usefull traps.part 1 ,The spring snare.

[fishfish]

Since we as a species started eating meat we began to find easier and more efficiant ways to hunt our meals.Projectiles have changed immesurably from a stone thrown by hand to the modern high velocity rifles,however the snare and spring snare have been tweeked a bit through the milenia but essentially the same item is used,originally the snare would have most likely have been a cordage made from plant fibers but at some point someone realised the potential of the brass wired snare and so it has been essentially the same snare since,some are used 'as is' suported by foliage or just the tension of the wire attached to a peg,some are used in conjunction with a tealer,this being a thick guage wire that supports the snare at what ever hieght you require.Below is a basic wire snare:



At some point one of our ancestors worked out that a snare in conjunction with a spring action was very benificial,heres a basic one,the spring snare:



Basically a sapling that is good and springy is used for the spring action,if there is one next to where you want to set a trap then thats good,but all to often there isnt one so a sapling must be cut and stuck well into the ground so that it is well heeled in around about it and firm,trim any twigs or foliage off as they would slow the 'whip' of the action when trigered a piece of cordage is tied to the end of the sapling and the other end a toggle triger (A) is attached as per the diagram,a groove carved round the string part of the toggle triger will aid the cordage in staying on without slipping off under the preasure,the other part of the trigger (B) is just a glorified peg set well into the ground to be sure it doesnt pull out under the preasure of the spring,the snare is set in the usual manner and attached to part A so when an animal gets caught its struggle will dislodge part A and in doing so realeasing the sapling ,jerking the animal clear of the gound out of the way of scavengers like fox or badger,often the neck will be broken in the initial whip,try making one for practice in your garden but dont leave it unattended !

[Bush Monkey]

Nice guide. Ive been looking for awhile for somthing like this to explain to me how to make basic snares. By the title i guess they will be or already is more.
and nice pics. Were they done on paint?

P.s wouldnt this be better on the fair game section?

[DavidJT]

Nice! More please!

[C_Claycomb]

It is probably worth pointing out that in the UK the use of mechanical snares, spring, deadfall, whatever, is illegal. The legal choice is between a simple non-locking wire noose (most cases multi-strand only) or a manufactured steel trap.

Snares were probably the first mechanisms conceived by man and are a fascinating subject to learn about. However, care should be taken in interpreting information provided for academic use, such as the opening post, if you are going to use it in the real world, local legalities aside. It’s probable that no aspect of bushcraft is so rife with misinformation and misleading illustrations. A friend of mine who has been making a study of snares for the last few years was able to show me many drawings, from multiple books, which either wouldn’t have worked, would have worked inefficiently, or just have been more trouble than they were worth just to construct them.

[tommy the cat]

???
Chris are you suggesting that this type of spring snare wouldn't work or saying that it is inefficient? Unfortunately in this country it wouldn't be legal to prove otherwise.
D

[fishfish]

not all mechanicle snares are illegal the juby trap for one ,i still use mine.
there will be more if there is a desire to see them,i dont want to cause a ruccas.

[tommy the cat]

I would like to see Fish but maybe this should be posted on the darkside?!
D

[The Cumbrian]

I liked the one that Johnny Rambo used to bag himself one of the posse.

I'll get me coat.....

[Twodogs]

bad man ...lol

[Shewie]

Legalities aside, great post Fish

[spiritwalker]

a classic episode of the simpsons when homer made a spring snare wait for it bart wait for it ping fires the rabbit over the trees...

[The Cumbrian]

Shewie's right Fish, this is a very good post.

I wasn't aware of the legalities, but I was taught a similar method by my Dad when I was a kid.
Whilst he thought that the most useful snare was the one attached to a stake that was hammered into the ground, he also showed me a technique similar to yours. The main difference is that rather than cutting notches, he used two pieces of wood, shaped like an extended thumb and forefinger, inverted and locked together. Any struggling animal that couldn't dislodge that wasn't trying hard enough.

Cheers, Michael.

