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Coyote Snaring Basics

badger

*Supporting Member*
Setting snares for coyotes or any other animal is much simpler than most think. Basically you need to find trails, funnels, gullies, log crossings, fence holes or any other area that forces a yote to go through. They are no different than any other animal and will take the path of least resistence.

I use an earth anchor system called Berkshire Heavy Duties for staking 90% of my snares. The snares I'm using are made out of 7x7 3/32 cable and are 42" long with a 10" loaded loop. The cable used for the snares has a lot of memory and when it is run across a rod, you can form a loop that will retain that shape and size. I haven't learned to load a snare yet so I buy mine preloaded. The advantage of a loaded snare vs a regular is the loaded snare will have a uniform, circle loop that blends in well in most surroundings and will snap shut when bumped compared to one that must be pulled tight around an animals neck. For coyotes I run the bottom of my loop 10"-14" off the ground.

I buy the Berkshires, cable and other hardware in bulk and build them to the size I need for each situation. You can buy them premade in different lengths, but it's cheaper and more practical to build them myself.

Here I have a length of cable, Berkshire, aluminum ferrules & stops, snare, quick link, name tag, support stake & wire, and cable cutters. You can cut the cable with side cutters but you will get a cleaner cut with the cable cutters.



After cutting my cable to 24" I have attached the anchor and crimped the ferrules and stops in place. You need to leave a loop on one end for your quick link that will attach to your snare. This leaves me with a 20" earth anchor that will hold most coyotes in most soil conditions.





Here's the finished rig with name tag attached and deer stop crimped into place. Ohio law states our snares have to have a stop to prevent the opening of the snare from closing to a diameter of less than 2 1/2 inches in diameter, or a relaxing lock system with a breaking point of not greater than 350 pounds.



The anchor has a pointed end with a little dimple for the end of your driver to fit in. You can buy a driver or make your own as I did. The anchor is pushed into the ground all the way to the snare connection. Most of the time you will have to drive about half of the anchor by hitting the driver with a hammer. i added a strike plate to my driver just for this. Once the anchor is driven you pull the driver out and give the cable a short tug. This forces the anchor to cam itself horizontal in the ground, and will be next to impossible to pull out.





Next I have attached a 24" piece of nine wire to a 12' wooden stake for my support. I carry about a dozen of these with me along with spare wire that can be wrapped around a fence post, tree etc instead of the stake. You can use smaller gauge wire but the nine wire makes for a very stiff firm support that won't get blown over or nocked down.



The support wire will fit snug into the support collar on the snare. These snares have a short piece of rubber tube for a support collar.



I'll carry about a dozen snares, support stakes, hammer, driver, side cutters, extra wire and rubber gloves when I'm setting. Compared to a dozen footholds, you are not carrying much weight.

Here's a trail that leads into an overgrown orchard that the yotes travel through. There's a small anthill behind the weeds on the left and a small tree to the right that funnels the yote through this spot. I can't stress enough to look for pinch points like this. Also when setting the snare, approach the trail from the side so you leave as little scent and disturbance as possible. You want the trail to basically look the same as when you found it.



I hung the snare roughly 10" off the ground and used a few weeds to blend it in. Don't get carried away with trying to hide the snare as you might make an obstacle out of an open trail. This was a brand new snare set for a demo and really sticks out compared to the snares that are treated.



I'll try to get some pics in the field the next time I hang more snares.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
So when the yote goes through the snare, and bumps the wire, it shuts closed to a loop that will grab their foot or neck?

Neck, the deer stop keeps the loop from closing small enough to actually catch anything by the foot. once their nose is through the loop their throat will bump the bottom of the loop and it will snap shut. The lock on the snare only slides one way unless you have fingers!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I have yet to try this, so I am not speaking from experience but rather from what some old timers told me last year at the National Fur Trapping Convention. They held it in Lima at the Allen County Fairgrounds where we were set up selling tree stands.

Treat this with extreme scent control. Rubber gloves, as Badger pointed out, are a must. If you find a nice trail, don't be afraid to put some drops of mink urine leading up to the snare with a slightly larger pool of drops on the other side of the snare a couple feet beyond the loop. Mink urine has a unique and curiousity luring scent to it which will attract a yote. So lead them with drops for 10-12' to the snare and several more on the other side of the snare. Just an idea I have been trying to put to use myself. Like I said, I have not done this yet myself, but really do need to take the course and get my permit as I already have some snares ready to use.

Badger- Chime in if I stated any of this wrong. Seemed like sound advice from some guys at the National show.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
I have yet to try this, so I am not speaking from experience but rather from what some old timers told me last year at the National Fur Trapping Convention. They held it in Lima at the Allen County Fairgrounds where we were set up selling tree stands.

