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is fishing line suitable for snaring?
- Thread starter SkinnyJoe
- Start date
Brass wire for me, most steel wire is cheap and just breaks when moved around some. As to using fishing line, It would work but its hard to tie to things, and is more stingy so its a bit harder to work with.
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Braided stainless steel leader works the best. Stainless steel lashing wire works well too. I have had coyotes and bobcats chew through paracord when I caught them in snares.
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- Feb 23, 2001
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Try coated salt-water leader for snares. AWESOME! If you need to go for a lot of wire on the cheap, get braided stainless steel picture hanging wire. It is stronger than solid wire and will take some abuse if the animal starts to struggle.
K
K
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i play guitar and have a buncha old snapped or worn out string lying around the house... seem to work pretty good from my few outtings out snaring..
perhaps someone else will be able to chime in who has had more experience using guitar string.
as for fishing line.. didnt catch anything so can't say how well it works... as for the setup part, its not too hard if you know the right knots..
heres the question.. if you've got fishing line why not just fish? a few hooks and a few split shots way next to nothing.. also a 2 dollar hand trowel does wonders when you dig up worms.
cheers
perhaps someone else will be able to chime in who has had more experience using guitar string.
as for fishing line.. didnt catch anything so can't say how well it works... as for the setup part, its not too hard if you know the right knots..
heres the question.. if you've got fishing line why not just fish? a few hooks and a few split shots way next to nothing.. also a 2 dollar hand trowel does wonders when you dig up worms.
cheers
I'm sure you would have some success using monofilament nylon line for snaring some species. It should be good for birds.
I've caught a rabbit or two with it, but I was watching the snare from nearby and the rabbit didnt stay in it long enough to think about biting it.
While some folks have evidently caught animals using heavy monofilament, I've had a lot of disappointments with it. Using line with a breaking strain of well over 100 pounds I've had several break-offs or chew-offs when Ive caught animals that might weigh five to nine pounds. The break-offs weren't a disaster because I did not use locking eyes...the snares were free to fall off. I think that once monofilament gets damaged (by teeth etc), it is fairly likely to break.
I've never snared North American animals, so it would be best to seek advice from people who have like Ashtxsniper. But in catching our brushtailed possums I've had great success using 1mm diameter stainless steel cable fishing trace with swaged eyes, and equal or better success using nylon braid rated at about 119lb breaking strain. The braid can be used over and over. I might get several catches in a cable snare when it is set as a pole snare and the animal jumps and dies quickly, but cable would probably become useless after one catch if the animal spent any time struggling in it.
Cable snares should really be fitted with swivels to help prevent unlaying of the cable and the subsequent breakage.
Nylon braid (like I guess paracord is) is excellent. I reckon that if snares were checked regularly you might bag animals that might get around to chewing the snare off if left for a significant time. Of course if you set a spring-up snare the animal may be unlikely to be able to chew at the cord no matter what you use.... plus you might get away with using lighter cord because the animal cant get so much traction on the ground to struggle.
I have caught wild hogs using fairly light synthetic rope.
I am a big fan of synthetic cord when it comes to making snares. I don't like wire so much because of its limited life.
I've caught a rabbit or two with it, but I was watching the snare from nearby and the rabbit didnt stay in it long enough to think about biting it.
While some folks have evidently caught animals using heavy monofilament, I've had a lot of disappointments with it. Using line with a breaking strain of well over 100 pounds I've had several break-offs or chew-offs when Ive caught animals that might weigh five to nine pounds. The break-offs weren't a disaster because I did not use locking eyes...the snares were free to fall off. I think that once monofilament gets damaged (by teeth etc), it is fairly likely to break.
I've never snared North American animals, so it would be best to seek advice from people who have like Ashtxsniper. But in catching our brushtailed possums I've had great success using 1mm diameter stainless steel cable fishing trace with swaged eyes, and equal or better success using nylon braid rated at about 119lb breaking strain. The braid can be used over and over. I might get several catches in a cable snare when it is set as a pole snare and the animal jumps and dies quickly, but cable would probably become useless after one catch if the animal spent any time struggling in it.
Cable snares should really be fitted with swivels to help prevent unlaying of the cable and the subsequent breakage.
Nylon braid (like I guess paracord is) is excellent. I reckon that if snares were checked regularly you might bag animals that might get around to chewing the snare off if left for a significant time. Of course if you set a spring-up snare the animal may be unlikely to be able to chew at the cord no matter what you use.... plus you might get away with using lighter cord because the animal cant get so much traction on the ground to struggle.
I have caught wild hogs using fairly light synthetic rope.
I am a big fan of synthetic cord when it comes to making snares. I don't like wire so much because of its limited life.
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I actually don't even like monofilament line for "survival fishing" because it's a perfect pain in the ass to deal with. If you want to move to another area, it's going to be all screwed up...well, unless you handle it perfectly, it will be.
Braided nylon fishing line is far superior to monofilament for survival purposes, in my opinion. The older military survival kits utilized braided nylon line and the later ones switched to monofilament of two different tests/weights - I've used it, tested the kits, the monofilament is just so much more of a hassle to deal with, the braided stuff? Bring it up and wind it up and move to another area, no problem.
