hoping to have some time to do some trapping, but I don't know if this winter will work out or not.

Good luck to you.

Steve

 

[KBSN]

Thanks for Sharing, MT

Thanks for Sharing, MT

Very interesting and helpful. Not sure I'll ever get around to snaring foxes, but maybe.

Thanks again.

 

[martentrapper]

Here's part 2...............including all the fun and games that go with many threads on here.

 

[akfishfool]

MT thanks for bumping this to the top, This was a thread I hadn't seen yet and was very helpful, I am getting into trapping this year mostly to teach my kids and have something else to do with them, I don't want them growing up not knowing how, why, or what. Any other tips would be great, especially on wolves and coyote, as I have a pack of wolves tearing through my property and around my cabin every couple weeks.

Andrew