Treat this with extreme scent control. Rubber gloves, as Badger pointed out, are a must. If you find a nice trail, don't be afraid to put some drops of mink urine leading up to the snare with a slightly larger pool of drops on the other side of the snare a couple feet beyond the loop. Mink urine has a unique and curiousity luring scent to it which will attract a yote. So lead them with drops for 10-12' to the snare and several more on the other side of the snare. Just an idea I have been trying to put to use myself. Like I said, I have not done this yet myself, but really do need to take the course and get my permit as I already have some snares ready to use.

Badger- Chime in if I stated any of this wrong. Seemed like sound advice from some guys at the National show.

Phil I haven't messed with scents and snaring much. Most of my snaring is done as scent free as possible. I've squirted fish oil as a trailer to get a coon up on a trail, but I quit using the oil a good ten yards from the snare. I've used scent with beaver snaring and had decent results but yotes are quite different than a coon or a beaver. I can't say either way on what them fellas told you. They could be spot on, or dead wrong.

I want a relaxed yote just making his way down a trail, not a yote looking for something he smells. I'd rather have that at a foothold set. I hope that makes sense.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
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Ohio
That is why I posted. Always good to hear multiple opinions on something you have not tried yet. Hope to get some snares out this year! Thanks Dale.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
That is why I posted. Always good to hear multiple opinions on something you have not tried yet. Hope to get some snares out this year! Thanks Dale.

That's cool Phil, I'm always open to new ideas when it comes to outdoor stuff. I'd like to have a dollar for every idea that was shared at trapping conventions. I planned on going to Lima but couldn't pull it together.

Good luck with the snares buddy!
 

Duckdowner

Junior Member
19
0
SE Ohio
you said that this snare sticks out because it hasn't been treated, how do you treat your snares? the same as foot holds with either dye or walnuts, or is there a different method? sorry i know this is a new post to an old thread but was just wondering.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
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you said that this snare sticks out because it hasn't been treated, how do you treat your snares? the same as foot holds with either dye or walnuts, or is there a different method? sorry i know this is a new post to an old thread but was just wondering.

No problem. That's why the thread is still here. Bring them to the top if you have a question... I will say however badger has been busy as hell with work and hasn't been around much. All the times I have seen guys talk about this though they said they did the same thing as with their other traps. They use the black walnut method or dye them.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
you said that this snare sticks out because it hasn't been treated, how do you treat your snares? the same as foot holds with either dye or walnuts, or is there a different method? sorry i know this is a new post to an old thread but was just wondering.

Actually, this is perfect timing to bring it up. I was just talking about snaring some yotes this week! Thanks and welcome to the site!
 

Duckdowner

Junior Member
19
0
SE Ohio
thank you, and this site is awesome, i'm deployed in iraq right now and in my downtime i have spent hours reading all the forums on here. truly is a great site, i'll be home for good come november and boy o boy do i have cabin fever over here in this sand box!! can't wait to kill somethin i can eat!! lol
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
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17,381
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North Central Ohio
thank you, and this site is awesome, i'm deployed in iraq right now and in my downtime i have spent hours reading all the forums on here. truly is a great site, i'll be home for good come november and boy o boy do i have cabin fever over here in this sand box!! can't wait to kill somethin i can eat!! lol

Thank you for your service.

What state is home ?

Glad you like the site. Stay safe and have a good trip home buddy.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
To be honest, I like spray paint over most methods. I'll coil up my snares and hit them with flat camo . You don't have to paint every inch of the cable, just make some lines going across the coiled up snare. Hang them up to air out for a few weeks and you are good to go. When the painted snares are uncoiled they will have some parts that are painted, and others that aren't. The parts that didn't get painted will be weathered and not bright silver. It gives the snare somewhat of a camo finish.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
Thanks Badger....I'm leaning pretty hard on painting mine now....the snare dip was a pain!....But they were Brown.....
And I just read this through....as I've not seen it before.....Great Post. I picked up a few little goodies right here!.... I like the rubber hose idea as they are cheap and will give for your support wire and still grip good...I like it! The cable stop along with the doube aluminum ferrell is a good idea for extra on the big ones. The cable slide also......been looking into those instead of the cam-locks I've been using.....They look lighter and like they keep your snares more rounded TOO?
 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
How many deer do you end up snaring in a season? I assume it would choke them intil they expire. How often do you have to check the sites? What do you do once you get a critter?

Badger (or anyone else) may correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the snares set for coyotes are set relatively-low... low enough that the deer run into the snares with their chests or legs instead of their heads. Once you get a critter (of legal species), you shoot it if it's not already dead.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
Catching non targets is part of the deal. I do my best not to do it, but it happens. Some guys will place a dive stick above the snare to force the yotes under, and force the deer to step over. When I have tried this, the yotes went around my snares. For the most part, deer just knock the snares over and don't get caught. Sometimes they do get their legs in the loop but can pull out easily. If you do get one around the kneck, you'll just have to call the game warden.