How to Make Snares for Wilderness Survival

There are numerous types of survival snares, two of which are outlined in this article.

Snaring has been an effective way to hunt since man was able to roam about Earth. You too can master this ancient hunting technique in a single afternoon by reading below. Learn how to make a simple trail snare as well as the "twitch-up" snare for a more sophisticated technique.

Things You'll Need

• Thin wire or nylon string
• Knife
• Saw

Instructions

Static Snares

1. Find the area in which your prey lives. Look for burrows, trails or eating areas which small animals such as rabbits, squirrels and other rodents frequent. These areas will have lots of animal movement and will provide numerous opportunities for catches.

2. 

   Construct a static snare by first putting a small loop in one end of your wire or nylon string using a slipknot.

3. Pass the other end of the wire or string through this loop, thereby creating a larger loop (see illustration).

4. Secure the end of the wire or string to a solid anchor point near the trail (like a sapling or tree root) and then position the loop in the trail so that if a small animal were to walk along the trail it would slip around its neck and pull tight.

Twitch Up Snares

1. 

   Construct the more sophisicated twitch up snare by configuring your wire or nylon in the same way a static snare is tied.

2. Attach the free end of the snare to a bent sapling.

3. Stake the loop into the ground along a trail, so that when an animal runs through it knocks the stake free.

4. Wait for an animal to get caught in the snare. The snare will be tightened not by the animals struggling, but by the sapling springing free (see illustration).

Resources

• Wilderness Survival Skills
• Field and Stream Outdoors