How to Make a Squirrel Snare With Bailing Wire

Capturing a squirrel with a snare probably isn’t your idea of the perfect meal, but if you should ever find yourself in a survival situation, a squirrel will begin to look rather tasty. In fact, in a wilderness situation where your survival depends on your ability to hunt and forage, being able to capture a squirrel to eat could very well make the difference between life and death. The easiest way to capture squirrels, especially if you do not have firearms available, is to make a snare to catch the squirrels. If you do not already know how this is done, keep reading to learn how to make a squirrel snare with ordinary bailing wire.

Things You'll Need

• Bailing wire
• Large tree branch

Instructions

1. Explore your surroundings and find a location that has a large number of squirrels. This is generally very easy to do in a wilderness environment. If you seem to be having trouble finding squirrels, try to look for an area with an abundance of oak trees. Squirrels like to store and eat the soft acorns of the oak tree, so it is usually a good bet that where oaks are found, squirrels will not be far behind.

2. Find a large tree branch. While you are scouting the woods for a squirrel hot spot, also keep your eyes peeled for a large tree branch laying on the ground. There are usually plenty of them laying around. The ideal tree branch will be at least 8 to 10 feet long, and be void of a lot of off-shooting branches. Just one long, straight tree limb is perfect, although you may have to made do with the materials that are available

3. Construct the snare. To do this, take a length of bailing wire and twist the end so that there is a small loophole at the end. Run the other end of the bailing wire through the loophole, resulting in a wire loop with a long tail on the end. The loop should be reduced to a size barely large enough for the squirrel’s head. The tail can then be tied tightly around the tree branch, which the loop sticking up on the top side.

4. Repeat Step 3 several times, resulting in a series of squirrel snares running up and down the tree branch. The key is to have several running up the length of the tree branch, with the exception of the top and bottom of the branch. You do not want any snares in the bottom foot of the branch, to prevent a snared squirrel from reaching the ground. Likewise, you do not want a snare all the way at the top of the branch, to prevent a snared squirrel from reaching the tree.

5. Lean the tree branch against a tree. Make sure that all of the snares are positioned on the top of the tree branch when it is in its final resting position. If possible, try to lean the branch against an oak tree, since this is more likely to get the attention of any squirrels in the area.

6. Leave the area and wait. Squirrels will be cautious at first, but they are very curious. It will not take long before they begin running up and down the tree branch. As they do, their neck will get caught in one of the snares. As they struggle, they will fall off of the branch and hang themselves.

7. Return later to check your snares. It is easy to snare several squirrels on the same branch, providing an abundance of meat when you return to check your snares, so do not be surprised if you find several squirrels in your snare trap.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to find mud in an area with a lot of decaying plants. Coat your hands in the mud prior to constructing your snares to mask the human scent. If there is too much human odor on the branch or the snares, squirrels will avoid it.

Resources

• Wilderness Survival: Snare Illustrations