what does everybody recommend, or use. in terms of snare wire gauge. mainly for my psk's and/or bug out bag.....mtnfolk

I like to use steel guitar strings. I can twist an eyelet into one end. I like the Low and High E strings. Sometimes the low E with the wire wound around it grabs better. Sometimes the high E works better. They are already cut to the right length for me.

I've got a couple rolls of 24GA (.020 inch diameter) stainless steel wire. Works great! Send me a SASE and I'll hack off a twenty foot length for ya.

just out of curiosity, do you use new or used strings?

Cheap new ones. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

get ragnar benson's book on surival poaching, learn to use insulated electrical wire.

Would you happen to have information sites on how to make snares? I have read a bit about them but I have absolutely no idea on how to make one and I am positive that I would never catch anything with one. I'd have to rely on water and skip on the animal food.

I got a small roll of steel wire in my PSK but I presume I would use it for repairs, to help building a shelter or to make hooks of some sort.

making a trap/snare is the easy part of trapping, the hard part is to do it right. You really must understand how animals behave before you will catch anything, unless you very very lucky! They will not just walk right in to the snare for you, perfect conditions like printed in many survival books is something i have yet to see, so don't rely on it to bring you food.

I agree. An understanding of animals is part of successfully using snares.

Other useful skills that will help:
The ability to read tracks and droppings to determine whether the particular animal one is attempting to snare can indeed be snared with the equipment on hand and/or what type of snare or trap would be best suited to catch whatever animal is leaving the aforementioned signs.

The ability to locate trails within the landscape that animals use consistently to travel to and from either food or water sources and/or how and with what to bait a snare or trap that will lure an animal out and/or the ability to locate dens, burrows, nests and other places that animals will consistently return to or leave.

Setting multiple snares in a variety of areas that animals tend to travel will up the odds.

The ability to masks one's own sent and other signs that will alert an animal to a dangerous presence is important.

The best time to set a snare or trap so that an animal won't happen across one during their routine

And so on...

Bee, Unfortunately I don't know of any sites on the web off the top of my head that offer a whole lot more information that you wouldn't already find in the US Army SurvivalFM21-76 or in the SAS Survival Handbook. However, if I run across one or two I'll try to get the links to you.

I learned most of what I know in this area from other people including older family members that grew up in a time or area of the world where this type of information was important. This type of information still is important of course, but it has been a generation or three since it was commonly considered as such unfortunately.

I'd have to agree whole heartedly with that, snaring/trapping is an aquired skill, something you build with time. On the other hand, a handful of fish hooks, a dozen 10 ft lengths of high test fishing line, as many rocks, and some corn or pieces of bread will get you a meal of local birds to eat, but keep in mind that the game warden WILL NOT smile on your activities.

Troy