How to Make a Live Bird Trap With Snow and Sticks

Making a live bird trap from snow and sticks may be the key to survival if you are stranded in the wilderness during a winter expedition. While many creatures hide during cold weather, birds are easier to spot during flight and their meat provides essential protein your body and brain will desperately need to function in the harsh winter climate. A simple trap built from things available in the wilderness ensures a good chance at catching food even if your own supplies are running low.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 forked sticks
  • Knife
  • String or twine
  • Snow
  • Bait
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Instructions

    • 1

      Gather two forked sticks from the ground. Live branches may produce sap that can cause the trap to stick to itself rather than ensnare a bird. Each stick should have a long and short leg where it forks.

    • 2

      Locate a hardwood sapling that is flexible enough to bend and touch the ground. Use a knife to strip away all excess foliage, leaving only the trunk. This is called the twitch-up.

    • 3

      Bend the twitch-up and mark the snow directly beneath it by boring a small hole with your finger.

    • 4

      Push the long branch of one forked stick into the ground where you bored the finger hole. The short leg should be parallel to the ground.

    • 5

      Tie the long leg of the other stick to a piece of string. Pull the sapling down and tie the other end of the string on to create a tensile bond.

    • 6

      Notch both short forks and hook them into each to create the trap's spring mechanism. Loop a small noose, just slightly larger than a bird's feet, onto the short fork of the stick attached to the sapling.

    • 7

      Distribute loose snow around the base of the grounded stick and the noose to conceal the trap.

    • 8

      Bait the trap by placing dried seeds, rice or berries in a tight ring around the noose. This should lure the bird to land inside the noose while feeding. The bird's weight should cause it to sink slightly into the snow and the string loop as it feeds.

    • 9

      When the bird attempts to fly off, it should trip the noose, causing it to jerk and release the tightly pulled sapling. This should draw the bird up by its feet and hold it until you return to the trap.