Lets snare some Coyotes

[primetime]

Starting December 1st. we will be able to snare coyotes and I was wondering if some Pro's would chime in with a little information on snaring coyotes in the winter months. We have been lucky the last few years and field access has been easy with very little snow, so I should be able to get out and drive along some fence lines and whatever and place some snares. Take in mind I really know nothing about snaring.

What to look for as far as location.
Distance of ground.
Size of loop.
Type of snare.
Staking/Securing.

Does setting along a fence line damage the fence once the coyote is caught?

Avoiding deer.

Later - PT

[trappincoyotes39]

I would get a good book on snaring can take you along ways in a hurry but, I would use 1x19 5/64ths cable, very chew resistant and holds a nice loop. Cam locks are my favorite for coyotes, I add the "teeth" as it gets a better bite on the cable beings the 1x19 is a slicker cable than 7x7. I make my snare supports from 9ga wire purchase at any farm fleet type store pretty cheap. I use a 1/2" rebar with a v ground in the bottom to pound in my supports, check laws for loop sizes, a 10-12" loop with the bottom of the loop 10"-12" off the ground and blend the loop in well. look for choke points on trails and blend your snare in nicely. I use 30" rebar stakes and use 5 ft snares with 3 ft exstentions, as after a catch I can change out the snare without pulling the stake if I so choose. Kill springs are a nice addition if you don't have good entanglment, either a bad or deer lock on your snares, again check your laws as to what is legal and what isn't!!!!! Crawl unders be careful if deer are using them I would not set them up, as a bad or deer lock won't do a darn thing for you on a neck caught deer!!!!

The snow can be a big advantage to new snaremen, as you can find were they are traveling and hang snares in perfect locations. Most fences in good shape won't be effected by a snared coyote. Make sure you have a good pair of cable cutters, makes snaring life much easier. If legal bait stations are a great way to snare coyotes, get them working your bait and hang snares 10-15 yrds back on the travel lanes they use to come into the bait!!! Again check your game laws as to all legal aspects of snaring in your state before hanging any snare! My snares all have swivels if needed by the laws or not, it will help you out and there reusable so the cost really doesn't factor in much. Boil your snares in baking soda for 15-20 mins and they will take on a dull gray color, also your cam locks I like to spray paint the shiny ones and paint the ungalvinzed locks as well. The shiny ones really stand out like a sore them.

I like to hang snares on travel ways and crawl unders I know deer or antelope are not using, make sure your not snaring pastures with alot of livestock in them or you may have troubles as well!!! A good book or video can help out alot, a snare is very versitile and can be set many ways in many locals to indepth to cover it all!!!!
Check ALL LAWS BEFORE SETTING A SNARE!!!!!

[bobwendt]

you don`t say where you live, but if snaring larger eastern coyotes, I recommend no smaller than 1/8th or you will get chew outs. ct gave you some good info. I`d only say I never found a dig under that was deer or antelope proof! also, my best choices are not fences, rather trails in weeds, brush etc. fences are last resort and only in plum bare to the ground open country, even then you will be amazed at the critters that will walk right thru a wide open bare unblocked snare. say in a dead furrow or open 2 track. I`ve even snared them walking down abandoned rr tracks ON THE FRIGGIN RAIL!

[trappincoyotes39]

Granted the obvious crawl unders are used by many speices, this is the kind I look for! This was a hole no bigger than jack rabbitt sized! The steepness of the bank and all the trash down in the bottom made it easier for the deer to jump the fence on the level and the antelope used a much larger crawl under down the fence. Water in this spot in the summer keeps them from trying to go under here, but not the coyotes! If it wasn't for a lone track on the lip of the bank I would have blew it off as a jackrabbitt crossing! I caught 4 coyotes here in 6 months time and nothing else. The fence/hole was much too small for a deer to get under and manipulate the bank! These are what I look for, not as commen as the more noticable crawl unders but good coyote takers! 1x19 doing the job!

[SteveCraig]

I too prefer to get them coming and going before the fence. The fence is a good place for newbes to start though. I like him walking down a trail first. The main thing is to set LOTS of snares and cover ALL possible travelways. Most new snaremen dont start out with enough snares and then tend to scrimp on setting too many out. You cant set too many snares.I used to believe that I could catch more critters early with traps than I could with snares. But I have sense changed my mind and really believe I personally can out produce with snares over traps, for my personal use. There is a need and a place for both. You just have to change the way you look at locations with snares.
Ask 10 snaremen about cable size and you will get 10 different answers.
I like 1/8 for my coon,beaver, and coyote snares. I have also snared a pile of both red and grey fox with 1/8. I have snared cats with 1/8 too. Overkill for sure, but I know how to make a snare fast and efficent. I like 3/32 just as good as the 1/8.
If after just cats and no coyotes around, I will use 1/16.
I am glad to see the 5/64 SS swaged come back as I could not get it for awhile. In a killing situation, you can not beat this for coyotes. I am not an otter trapper, but I understand from some that the 5/64 SS swaged is the berries for otter.
Loop sizes are not a cut and dried thing. Sure there are hand rules to loop size and cable hieghts, and as suggested above, get a good snare book or a video and start from there. Or you can watch the one I am currently making come next spring. I plan to do alot of just bobcats
, as well as other critters too.
Steve

