How To Make A Snare: Beginner Guide For Survival

When planning for an emergency, it’s a good idea to stock up on food supplies that can be stockpiled without the need for refrigeration and have a plan for rationing. But what happens when the supplies are exhausted? 

A crucial part of your disaster preparedness plan is learning a few hunting methods so you can be successful in a variety of environments. One of the easiest methods of hunting is by using a basic snare trap.  

A basic snare trap is simply a noose connected to an anchor point, like a low branch or tree root. When prey passes through the noose, it tightens around the animal, constricting even further as it struggles against the snare. These types of traps are designed primarily for smaller animals, like rabbits and squirrels. They are not lethal, however, meaning you will need to kill your catch once it’s been caught. 

Here is a step-by-step guide for beginners to make a snare.

Preparation

The first thing that you will need to do is choose a sturdy noose material.

1. Choose a sturdy noose material.

To build a noose properly, the most effective material to use is wire. However, you can use anything as long as it is flexible and not too thin or brittle, and it must be able to tighten quickly and easily. There are a few wire types you can choose from:

• Headphone wire
• Stripped wires from cars
• Craft wire
• An uncoiled spring

If you don’t have a wire, you can use a string or cord, but just make sure it's durable enough to hold a small animal. If it snaps under your personal strength, it probably won’t be strong enough. 

The following items are suitable for a snare trap when a string or cord is not available:

• Fishing line
• Dental floss
• Shoelaces

If you can’t get your hands on wire or string, consider the tools found in nature. That means plant fibers and stringy tree bark. Sure, it may be more work, but if cultures did it in the past, so can you!

• Dogbane
• Milkweed
• Cattail

Next, you will want to scout out the area. A simple snare can be used night or day, rain or shine, and in any climate. Just make sure that animals pass by the area more than once in a blue moon. 

Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for signs of game, like droppings, tracks, shelters, scratches, and signs of feeding for a good place to set up your snare. 

Building random snares in random areas with no eye for signs of small games is a waste of time.

Once you’ve located the general area where you want to build your snare, look above you. What type of trees do you have to work with? The tree will be the ‘beef’ of your machinery. 

• Find a sapling that is strong yet bendy. Keep in mind the tree must be able to hold the animal that you trap high in the air until you come back. 
• If no saplings are in the area, look for a large tree limb and a large rock. This is an alternate technique that uses the same idea but doesn’t require a bendy sapling. 

Building a Hook Trigger

Now it’s time to start building your snare. 

Grab two sticks and carve a hook or mouth into them. Think of linking your own hands together—fingernails tucked into the other hand—and pulling your elbows apart. That is the tension that you will be using. 

• The base should be longer than the mouth or hook and a little bit sturdier.
• The hook can be small, as long as it fits into the mouth of the base. 

Then, you will need to plant the base into the ground. The base should be situated very close to the bendy sapling you scouted out; the two will work in tandem. 

Pro Tip: It is much easier to drive the base into the ground if you carve it into a peg-shape first. The sharp point breaks the soil much more quickly and will save you a little bit of time trying to get it into the ground.

Once your base is in the ground, simply tie your cord or string around the bendy sapling. Make a tight knot that will not come off, even under tension. It should be about six to twelve inches from the top, depending on the strength of the sapling. 

Place the hook in the mouth of your base. At this time, the base should be the only thing preventing your hook from flying up into the air, straightening out the sapling. 

Pro Tip: Make sure your cord or string is the correct length. When the hook is in place, the sapling should be bent towards a 90-degree angle. When the hook is removed, the sapling should straighten up again, dangling the animal that you caught.

Again, always make sure that your knot is tight and securely in place. At this point, the hook should have two strings or cords attached: one to the sapling and one to the noose. 

The snare is now in place and ready to go. All that’s left is arranging the noose, filling it with bait, and snaring your game.

Pro Tip: Make the noose wide enough so that it won’t miss your game. You can spread it out on the ground with pebbles or small twigs since they won’t interfere with it flying up when your target is securely caught in your trap. 

A Final Word

Trapping is arguably one of the most essential skills that any survivalist can have. With these skills, such as learning how to make a snare, you won’t need to depend on commercial food sources such as your local grocery market.

Mastering trapping skills is no easy feat. However, you can still learn and master the skills with regular practice. 

There are many different ways to make a snare, but most use the same principle of trapping their prey through a trigger and tension. Always remember to honor the animal that you killed, and be sure to utilize as much of it as possible.

You may not know when a disaster might strike, but what you can do is be prepared for it. Make sure you are ready and check out Stealth Angel Survival for supplies. Whether you are looking for equipment to help you build the perfect snare trap or a portable pot, pan, and stove set to cook your catch, Stealth Angel Survival is here to help!

Sources:

https://www.lilongwewildlife.org/2014/05/18/snaring/

https://www.curriculumvisions.com/search/S/sapling/sapling.html

https://boyslife.org/quizzes/153553/can-you-identify-this-animal-poop/