btw what wire exactly would one buy for these snares? say from a hardware store? Thinking for animals up to racoon size down to squirrels?

the braided stuff, or is it like picture hanger thin solid wire?

 

Army surplus stores sometimes carry the gov issue snare wire, but from a hardware store you really want single strand steel wire about 1mm diameter or less, it should be very flexible. There's no set rule, but the idea is that wire won't loosen up once it cinches down. You can use practically anything for the cord which "spring loads" the actual snare.

 

strip off the insulation from lamp cord type wire and twist 3 strands together works good

 

Any place that sell floral supplies sells floral wire comes on a piece of plastic 5"x2" 26 ga 270 ft for about $1.50 at walmart buy 2 or 3 they are handy to have around the house it will hold squirrels and rabbits I'd double it for coon size critters go to the other side of crafts in walmart get a 4 pack of singer type 66 plastic bobbins @ less than a buck they will hold 20-25 foot of the wire fill with wire drop one in tackle box one in the stuff you carry in the wood etc.
Roy

 

If you have time to prepare your supplies in advance why not use what the trappers use? They use small gauge steel cable, not single strand wire. You can purchase real, pre-rigged, specifically designed snares, complete with locks and swivels, for about $1 each. Fur trappers that use snares don't use the stuff that's available in the hardware store. I forget exactly why but it's not as good for the purpose as the stuff they sell specifically for setting snares. It has to do with the number of wire strands in the cable and how it's twsited. Believe it or not, a coyote caught in a non-locking snare will sometimes chew through aircraft grade galvanized steel cable. You can buy good quality snare supplies at www.snareshop.com. At least check out what they have and see what materials go into a good working snare.

Snaring is legal and common for fur trapping in much of the US. Here in Indiana it is legal with written permission from the property owner. There's plenty of books available with more specific information.

In a pinch, I guess floral wire MIGHT work on the occasional rabbit. I couldn't say for sure. But there are better tools for the job and light-gauge, single strand wire is not likely to hold a racoon or a beaver for longer than about two minutes.

 

Snares are nice and compact, but depending on the game you are after, and how much room and weight you have for storage, there are a couple other options as well-
The Conibear kill trap

Leg hold trap

they are a little more expensive, but they give more options as far as setting is concerned.

For example, the Conibear can be placed over an animal den to trap the animal as it leaves the den.

I know that to trap legally in MT, you have to have a trapping license, and all of your traps have to have an ID tag on them identifying the owner.

 

Some places having premade snares my be a legal problem same as having fisihing supplies with out a licence(sp?) also a roll of light wire can be used for many things doubled or tripled for snare for bigger game reparing stuff wiring a light to something to hold a position etc single strand of floral wire will hold squirrels in a suvival situation wire has more uses Just my humble opinion

 

Well, you're right, in a survival situation, by definition, you are forced to make due with whatever materials are available. If you have appropriate and useful tools and materials at hand, then you're not really in a survival situation. Me... I try to be prepared and avoid survival situations at all costs.

I still wouldn't count on floral wire holding a squirrel for very long - not even a little red squirrel. You might be able to catch a small animal in puny wire like that IF you have a locking mechanism so the animal is caught by the neck and quickly strangled. Otherwise, I would guess the animal will likely roll and twist that wire, snapping it in only a few minutes.

 

Me... I try to be prepared and avoid survival situations at all costs.

That is the best Idea And the way I try to do it to
That being said I have caught squirrels and rabbits with floral wire and in a survival situation am not going to be targeting coyote or coon as my first choice for food. I don't know if is still that way but some states had law that if you had line and hooks or lures with out a licience was intent to fish same would be true with prefabed snare. I know In. laws fairly well I can throw a rock to In. from where i live and work in Muncie. If I were going into the woods with the intent of living of the land I would be carrying the premade snare. living where I do You can't get more than a half mile off the road I don't see needing to snare food. even if I are carrying a couple of premade I would still carry floral wire It is just plain handy to have for many things
Roy

 

I thought that the Game Wardens had to comply with federal law? Don't they need probable cause to search through your things, same as cops, and have a warrant…Then how the Hell would they find snares, pre made, in your pack…

If you can't carry made snares there is no law that states you can't carry wire and snare locks (much better then just loops) with you and assemble them as needed…

If, unlicensed, you're using them and get caught then you have a problem but if you're using them because your lost, stranded and starving and you get caught using them you're saved…

Here, $X gets you a trapper's license and most of the guys I know get them as that way they can sell any coyote, fox etc. pelts that they get to shoot…

I always carry some snare wire, usually 2 different gauges, and appropriate sized locks, pre-made into snares, with me in my pack and sometimes set them to show clients how they work and maybe lunch on rabbit…I'll get them to make the triggers for catapault style snares, just whittle them out of a piece of tree...