[coyote]

looking forward to your tape, Steve!

please add significant segments for us poor easterners who have to use "cable restraints" (with no entanglements.) we're also restricted to use them on canines only

if you only show western style snaring, there wouldn't be much point in us easterners buying a copy.

FWIW,

Don

[bobwendt]

lol, he`s got a buddy doing an eastern segment in his dvd on live snaring coyotes with "cable restraints." Don`t know how he suckered the guy into it, he he.

[MChewk]

On snow covered ground I've found using new.....shiney snares get fewer refusals,,,,cable blends in well.

[farmboy]

Carry a small notebook and pencil, draw a quick map of the site and mark in all the snares set. Takes almost no time when you get onto it, and saves lots of time when you come to check, 'specially the first check on a new setup. I use bait sites, so I mark the locations in relation to that, referenced to the compass, usually N at the top. Draw in the main features, like fencelines, ravines, buildings, etc. Also, I go one step further and flag each snare with surveyors tape, tied to the tree that the snare is tied to, at my eye level. Not a long flag, just one loop around the tree, no flapping tails. When we get four feet of snow, I wanna be able to dig it out. 'Course I'm not troubled much by thieves, you might want to skip the flags if you are.

[bobwendt]

one would think forgetting a snare is not possible, but by golly it is easier than you think. say you set 17 or so on a mile fence or brush trail. week or so later and 500 snares later you are rotating and setting new and pulling old and you can leave one and not even know it. I don`t flag but I count meticulously setting and pulling. they are so invisible I can`t even see the things. no long details, but anyone that has snared much has been there done that and learned the hard way.

[trappnman]

I read somewhere that one snareman always puts out the same number of snares in every location- that way, he always knows whether all snares are picked up or not. Sounded like good advice.

[17HMR]

Steve, that is a good thought but never seem to work for me, some times there is room for 20 and some times only a spot for 1 but looks to good to just drive by. I just count like Bob but may try a quick little map, that sounds like a good idea.

[bobwendt]

coon snares are easy to lose as you catch 6 or 7 and think now was that 6 or was it 7 off the 20 set? running 50 spots like that the mind plays tricks on you.

[markymark]

I always leave the truck with 20 in my bag when I get back I make a note on how many I used then top it back off to 20 again before I leave. If I am at a spot where I need to run an gun like these spots only 2 or 3 per stop max. I like to keep it under 2 minutes per stop on these. This is not your normal location plus you need stainless steel balls to set an area like this. Not to mention very short snares.

[sRc]

Steve,

when do you plan to release the video??

[Dom]

It's a good thing I read this post.

I'm a newbie at setting snares for coyotes and I set up a whole wack of snares on crawl throughs. Most of them have coyote hair on the spike of the barb wire, but in 2 days I caught porcupines, 1 dead and 3 live ones(body catches). I set quite a bit on trails, but man! we have so many deer here that I'm lost, to top it off, there's no snow and can't find tracks anywhere. I have many bait piles but since I put up my snares...nothing, not even the odd raven. I bet someone pissed in my piles. Deer hunting in that zone opened up at the same time I was setting up my snares, I wonder if the added pressure makes it bad.

So far, everything you say about newbies apply to me...I suck . I guess I'll buy a good video on the subject, it'll do me some good.

Thanks! that was a good post for me and a good eye opener.

How can you make the difference between a deer trail and a coyote one? don't they use the same trails?

Dom.

[trappnman]

the thing I've given little thought to as "something I'll worry about later" is fastening the snares. My plan is to drive no stakes but set snares where natural tieoffs occur.

Should be relatively easy to do as 100% of my snaring will be in brush.

How do drags work for snares?

How much chewing will a coyote do? Less than a coon I'd think or not?

Would 2-3 2 inch willows be a good tie off spot- looping the cable around the clump.

I will be using mainly camlocks and slim locks with an assortment of others to see what I like- but all will be snare locks not restrining locks. Will be using Stingers in some locations.

Is it acceptable to wire a snare if done with good wire?

