Survival Trip

[xjosh40x]

Thanks so much for posting. Really nice description, narrative and photos. How far from water did you "set up"? I need to do some practice on building and setting snares. This is very encouraging and it also makes me want to get out there and play some more. Again Thank you.

I'm not very good a snares but being a country boy from Mississippi hunting my whole life I know how animals act, habits and where they will travel at what times. I've done snares since I was 13 but I'm still far from a pro. I still loose the occasional coon, fox or bobcat. A deadfall is rather new two me. This was only my second successful deadfall.

[Batch]

Man! That's hard core. I would have never thought that your area had hills as steep as that. Even the trees are growing sideways.

For a second there I thought Crash was being a smart arse about the sideways picture that was posted. :wink:

[crashdive123]

For a second there I thought Crash was being a smart arse about the sideways picture that was posted. :wink:

Me?!?!?!? Why, I never......well.......OK......once in a while.

[xjosh40x]

Yes I caught the sarcasm! Lol. I figured someone would point out the sideways picture. Very well played.

[BushTech]

I'm not very good a snares but being a country boy from Mississippi hunting my whole life I know how animals act, habits and where they will travel at what times. I've done snares since I was 13 but I'm still far from a pro. I still loose the occasional coon, fox or bobcat. A deadfall is rather new two me. This was only my second successful deadfall.

I'm a little bewildered when you say you only occasionally lose animals, but you don't consider yourself to be very good at snaring? Knowing an animal's behavior, trails, food & water sources, location of dens/burrows can only get you so far. The trap also has to work.

You didn't seem to have a problem with your snares working, which in my opinion is the most iffy part: an actual ensnarement of the animal, with it NOT getting away. I'm guessing you used the 550 cord for the snares? Anything stand out about the particular trap that caught the coon? Location? Design? Was the snare 'loop' sitting on the ground or was it suspended over a game trail using small sticks or what not. Don't mean to pick you apart, but I'm curious about your success.

BTW - I'm NO expert in snaring, know how I know? All my traps have ALWAYS failed, if they were even tampered with at all.

Anyways, just thinkin out loud.

[xjosh40x]

With a coon, fox or bobcat they can chew through and break the snare. Or are clever enough to get out. I used the 550 cord but I break it down to single threads. Seemed to work better for me. I would've brought snare wire but i don't have any. I use wire only when I wan to eat the animal. Wire always seems to kill it before I get it from the struggle the animal puts up and usually ends in cutting the animal deeply. As a kid if catch rabbits with string and let them go. A rabbit snare I set on a good rabbit trail in a cutover or thick brush. The coon snare I put along a creek where it channels between an embankment and water allowing the coon to funnel into the snare. I tied the snare to a sapling and let it hand about 2 inches off the ground. Bobcats and fox snare are similar. I just know that since I was a kid I always see their tracks along water so I know coons and such will travel this way in search of food. A squrrrel pole has worked well for me too. Out of ten snares I usually catch at least one animal in a 48 hour period.