But all of that is for fishing only.
For snares, I'm a firm believer in Thompson Locking Steel Snares and the smallish brass wire braided-with-an-eyelet types that used to be sold side-by-side in Brigade Quartermasters catalog in the 80s along with Thompsons. These braided brass wire snares with the eyelet are the same type the Brits utilize in Penrith and BCB STins.
Some prefer steel to brass as brass will be more prone to breakage in colder weather. Simple steel or brass snares like Ron Hood uses are very fast to make and they're effective.
Also, anyone reading this remember the British Purse Game Net that Brigade used to sell? I have been looking for one or a half dozen of these things for years now!
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- Joined
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DOC,
If I did have a pic, it would be from an ancient BQ catalog and be buried in a box, under other boxes in the closet.
It was a net about as big around as a large serving plate, big enough for a goose or a turkey and you were, IIRC, supposed to cover an animal's burrow hole with it and when they exited, it was like a small net-bag like you see for laundry in larger versions.
Always wanted to order one and try it out, you snooze, you lose. I guess I could make one, one day.
If I did have a pic, it would be from an ancient BQ catalog and be buried in a box, under other boxes in the closet.
It was a net about as big around as a large serving plate, big enough for a goose or a turkey and you were, IIRC, supposed to cover an animal's burrow hole with it and when they exited, it was like a small net-bag like you see for laundry in larger versions.
Always wanted to order one and try it out, you snooze, you lose. I guess I could make one, one day.
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- Apr 14, 2006
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- 7,021
DOC,
If I did have a pic, it would be from an ancient BQ catalog and be buried in a box, under other boxes in the closet.
It was a net about as big around as a large serving plate, big enough for a goose or a turkey and you were, IIRC, supposed to cover an animal's burrow hole with it and when they exited, it was like a small net-bag like you see for laundry in larger versions.
Always wanted to order one and try it out, you snooze, you lose. I guess I could make one, one day.
That's why I was asking. I do a bit of net making from time to time.
Doc
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DOC,
It's about 18 to 24 inches wide, but it's actually a small drawstring bag made out of net! The drawstring part is attached to a stick in the ground or naturally occurring on the trail much like a drag snare.
When the animal runs down the trail or comes up out of its burrow, it enters the bag and in trying to get out, the mouth closes, as it were, because that drawstring part is attached to a stake...
Oh yeah, you have to be able to lay it out flat if need be, so it's only a "bag" in shape when the animal tries to get out and the drawstring line closes, make sense?
It's about 18 to 24 inches wide, but it's actually a small drawstring bag made out of net! The drawstring part is attached to a stick in the ground or naturally occurring on the trail much like a drag snare.
When the animal runs down the trail or comes up out of its burrow, it enters the bag and in trying to get out, the mouth closes, as it were, because that drawstring part is attached to a stake...
Oh yeah, you have to be able to lay it out flat if need be, so it's only a "bag" in shape when the animal tries to get out and the drawstring line closes, make sense?
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Hey Guys..
I use Brass wire for snares..
Fishing line such as Spyderwire or the like made with Spectra would be Ok for certain snares...
It is fairly chew resistant,,however a tree rat wouldn't have a problem chewing through it...
I wouldn't rely on it though....
ttyle
Eric
O/ST
I use Brass wire for snares..
Fishing line such as Spyderwire or the like made with Spectra would be Ok for certain snares...
It is fairly chew resistant,,however a tree rat wouldn't have a problem chewing through it...
I wouldn't rely on it though....
ttyle
Eric
O/ST
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- Feb 12, 2007
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Anyone using lighter weight seven strand stainless steel cable? Seems like it would be handy in the field because you can easily backbraid a 100% strength loop of any size in either end or both if needed. No tools are required to do this and it should slip tight pretty easily once done.
Last week I got around nine brushtailed possums in simple braided nylon snares, and this morning I got another four. I had no problem with animals chewing the snares. Most of my snares are set on poles...and when the animal gets caught around the neck it jumps and hangs itself. It was raining this morning when I went around my sets. This isn't an award-winning photo....I had to take it myself by holding the camera as far from me as I could in my right hand. The top possum is in a pole snare, and the grey one is being held in a pose by my left hand.
Different snare materials have different qualities. Wire is good for holding a shape and is relatively cheap, cable is good for holding shape plus it is flexible and it 'runs nicely. But I like to use braided cord. It is cheap, strong, reliable and I understand it. It is easy to make eyes in it using a simple knot, and a simple knot can be used to tether the snare. It can be used for a variety of things beside snares. It may be a bit more gentle on the animals, and it may not "look" like a snare to some people compared to snares made of wire or cable.
Different snare materials have different qualities. Wire is good for holding a shape and is relatively cheap, cable is good for holding shape plus it is flexible and it 'runs nicely. But I like to use braided cord. It is cheap, strong, reliable and I understand it. It is easy to make eyes in it using a simple knot, and a simple knot can be used to tether the snare. It can be used for a variety of things beside snares. It may be a bit more gentle on the animals, and it may not "look" like a snare to some people compared to snares made of wire or cable.