Do most just loop the snare through itself or an extension?

A little snow now is bad for footholds but should be perfect for the opening of snaring Dec 1.

[SteveCraig]

Dom,
They have to be there for you to snare them. Also the beauty of the snare is it just keeps setting there ready for the the catch. So be patient and wait them out.

T-Man,
I've tied off to all kinds of clumps,bushes,trees,brush,etc. The base of the willows will work quite well as long as your snare end or extention,which ever you are using, is tight, and your snare or extention is LONG. Also, it is wise to use a timber hitch as you tie it off. simply wrap cable around the bunch, thenwrap it againonly this time weave the cable around itself at least a couple of times, run the snare through the loop end of your cable and pull it tight and it will not move! In heavy brush the coyote will do little if any chewing on the cable as he will be chewing the brush. I've used drags with snares to save a snare location, but prefer to just use enough cable to reach whatever i want to tie off to. Sometimes that means 2 or three 10 foot snares tied together.
As far as wire goes...... it makes no sense to me to use the best cable I can find and then tie them off with a piece of wire.......enough said!
I feel for the guys that have to use the so-called cable restaint. It is the brush that you depend on to kill the coyote more than anything else. When they are not allowed to have so-called entanglement(brush) and relaxing locks, they are going to have alot of coyotes running around with snares on them after they chew the cable and run off. Unless they are running 1/8, their losses will run higher than 50%. This makes no sense to me, but the so-called experts have given them this stupid rule. Relaxing locks and brush will equal a dead coyote.
FWIW
Steve

[markymark]

This is just my opinion here, I never used a drag on snare since my goal is to kill the animal as quickly as possible. I don't set fences since I work around a huge deer population.

I would never tie off a snare to a few little sappling. Nothing under 4" at a minimum. If I need to tie off and the closes tree is 20 feet away then I add exstensions. If you are trying to snare coyotes and put them down you need something that is solid and will not act like a shock absorber. Entanglement is the key. Tieing off with wire is also something I dont like. I can sacrafice location since I have tons of brush.

All my snares are made with a BADS, if your using a BADS then you need the snare anchored. I feel no snare in my area should be set with out them but most find them to costly. I use a bad that Dirk Miller makes 90 pounds and they seem to break on average at about 145-155. I tested these with a hanging digital fish scale. Is it the a real test IDUNNO but I sleep better.

Why not use all kill springs on your snares? The few fox I have taken with Marty's springs aren't big enough to put any pressure on them. So in areas strictly for fox I am back to 50 pounders for now. I know he is working on a lighter spring for fox. If I was in an area just loaded with coyotes like yours well it's a given. After playing with the slim lock compared to a filed camlock the camlock locks much harder to me. One other thing I see alot is snares that are way over loaded that look wider than they are high.

If you feel you need to set 3 snares set 6 once you snare for a while you'll get the hang of it. It will take time and you'll begin to see another look at setting location. By next spring you'll be an authority. LOL

But I wouldn't let a little snow dampen my steel traps, bag the truck and get a quad.

[trappincoyotes39]

If your going to use a BAD as Mark said, that snare needs to be anchored real solid!!!! If not it will not perform for you! I haven't done much in the way of snare dragging either, as in alot of states you can't do it! As others mentioned to mw a snare is always set for a quick death, thats the beauty of a snare in my mind and then you don't have to worry about cable chewing! Trail sets I want a good swivel on my snares, because any movement I want to be free until he tangles and state law determines that as well. Same for beaver there big time rollars and a swivel keeps the beaver from stressing the cable far better than a non swivled snare.

Dom look for were a coyote would cross a ridge or saddle and you can look for tracks abd droppings, and a coyote trail on the majority won't have the beaten down path look of a deer trail, you will notice a faint trail through the grass that can be seen from a smaller angle and then check fences for hair, alot of bob wire they just hop over or through the strands, poor fence and you'll find little to no hair. Areas that would be harder for a deer to make it through or a fence were the deer hop over because of it's make up, and yet you find coyote tracks or droppings, you can set up the trail just use stops or bads and be prepaired for a few bumps by deer. Deer hunting can screw up bait piles, for one they have many deer to feed off of and the pressure will change their travle habits some, you should know if the coyotes are hitting your piles versus birds and other critters, look for parts strewn around 10-30 ft from the pile, look for chewed rib bones, tracks, droppings, trails leading into your bait stations. Birds peck were coyotes feast, they can clean up critters in short order if there hitting your piles you should know it! Stay back away and check them with good optics and stay away from the pile unless you have activity a catch, bumped snares etc. Try to approach from the same direction each time get in and get out.