ultimate coon snare

[coonboy]

what would make the ultimate coon snare? What size cable ? 1X19 or 7X7? What lock? Length? How many swivels? What would be the best support, kill pole , #9 wire in the ground, 3 hole wood stake ?

[bobwendt]

the ability to neck snare 100%, otherwise there is no good coon snare. and cable type is not a significant factor in that, rather trapper skill.

[crittergetter100]

this what i prefer for coon. 7x7 5/64 cable 42" long. with a berkshire washer lock. with an extension cable tied of back in the brush. i have great sucess with this snare

[trappnman]

Bob nailed it- body snared, I've not see a setup yet I like-

I need to learn how to neck snare (from what i hear, neck snaring usually menas neck and 1 leg)

[bobwendt]

tiny 4-5" loop max, very tight situation. I finally learned it snaring cats. any body ( hip/chest) catch is very very nasty . folks say snares are cheap, but not really, 25-50 cents for every coon, while trap is working free still hundreds of coon later.

[coonboy]

Are coons big time cable chewers?

[trappnman]

no- but they are big time wrappers uppers-

rk gave a hint that helped me- hang em' high..........

[sRc]

would 1/8 significantly reduce damages?

[bobwendt]

not on coon I don`t think. less mark on hide but still marked to heck and back due to their usual body catch and ability to twist and roll and not die fast, or at all. a hip caught or chest caught coon , if you have any feeling at all for the animals you trap, will turn your stomach. it`s a bad deal, no way around it. if 220s are legal imo that`s the way to go, or 160s. if not them the griz type traps. unless you are one of the few truly expert snaremen that can necks snare 99% or better of your coon, snares and coon just don`t mix imo, any kind or size of cable. fwiw, a neck snared coon dies very fast. I think as fast as a 220 as seen them laying belly up in 1/16th and no ring or anything, no entanglement, justt stretched out dead. must choke real easy, like a cat

[furman]

Use a swivel next to the loop…that will help on the damage also check them early the longer they sit in the more damage will happen
When you remove the coon from the snare massage the snare area that will help lessen the mark
Snares are a good tool for catching coon you just have to deal with damage
I’ve tried to do the neck snare thing and you have to block them down a lot and you will miss some because of that……for me if you have to block them down a lot to neck snare a guy might as well put a 220 in the trail

[bobwendt]

agreed. snares are less theft risk, but lot of downside if fur production is the goal. especially in a down market. what was a slight in past years is now a #IV

[aprophet]

two real good pieces of advice given that quote from RK and the part about small loops I just started neck snaring a few at the end of last season I have read it can,t be done, I went from body snaring to one arm and neck to the last couple I caught were neck snare you have to be realy careful about hanging them high I trap an industrial river no domestics . the tight loops you find places where the trail really narrows down you would,nt believe what a coon will try to squeeze through HTH

[Stef]

Hate me if you want but I won't installed a snare for coon anymore.

I like a #220!

Stef

[bobwendt]

I won`t set a snare for a coon anymore either, not on purpose. I can neck snare most now, but just easier better ways for me. If I could neck snare all I might, but I`m not that good at it . I doubt anyone can do 100%. all it takes is one "bad" one, guts out, alive, hind legs ate down to the bone ,or signs of long drawn out bad deal, and it cures a guy of coon snaring. anyone done much of it has seen it. if they havn`t, they aren`t snaring much. have to admit tho, no more satisfaction than dead neck snared coon, no ring, no muss, even reset same snare in same trail. one odd thing, snared several porkys by head in tiny loops last year. first time for that . but never set 4-5" loops before either

[SteveCraig]

Those of you setting really tight spots for coon are missing the neck snaring point. It will help, but not the right way to go about it.

[robertw]

Alright, this has drug out long enough.

Coon can be reliably neck snared. There are several factors that do affect success rates
(one being trapper skill level as mentioned by Bob W)

#1) A well loaded snare is a MUST.

#2) an agressive lock is a MUST, many neck catches end up being one leg through as the lock fails and the coon keeps digging at the cable and eventually gets one leg under the cable (seen it happen multiple times).

#3) Short coon snares (36-40") with the swivel close to animals body is a MUST.

#4) Entanglement on anything but a neck catch = fur damage.

#5 The easiest way to increase your % of neck catches is to raise your loops higher so the coon actually catches the cable & fires the snare with his chin.

#6) set multiple snares in each trail, I would rather miss a coon than make a BAD catch, using multiple loops allows for a second chance at catching the coon if he has his head down at the wrong moment.

[stickbowhntr]

#5 any suggestion on a height to be trying Robert?
#2relaxing locks wont cut it then hunh? no matter cant snare them [coons] here in Pa anyway but good info to know

[stickbowhntr]

i saw some of eric spaces snares at the NTA - talk about loaded

[coonboy]

Every time I get to much load I get a big curly mess. RobertW can I get a lesson in Sept. at the Fur harvesters conv. on how to get the right load?

[robertw]

coonboy,
I wasn't planning on hauling my snare table all the way up there....Remind me when the time gets closer and I'll try to bring some examples for you to look at.