How to Hunt With a Snare

Since the days when we were "hunter-gatherers," humans have used snares to catch animals for food. With a simple loop set up in the proper way hunters can set up a snare and leave it alone for hours returning only to find out what was caught. Although more active hunting methods and then domesticated food animals took the place of snares for obtaining food for consumption, many still enjoy this simple hunting method. Snaring is also a crucial survival skill.

Things You'll Need

  • Commercially available snare (optional)
  • 20-gauge stainless steel wire
  • Tape measure
  • Needle-nosed pliers
  • String
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Instructions

  1. Create a Snare

    • 1

      Cut off a 21-inch piece of stainless steel wire.

    • 2

      Make a loop about 1/2 inch in diameter about 2 inches from one end of the wire. Wrap the short end of the wire around the long end to secure the loop.

    • 3

      Pass the loose end of the wire through this loop to form a large loop with about 1 1/2 inches of wire loose on the other side of the small loop.

    • 4

      Create a second small loop identical to the first on the loose end of the wire.

    • 5

      Tie the string to the second small loop.

    Hunting With a Snare

    • 6

      Find a place where there are plenty of rabbits nearby. Rabbits enjoy relatively flat ground with thick vegetation. Clovers are a particular favorite. You can often spot trails through tall grass made by rabbits or other animals as they make their way from a meadow to a water source.

    • 7

      Cut or find a tree limb or branch about 1 inch in diameter.

    • 8

      Tie the string around the branch. Use enough string so that when you place the stick in the ground the snare is about 3 inches off the ground.

    • 9

      Push the branch into the ground at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees to the ground.

    • 10

      Place some twigs or grass around the snare to camouflage it.