A "How To" Building Snares

JMF

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I mentioned in my extension building thread I would try to put together a snare building tutorial. Well I had a some time tonight to put something together.

I will start out by saying this is how I do it, it is by no means the only way to build a snare and there are many other types of components and styles out there. But I will say, after trying many different styles and parts over the years this is what has come to work the best for me. This style was adopted from Marty Senneker.

Here's what you will need for components:
1. 6' of galvanized 5/64" 1x19 cable (snareone.com $0.47)
2. Cam Lock with teeth (snareshop.com $0.39)
3. 265# Senneker BAW S-hook ($0.35)
4. Stinger kill spring (torsion dispatch spring) ($1.00)
5. Senneker trigger ($0.35)
6. Mini deer stop ($0.08)
7. 2 Aluminum stop buttons ($0.12)
8. Aluminum double ferrule ($0.06)
9. Poly support collar or whammy (1/2" piece of .17" ID polyvinyl tubing) ($0.01)
10. Copper trap tag ($0.17)
IMG_20150625_191827948.jpg

This is a snare that will cost $3 a piece to build from new components, but remember that everything but items 1,6,7 and 8 are reusable many times over. So once the initial snare is built it will only cost $0.73 to rebuild it and you will be using good quality, proven components.

I use a bench mounted swagger for cutting cable and crimping stops and ferrules, but a standard cable cutters can be used for cutting and the stops and ferrules can be hammered on. If you use the trigger with the torsion springs you will need the setter (red handled tool). Lastly a needle nose.
IMG_20150625_192032128.jpg


First you will need to cut a 6' piece of cable.
Then crimp the 2 stop buttons onto one end of the cable. You can get by with using only 1 but I will go into more detail as to why I use 2 later.
IMG_20150625_190439113.jpg


Next I make a mark with a sharpie at 1" and 37" from the stops. The 1" mark is for the reverse bend that balances the spring and the 37" mark is for the deer stop. ND requires a deer stop is set so the loop is no larger than 12" in diameter. (12*3.14=37.6).
IMG_20150625_191428711.jpg


Then put in the reverse bend using the needle nose. I pinch the cable at the 1" mark then bend the cable backwards against the natural curve of the cable.
IMG_20150625_191618443.jpg


I usually sit down and attach the S-hooks to the locks before hand but I will show how that's done here.
the big end of the s-hook goes through the hole in the lock and closed, then close the small end. The purpose of the S-hook is to break away if a deer is caught.
IMG_20150625_190055164.jpg


Next I thread the spring, trigger and lock onto the snare from the end opposite the stop buttons. Then slide everything down to the other end.
IMG_20150625_191945963.jpg


Then use the setter tool to compress the spring and hook the trigger.
IMG_20150625_192104050.jpg
IMG_20150625_192116201.jpg
IMG_20150625_192155111.jpg

Then push the spring to the end.

Continued....
 


JMF

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Then run the end of the cable through the lock.
IMG_20150625_192233585.jpg

If you put the lock on backwards earlier you wont be able to thread the cable through, just pull the lock back off and flip it around.

Here is what you will have so far.
IMG_20150625_192332703.jpg


Next slide the deer stop on and crimp it with a needle nose or wire crimper on the mark you made at 37inches.
Then the piece of hose.
IMG_20150625_192543783.jpg


Lastly add the double ferrule and trap tag then crimp the loop closed.
IMG_20150625_192643977.jpg


And you're finished. I will go into more detail as to why I use what I use and the theory behind the kill spring and trigger. If you have any
questions please ask, I can only imagine how confusing some of this might be to someone who has never done it. It's actually a lot easier than it looks, but I'm really not that great at explaining things in writing. If you ever want to see it in person let me know, I live a few miles north of Mandan.
 

JMF

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The plastic tubing is for sliding over 9 or 11 gauge wire on a snare support. You can buy these in metal as well but they are specific to cable size and wire size. With the plastic ones I can push them over multiple size wire and they hold nice and tight. I bought a 100' roll from McMaster Car that is rated to 100 below for $20 to my door. That's enough to last a lifetime.

Theory behind kill springs:
An ordinary snare with a lock can be set to kill, or to hold an animal alive. What kills the animal is continuous applied force to the cable around its neck. Entanglement is used to apply this force, gravity being the force on the cable that kills. A lock does not kill the animal, a lock only prevents the loop from opening. When a coyote pulls the snare tight the blood is cut off to the brain from the constricted arteries and the animal passes out. If it is tangled when this happens, gravity from the weight of the animal maintains the force on the wire and the animal dies quickly. If there is no entanglement, the animal passes out and there is no force applied to the wire, it will come to and will not do that again, instead it will start chewing etc. With a kill spring, when the coyote lunges he compresses the spring and the spring applies constant pressure tightening the cable, and quickly dispatches the animal. This is why you see coyotes laying dead in a snare with a kill spring and the cable is not tight between the anchor point and the animal, and no sign of struggle or disturbance. It is very easy to tell if an animal has been killed quickly when you skin it there will be no edema in the head, and very little disturbance at the catch site.
 
