Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping Anyone with snare experience?

I just ordered a couple dozen snares that I am going to attempt to use for fox. Never done it before so looking for some advice. I pretty much figure an 8 inch loop 8 inches off the ground on a trail but can you bait or lure them into a snare?

Thats a good place to start, but I would prolly go with about 5 to 6 inches off the ground , fox arent that tall and seem to hunt with their heads down smelling the trail, do you load your snares and dye them? what kind of supports are you going to use? I used to have support collars put on mine to slide over my heavy wire supports, that way you dont need a bush or branch to make your set, you can set your snare in the tall grass etc, snaring is deadly, took me some time to get it figured out compared to leg hold traps and connibears

No experience with foxes but use to snare squirre have seen
up to nine squirrels at a set. Good luck and let us know how it works out for the fox? My gr'dad use to raise foxes 60 yrs. ago.
Cheers NC

Post a photo of one of your setups

Are you asking or telling ?

Yes, you can bait or lure (or both) fox into snares. If you have snow you can put out large baits and then watch for trails made by fox to the baits and set snares on those trails.

Or, you can find make trails in tall grass with a hoe and place lure on those trails and set them up with a couple of snares. I used to drive through tall grass fields and put snares on the tire tracks and put lure on the tire tracks. worked quite well.

I read what i considered a seamingly good idea.
Take a four wheeler and drive back and forth in CRP type brushy area -make another set of tracks crossing the first set.Then place bait at cross and place snares in tire tracks.
I believe it was Rich Cronk of Cronk predator calls who wrote it -claimed to have caught coyotes pretty good.
Don't put snares too close together -if you get a double they will fight -make the fur fly.

Personally, I don`t like snareing. Did lots of it when a kid for extra money..used picture wire. When the snare worked as planed, all went well, but I`ve seen lots that didn`t, caught too far back, didnt catch right..long fight by the animal..cat, fox, rabbit, even a large dog once. Just didn`t sit well with me.

BTB, 8 inches round is too big...you`ll catch them back too far, if you catch them at all. 4-6 is better, IMHO.

I don't like snares either. They are deadly. A guy got arested here a couple years ago. He had illegal snares on my buddies, and some other property, even though his family owns over a square mile. I've got hounds and run them there often. Another neighbor has had a couple Beagles dissapear there. Also our bobcats are rare, and making a little comeback, and of course snares are indiscriminate, and it doesn't take alot of time or money to put out hundreds of them. Dave

I think you'll body catch fox with an eight inch loop. I only have reds around here, so I have no idea for what works with greys. Baits can work, but I always find reliable fence crossings and hang a 5-6 inch loop about the height of your fist above the ground. Throw logs or brush around the sides so the fox has to cross exactly where the loop is.

I also don't mess with support wires. I use a long piece of cheat grass or some other small diameter vegetation and use it like string to tie the loop to fence wire at the desired height. It breaks very easily so you have to be gental. This allows an animal to enter the loop from either side of the fence and not take the chance of the loop getting caught up on the wire. Soft soldering wire also works, as it easily bends.

Like others have said, snares kill, so non target catches are a problem. Do this away from populated areas and not during a hunting season when hunting dogs are out and about. Good luck.

I work on a secluded military base in the middle of nowhere so the snares killing animals isn't really a problem. I went out today and set 15 snares and 6 leg hold traps for fox. Getting those snares to hang right is not that easy. I will say it is a hell of a lot easier to carry some snares around versus all the crap that goes with leg holds...

I cant add much that hasnt been said already. but will echo some concerns. i trap and fight for trappers rights, that said the snare is a pc nightmare. it sounds like you are on a place it wont matter. for others reading it cant be said enuff.

STAY AWAY FROM SETTING THEM ON PUBLIC GROUND. i will only set them on private when i know (within a reasonable doubt) what my target will be. take notes on how many and where you have set them, dont rely on memory,i have pulled many off fence lines that had been thier along time, ironicly, most of them have U.S govt tags on them! use deer stops or break aways.

if there are cats in the area, make sure he lets you know if he lets a hounsmen in, if so just pull the loop closed, after they are gone it is easy to set back up.also be aware that cattle and horses will get into them, they will brake away, but that loop will still be on thier leg, and it can kill them if it goes un-noticed.

also, bait stations work well, set on the perimiters on the trails, you can make your own trails as said above, my favorite is in deep snow.

fence line sets are also deadly, make sure you keep in mind other animals like pronghorn, they will cross in the same spot as prediters alot of times.

probly didnt want a novel, just keep other animals in mind when setting.

I live where the wind can be fierce and cannot possibly rely on anything but support wire, so judge for yourself if this is for you. I also like the accuracy and flexibility a support wire and a whammy give you. Out on the open prairie one sometimes needs to create a support where there isn't one readily available naturally.

Setting fences does focus the animals down, however you can wind up with pelt damage with some fences.

While it was stated in a way, I think it should be emphasized that there is a fundamental difference between snaring and leg holds with regard to bait. With a leg hold trap it is desirable to have the animal slow down and look around for that smell. With a snare, the idea is to get the animal to make a clean swift pass through the snare. Therefore the bait is in the greater area just to attract the animal and keep them in the area. I think it unwise therefore, to place anything right by a snare that will slow down the animal and cause them to move their head in an effort to locate the scent.

Just different perspectives from different situations.
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One note - A break away is designed so that the loop breaks (the lock is designed to fail when a given amount of force is applied), therefore nothing is left attached to the animal after the snare breaks away.

thanks ranger, i havent played with the #lbs break aways,i have never trusted them to hold any catch. i just threw it out thier because they are an option.

the cattle and horse thing,sadly happend to me. i was setting an fenced ally that the rancher brought his cows thru in the spring. i had told him thier was snares set on the fence and trails, but they would be gone by the time he brought his cows in for branding. well he brought them in earley, didnt tell me, i went thru and thought i had recoverd all of my snares, so no big deal right?

a month later i comes time to brand, he finds a sick cow hole up in some ceadars, near death, the culpret was my snare on her leg, cut dang near to the bone, ripe with gain green.

think i will try the break aways.sorry for another long post, i am just trying to save someone from learning the hard way.

We're required to use them here. Never had a problem with them breaking away on a coyote.

While on the topic of break aways, one should be reminded that states have very specific regulations about how snares are configured and one must know those specifics. Your liability could be very expensive if you don't.

Well, the snares aren't working out too good for me but thankfully I left a few leg holds in. Here is a nice Grey I picked up this morning. His crotch area which is normally white was a pale pink color.

we've had good luck with snares for hogs

stx, do you foot snare hogs? dont have any round here, so i wouldnt know.