Snaring rabbits?

[Dabluz]

Rubbing the snare on a small tree trunk....really makes a smooth round snare.

 

So....just put the wire behind a small tree trunk, grab each end of the snare and rub it back and forth. The snare will take a natural curve that is perfectly smooth....very little friction.

 

When tying your snare to the branch that is angled over the trail, make 3 turns around the branch and then twist the free end around the wire lead. The snare must not swing on the branch.

 

I usually use a branch that is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and jam the cut end into the ground and then tangle the other end between some trees. I use a long branch for this.

 

I try to make my setup under some evergreen trees where there will be less chance of snow filling up the trail and burying the snare.

 

It's quite a chore setting up a snare because you really have to be in dense brush.

 

I use a pair of good shears to cut my branches but I always have a sharp hatchet for bigger stuff.

 

I find that the little upright branch just under the snare bothers the hares....they don't seem to like being scratched on the belly I guess. I've seen many people do that trick and they do have sucess snaring rabbits but they also have over 100 snares set. It would take me a week to set 100 snares and would cover a realy big territory. I prefer setting up a good quality snare on a great looking trail.

 

Sometime, I will lay a branch crossways under the snare but it must be done so that the rabbit does not have to force his way through the obstacle.

 

Try to keep the distance between the snare and the upper branch as short as possible. However, you should have a good 3 inches of clearance between the snare and upper branch.....the same distance as the snare is off the ground.

 

I was really surprised when I actually saw a rabbit getting caught in one of my snares. The rabbit was not running....just walking slowly and sniffing around. When he got to the snare....he just gave a push and his neck was firmly grasped by the wire. He gave a couple of more pushes and by the time I got to him....he was dead. Hardly struggled and did not make a sound. Very impressive....very fast and probably much more humane than people think.

 

I often have 100% sucess rates with my snares on the first day they are set up. After that, it quickly drops off to approx 70% the next day and then about 20% on the third day. After that, it's about 10% sucess unless I remove the snares and there is no additional snow to make the rabbits change the location of their highways.

 

Big snowfalls, a day of thaw followed by a day of cold will allow the rabbits to run on the crust all over the place but in the real thick bush, the trails stay pretty constant.

 

I do have a tendancy to make my snares a tad larger than other people. The smaller rabbits often have a paw in the snare too but I try to target larger hares and anyway, later in the season, the rabbits are older and larger.

 

I don't have many break offs but they do happen. Often it's a rabbit who has got one or both paws in the snare....along with his head or a larger stronger animal like a skunk. Since my snares do collapse when touched...I do catch a lot of squirrels and grouse. Up here where I live....there are only red squirrels. The grouse are either spruce grouse or ruffed grouse.....more often they are spruce grouse. It's a pretty bird but the meat is much darker and stronger tasting. My wife usually cooks the spruce grouse when making baked beans.

 

The rabbits are also cooked in baked beans but most often simply baked like a chicken along with a small roast of pork.

 

Don't forget that the kidneys, heart and liver are great t eat too. Just remove the bile sack inside the liver before cooking. My wife cooks my rabbits with the head (fur and ears removed). There are the rabbit cheeks, the tongue and the brains that are great eating too.

[Dabluz]

I never use a snare that has already caught a rabbit. Been doing that so long now that the reason is obscure but I think it was due to too many of those used snares breaking off.

 

I've tried the brass snares and even old dull brass snares and I seem to get fewer rabbits with them. They are also larger (approx .030" to .040") but are maybe a bit stronger. I've tried .017" locking wire and did catch rabbits but did have more break offs. The best has been .020" locking wire. I'm sure that .022" or .024" locking wire would do fine too but .030 locking wire is definately too stiff.

 

Another great source for wire is monel trolling wire in size .020". It's probably exactly the same stuff as locking wire. Anyway....it seems to me to be the same and that's what I use now. Maybe I'm too nostalgic when I think of aircraft locking wire.

 

I remember even putting locking wire on many of the bolts on my motorcycle. If 2 bolts were close together, I would lock both bolts by twisting locking wire between the too bolt heads. Looked snazzy too.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Dabluz

[waterwolf]

we used the"condo"in areas of high bunny concentration and traffic.send 4 stakes at 4 feet in lenghtth into the snow about 7 feet apart in a square formation. attach small trees connecting the perimeter of the stakes at about 10 in off the snow.cut small branches of fir trees and attach them to the trees connecting the 4 stakes creating 4 walls ,leaving 3 small holes on each of the 4 sides set your snares at each of these openings . cut the top off a young birch tree with good buds and center it in the condo bunnies love birch buds. 2 to 3 a night was not a uncommon.4 foot stakes allowed you adjust the height of your snares when it snowed.

[Dabluz]

Not allowed to use enclosures in my region. This due to the fact that snaring grouse is not legal. Those that snare grouse illegally, make a large enclosure with a few snares around de circumference and bait the middle with natural food that grouse like to eat. Grouse either walk into an enclosure or fly into an enclosure but walk out. They never fly in and fly out. I would have a hard time convincing a conservation officer that I was just looking for rabbits.

 

However, snaring a grouse accidentally in a rabbit snare is legal and it's quite common to snare a grouse.

[BUSTER]

OK OK OK my eyes hurt now from too much reading, can someone just make a quick video and post it on you tube?

[AzuluSpookd]

Keep us updated, I'd really like to see how it works out for you. I've never seen that done before.

 

I was out in the bush ALOT and I didn't see any wascally wabbits....come to think of it...nor did I see any grouse at all either.

[mark_74]

There actually is quite a few vids on youtube on snaring rabbits.

[pikeie]

so ive moved the snares around since last week. i set the new ones up yesterday in some fairly young growth conifers, on some well used trails. i get down here this morning and check the first few. a couple of them fell/ knocked over, so i fixed them up. got to my last set and on the last one i was checking i noticeed i couldnt see my snare, then as i got closer it was tightend way more then i had set it. then i realized.... there was blood and fur everywhere!! and what was all around my snare? coyote tracks! stupid dogs lol... o well at least im getting closer to getting one!

 

i was amazed that the dogs got to one so quick! i mean it was set yesterday evening!

Edited January 25, 2010 by pikeie