How to Make a Simple Snare

Knowing how to make a simple snare can be very helpful in an emergency situation. Imagine that you are stranded in the woods and need to find food quickly. If you have some snare wire in your backpack or emergency kit, you can easily catch some dinner. Follow these instructions to learn how to create a snare in order to catch some food!

Location

The first thing you’ll need to determine is where the prey is located. It’s not going to do you any good to set a trap where no animal will be. You’ll want to look for signs of animals like tracks, droppings, plants that have been eaten, flattened vegetation, etc. The best area is probably around feeding areas or watering holes.

Noose and Loop

The simple snare is the basic tie behind any trap. Ideally, the animal would walk straight through the loop and set off the trap. You can start creating a simple snare by following these instructions:

	Wrap the end of the wire a few times around a stick.
	Twist the ends of the wire together and over each other a few times.
	Remove the stick and you should have a nice loop.
	Thread the other end of the wire through the loop. You should be able to tighten the snare by pulling on one end.

Engine

You’ll want to set up your snare near some type of tree or shrub. A young tree is always a good engine because it’s bendable and quick to snap back into place. You’ll be bending the sapling over and tying it down to the snare in order to act as tension. If you find yourself in an area void of trees or shrubs, you can always use dead weights like rocks.

Trigger

The trigger consists of two parts: The hook and the leading line. The leading line connects the trigger to the engine - usually a wire of some sort. The trigger is connected to the noose and should tighten very quickly when pulled by the engine. You can build an effective trigger by finding two pieces of wood and carving interlocking notches into the sides of each. The base of the trigger should be sturdy and stay in the ground. The hook in the trigger should be able to slip out at the slightest touch, so that if an animal passes through the noose, the trigger will slip out and tighten up by being pulled with the engine. You can also modify the trigger to connect directly to a fishing line. When the fish pulls on the bait, the trigger will release and the engine will tug on the fish - hooking it in. However, you have to be careful not to have an engine that pulls too hard and rips right out of the fish's mouth. Here are a few different options when building a trigger:

	Carved Trigger. This trigger is very effective but requires a knife or some type of carving utensil.
	Y Trigger. This trigger is great when you’re stuck without a knife or carving tool. You can simply find two sticks and roughen the two edges.
	Peg Style Trigger. Rather than having a base that sticks into the ground, you can stick a peg into a nearby log, tree or stump. This also allows you to apply bait to the peg.

Thanks to Willow Haven Outdoor for many of these ideas.

Your Ideas

So, have you ever had to use a snare before? What did you find helpful? Comment below to share your knowledge.