How to Make a Good Rabbit Trap
When in a survival situation, once you have shelter, water and fire, food is the next priority. In many areas of North America, rabbit is a readily available food source. Rabbits typically move along "runs" or trails they make through grass and other brush. A type of trap, known as a twitch-up snare, is a good choice for trapping rabbits, according to the U.S. Army Survival Manual. The twitch-up combines a wire loop snare with a sapling or branch as a spring mechanism that snaps the loop shut quickly on a rabbit that tries to pass through the trap.
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Instructions
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Cut a 1-inch diameter branch from a tree. Trim the branch to 1 foot long. Sharpen one end of the branch. Cut squarely, half-way into the branch about 1 inch from the other end. Cut into the side of the branch 2 inches below and toward the square cut to form a notch in the side of the branch.
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Cut another branch with a 1/2 inch diameter from a tree. Trim the branch to around 3 inches long. Cut squarely, half-way into the branch about 1 inch from one end. Cut into the side of the branch 1 inch below and toward the square cut to form a notch in the side of this branch.
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Cut a length of cord to around 2 feet long. Tie a small loop in the end of the cord. Insert the other end of the cord through the small loop to form a large loop.
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Tie the end of the large loop cord to the short notched branch. Tie the remaining length of the cord to the short notched branch.
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Locate a rabbit run through grass or brush near a tree sapling or tree with a flexible branch. Drive the 1 foot long branch into the ground on the side of the run, opposite the sapling or tree, with the notch in the branch facing the run.
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Tie the straight length of cord attached to the small branch to the sapling or flexible branch on the tree. Pull the sapling or branch down.
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Hook the notch in the end of the small branch into the notch in the large branch in the ground. Slowly release your grip so the notched branches hold tension on the sapling or flexible branch.
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Place the cord loop in the path of the rabbit run with the loop opened. Use a stick to hold one side of the loop up so the rabbit passes through the loop. When the rabbit enters the trap, it will pull the loop cord, releasing the notched branches. The sapling or flexible branch will spring upward, catching the rabbit.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit a wild rabbit image by Tom Oliveira from Fotolia.com
