O.K. We all have the small roll of wire in our PSKs for making snares. Has anyone actually tried to make a snare? Ideally you want a loop that easily slides closed but can't back out, just like a zip tie. I've tried different methods of making the "knots" so that they'll only slide one way. So far nothing has been satisfactory. The slickness of the wire just makes it too easy to open. Actually had better luck playing with some 30lb test Spectra braided fishing line.

So, are there any ideas out there? Maybe some small metal doobie thing that you could cut out of sheet metal, bend just right with holes drilled in it. Keep a couple of em loose in the PSK. When you need it, just twist one on and voila, zip tie a la SS wire.

Even something like that that works for the braided fishing lines would be great. Thirty feet of 30lb spectra (even 65lb test spectra is about the diameter of 12lb mono) wrapped around a piece of flat plastic takes up very little room. A half dozen of the little doobie things and you can make a bunch of snares. 6 snares vs. maybe 2 with the wire is much more likely to catch something when you need it. Plus the obvious dual use of the line for fishing.

Personally think the value of the wire is more in its utility. Split a small stick, put the scalpel blade in and wrap with wire for a knife. Stuff like that.

Snaring small game is a skill mostly of observation. The loop diameter, distance from ground and placement must all be correct. Then for every dozen OR MORE snares correctly placed you MIGHT catch one animal. Pre made snares do have a locking mechanism. It really isn't neccessary. A simple bend or kink in the wire will suffice. Many manuals better illustrate this than I can explain. You can also double up wire and carefully twist it into one strand for greater strength and reduced slickness. I never did catch anything during Arctic Survival School. But then our area was so heavily used by former classes the smarter rabbits had moved out and nobody else did either. But I was a smart rabbit, taking a lesson from my furry friends. I secretly cached a dozen Hershey Bars inside my parka. I still do in one form or another. I'd have nightmares about killing bunnies. Chocolate? I have no mercy or moral hesitation.

CK, what about Chocolate Bunnies? When Easter rolls around, do you start to sweat? <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

As mentioned by CK, kinks can help.

I was taught to kink the snare wire a few times on the outside of the loop and make the "eyelet" just large enough to travel over the kinks. When a snared animal applied force, the eyelet had a tougher time riding back over the kinks.

I saw this taken to the extreme once where the wire was "curled" with pliers and the edge was pinched shut. Think of this as looking somewhat like a wave on the outside of a snare "breaking" toward the loop rather than toward the stake. I don't know how well this worked on game, but it worked well enough on my wrist I suppose. LOL

I was also taught that another thing that would help was to double loop the eyelet concentrically so that the inner loop would tighten around the wire running through it as force was applied.

Snared animals tend to move forward rather than back up so generally as long as they keep up the pressure a snare will remain tight until the animal is dead or on its way, so with standard snare wire it tends to keep enough of its shape rather than loosening unlike cable. Of course you?ll still be cheesed off and maybe a little exasperated when you see a snare that appeared to have caught something, but that something is no longer there. LOL

Dang I?m tired... I hope that made some kind of sense... I'm going back to bed... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've never snared any game before so I have many questions, but thinking of materials, I've included in my BOBs a heavy 18" wire leader for Northern Pike. I believe this would also work as snare material?

According to various books on the subject, any means of getting the animals feet off the ground will keep them from escaping. This would require a snare with some sort of trigger and spring (a sapling) that would pull the animal off the ground.

Oh wait.... a snaring site with bad music.... The answer my friend....... Thank goodness for MUTE buttons.

Here's another one......... A better snaring "how to" site.......