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JMF

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Thanks guys.

Bucks, here is what I use for supports
full-41001-269143-220.jpg

A 5" piece of flat stock welded to a 12" or 30" piece of 1/4" round stock, with a piece of 9 gauge wire welded to the top.
Here they are in actions.
IMG_20150110_103709422.jpg
 
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JMF

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I forgot to mention before but every one of these snares gets attached to an 8' extension. In order for a dispatch spring to be effective, the coyote needs to hit the end of the snare hard to compress the spring. The extra length of the extension allows them to get a good run.

Now for the triggers and the reason I use them. With either a coil style spring or in this case a torsion spring the coyote must use its' force and weight to compress the spring. With the triggers on the torsion springs the coyote only needs to pull the snare tight enough to bump the trigger free. When the trigger releases, the spring immediately pulls any slack out of the loop and the coyote no longer has to be pulling to maintain pressure to the loop the spring is doing that for him. Since going to this system I no longer have live coyotes on my line, less than 5%. No more water heads and very little disturbance to the site location, making it easy to just rehang a new snare on the support.

In the beginning I showed using 2 end stops instead of just one. The only reason I do this is because I use the triggers. In the past I have had coyotes set the spring so tight that the trigger re-hooked above the stop. These coyotes were plenty dead but it bothered me because it made the spring ineffective. With 2 stops the end of the trigger can't reach anything to re-hook on once it is tripped.
 


bucksnbears

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looks like you have it figgered out.
i like those wire supports.
those springs u uses, can they be used over and over?
 

JMF

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Thanks Bucks, yep the springs are reusable, I got some now that have made 3 or 4 catches and they are still strong.
 

Wrkn2hunt

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This is great! Exactly what I needed to get started snaring! Can a guy order everything from one place as to ordering from a bunch of different places. And how large or roll of cable does a guy need to order for say 20 snares and 8' extensions? I'm sure I will come up with more questions but planning on placing an order to get started.
 

JMF

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Wrkn2hunt, everything but the cable for the snares can be ordered from the snare shop. The 3/32 7x7 cable for the extensions can be ordered from them to. The 5/64" 1x19 I order from Newt at snareone.com. However if you are undecided or just want to try it out to see how it goes, I would just buy a couple dozen pre-made ones. Especially if you're just looking to build 20 or so. I can get you in touch with Shannon from Dead Coyote Snares if you want premade ones. He builds a snare identical to the ones I do and is a great guy.

- - - Updated - - -

I should add that I don't recommend buying any of the snares they sell at scheels.
 

Wrkn2hunt

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Wrkn2hunt, everything but the cable for the snares can be ordered from the snare shop. The 3/32 7x7 cable for the extensions can be ordered from them to. The 5/64" 1x19 I order from Newt at snareone.com. However if you are undecided or just want to try it out to see how it goes, I would just buy a couple dozen pre-made ones. Especially if you're just looking to build 20 or so. I can get you in touch with Shannon from Dead Coyote Snares if you want premade ones. He builds a snare identical to the ones I do and is a great guy.

- - - Updated - - -

I should add that I don't recommend buying any of the snares they sell at scheels.


Yes please do hook me up. I want to run about 20-24 snares and see how it goes. Mainly looking to get rid of a few more dogs for ranchers around here and put up a few more dogs.
 


JMF

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Wrkn2hunt, I will find his number when I get home. Your best move might be to meet him in person, he can help to answer questions and explain things. I'm pretty sure he said he was gonna be at the ND fur takers rondy at the fairgrounds in Carrington August 22nd and the NDFHTA rondy at the New Salem fairgrounds September 19th. He might even put on a demo at one of them and if he isn't I'm sure somebody else will do one on snaring. I know they were trying to get John Graham to do one in New Salem.
 

NDbowman

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I buy mine ready made from dakotalinesnares.com. They have ND legal snares.
 

KDM

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With the past snowy winter and the inability of many of us snare guys to get out, the coyote populations will need a bit more thinning this year. So, I thought I would bump this OUTSTANDING thread to the top to help anyone wanting to help do the thinning........ All Hail JMF!!!
 

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