[jambowl]

Fish, great post.
I would like to learn more about setting up traps and snares so when I'm in situation when I need them I know what to do.
The fact that I have such knowledge doesn’t mean I’m going to use it.
I know how to kill but I’m not blood thirsty killer.
Anyway, my point is it’s good to know thing like that even if you can’t use it in UK.

Fish if you continue with these posts, if possible specify which snares and traps are legal and which are illegal in UK.

[Nagual]

Lovely clear illustrations there fish. For some reason, even though I have seen the spring trap a few times, the actual way it all fits together escapes me. I think I can remember it now. Cheers. Nothing wrong with showing how things were done in the past, or if you had to use them in emergencies, after all thats what gets taught in survival courses throughout this country, as long as you make it clear whats what in your posts you should be fine.

[C_Claycomb]

Sorry I didn't make myself clearer about mechanical trap triggers. I would call the Juby a "Manufactured Steel" trap, although I guess you could make one yourself out of other metals. Not the sort of thing you would wittle out of sticks though

I posted what I did for two reasons. One, Fishfish wasn't up front about the legalities of trying out the snare he described and I thought that it was good to get that in the open lest someone try it and run foul of the law without meaning to. Second, I wanted to point out that anyone making up a snare based purely on what they read in a book or see as a simple internet illustration needs to be careful. It is easy for some of the detail and subtlety needed to get these things to work to get lost in the interpretation.

As an engineer I am not all that keen on any of the "direct tension" triggers, such as shown here. The power of the spring and the sensitivity of the trigger are in direct competition and there can be a tendency for the trigger to bed in over time and become less sensitive. The best triggers all seem to employ some form of mechanical advantage to allow greater strain to be carried while allowing a finer release.

[Shewie]

The best triggers all seem to employ some form of mechanical advantage to allow greater strain to be carried while allowing a finer release.

Can you show us some examples Chris ?

[jdlenton]

I have had this discussion with Chris myself have a look here the first two triggers I wouldn't use but the second two I would as they have the required sensitivity they also illustrate chris's point. Hope this hepls

Fish please continue to post I'd like to see some more of what you have so we can all learn from each other.

J*

[The Cumbrian]

SPRUNG SPEAR TRAP : This is a VERY dangerous trap, it should always be constructed and approached from behind the spring of the trap, only attempt if you are confident that your cordage and other materials are strong enough.

"A springy shat with spear attached is suspended over a trail. "

A slip ring made of SMOOTH material is attached to a trip wire and acts as a release mechanism. A toggle (a) and short line to a fixed upright hold the sprung shaft in tension. A further rod through the ring is tensed between the near side of the sprung shaft and the far face of the upright, securing until tripped.




That's just adding insult to injury James.

Cheers, Michael.

[jdlenton]

That's just adding insult to injury James.
Cheers, Michael.

??????? dont understand

This is a VERY dangerous trap

your not kidding and it would be one I would stay away from as i'm unsure this would work sufficently well to bother building it. but some one did say they wanted the one from Rambo

J*

[The Cumbrian]

"A springy shat with spear attached is suspended over a trail. "

[jdlenton]

my dsylexic head doh now i get it !!!!

[Whittler Kev]

a classic episode of the simpsons when homer made a spring snare wait for it bart wait for it ping fires the rabbit over the trees...

Definitely one of the funniest bits of the Simpsons (remeber they all have a moral )
I was told that any trap with a trigger is now illegal in the UK but, nice original post

[Whittler Kev]

"A springy shat with spear attached is suspended over a trail. "

Love it. Wouldn't the smell frighten off any game?

[Jay.in.the.woods]

I've caught rabbits for dinner using a snare a few times, never knew about some being illegal. but then i've only ever used a pegged snare before.

[Tony]

There's nothing wrong with snaring rabbits for dinner as long as you've got permission and you're using the right kit in the right way. That the hard part of it all, knowing the relevant law and being able to make/set up the snare correctly, you're probably doing just fine.