How to Make A Simple Snare
Preparing the Trap
The trap itself consists of some cordage, locking wood pieces and a sapling or small tree that can be bent to act as the spring and power source. Wire can also be used if it is thin enough to snap closed as the noose is pulled. If you don’t have rope or string, you can use anything from para-cord to a shoelace or even fishing line or dental floss. As long as the material will be able to withstand the forces of the animal as it struggles, it will work for this trick. One way to test the strength of your noose is to pull the material apart with your hands as hard as you can. If it rips, then chances are you will need something stronger.
Make a noose by making and tying a loop on one end of the string and feeding the other end through the hole. The next step is to find two sticks that can lock together while easily falling apart when the animal gets snared. You can do this a couple of different ways. First, you can find two sticks that have small stubs or pieces of branch coming off their sides. Use these two pieces as a way to loosely connect the sticks once the trap is set. Remember, that they must be able to maintain the locked position as tension is created from the string and the bent tree.
Another method is to carve your own locking mechanism. This is easy if you have a knife or small saw. Cut a horizontal hole about two inches from the bottom of the stick until it goes about halfway through. Then make a cut downward from the top of the stick, about halfway through its width until it intersects with your first cut. Remove the piece, and you should have a stick with a nice notch in it. Repeat the process for the other one, placing it upside down so that the two pieces rest snugly together.
Setting the Trap
Place one stick in the ground, with the notch at the top end. This will serve as your anchor. It is important that you allow enough length of stick to remain after it is staked into the ground securely. Tie the noose on the other stick, leaving at least a few inches of rope free to dangle. Tie a longer piece of string from the other end of the stick to the end of the tree. Make sure that there is at least a foot of rope between the end of the tree and the stick once the trap is set.
Finally, bend back the tree and pull the string and stick tightly until you can lock it into the anchor stick. The noose should hang close but not touch the ground. That’s it. Now the hard part is waiting and hoping that an animal will get snagged. You can improve your chances by baiting the trap or camouflaging it to blend into the surroundings as much as possible.
This method will require some practice and modifications in order to make it as effective as possible. But, once you get the hang of it, this trap can be a powerful hunting tool that can be used in almost any location where animals are known to pass through.
