How to Make Coon Snares

Raccoons can be caught with snares.

Raccoons can be nuisances when they frequent the areas around people's homes. Not only do they eat bird seed and other food items, they are also dangerous to pets and young children. Many people remove raccoons by trapping them. Some individuals prefer to use live traps so they have the option of relocating trapped raccoons. Those who want the trap to kill the raccoons often use snares.

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14-gauge wire

Instructions

- 1
  
  Locate an area with raccoon activity. Raccoons are nocturnal, so watching your yard after dark may give you an indication of where they are coming from. Otherwise, look for a trail the raccoons appear to be using. The best way to identify raccoon trails is to locate footprints or droppings.
- 2
  
  Cut a 48-inch piece of 14-gauge wire.
- 3
  
  Twist one end of the wire around itself to form a loop that is a quarter of an inch wide.
- 4
  
  Pass the free end of the wire through the small loop to create a large loop.
- 5
  
  Set the snare in a spot where there is raccoon activity. Set it on a trail if possible. If there is an area in your yard that raccoons use frequently, the snare can be set there, too.
- 6
  
  Wrap the free end of the wire around a solid object such as a tree, stump or fence post. If nothing solid is available, hammer a stake into the ground and wrap the wire around that. Wrap the wire enough times -- five to seven is usually enough -- around the object that it will not come apart when a raccoon fights against it.
- 7
  
  Move the small loop along the wire until the large loop is about 5 inches in diameter. Bend the wire slightly to keep the large loop in place.
- 8
  
  Bend the wire so the bottom of the large loop is about 1 inch off the ground.