First, you tie some sheep legs to a large tree, using heavy cable, burying the spring to the snare at the base of the tree. Then you gingerly set thin steel strips and wire mesh in the snare so the animal will feel some support as it puts its foot into the snare.
Next, add some deadfall and sagebrush, piling everything against the sides of the tree to direct the animal's travel into the danger zone. Top it off with some screened dirt to hide the set, and you're ready for a bear.
4 comments:
Just make sure that these snares are legal in your state before setting them.
They are illegal in my state on land, as are Conibear ("instant death") traps. Both can be used in water sets for beaver and muskrat.
You can use leghold traps on land. It is generally suggested that coilspring traps be used for canids. If you use longsprings on foxes and coyotes, there is a chance that they can go crazy in the trap and actually cut themselves rather badly. This can be remedied by buying one with offset jaws.
Oh yeah,
And you can't trap bears here either-- unless it's for research purposes.
http://www.wv.gov/news/natural-resources/Pages/BearTrappingConvictioninPendletonCounty.aspx
We must have a lot more regulations here, which is something I didn't expect.
I would never set a snare, or a trap. We have federal animal damage control specialists, who consult with our state wildlife officials, who do the work. Remember, any time a trap or snare is set, my sheep have to be penned and the dogs confined, things we really hate to do.
I prefer direct shooting, but we can't find this bear - can't use dogs to find him.
I don't know if this would be of any use in your situation, but if I were you, and had ongoing problems with carnivorous predators, but didn't want to worry about dogs or livestock blundering into leghold traps or snares--I would build a large, super sturdy(like with logs) old-fashioned box/cage/pen trap in some appropriate location that predators might pass when patrolling your property. Although it is hard to catch coyotes or wolves in these traps(too suspicious--but they do get in them sometimes), bears and cats(cougars, bobcats) are readily taken in them. The best thing to do is build it and start baiting it without setting it, get the critters used to using it, then finally set it after you start seeing the bait taken. The advantage to such a trap is that you can easily and selectively release whatever you want, and your livestock also won't be harmed even if they get caught themselves! You can also build such a trap with a "live bait" section in the back(and make it sturdy enough so the "bait" is safe from actual harm), and any critter you catch then, you can be sure is one of the livestock depredators! It is a lot of trouble, and work to set such a large, permanent trap up, but it is also a very interesting activity, in my opinion! And as humane as you can get, as far as any kind of trapping goes. If this sounds like something you are interested in(I think it should be quite legal--although I have never been one to let the legality of something get in the way!....), let me know, and I'll mail you some plans for building one--it isn't very complicated......L.B.
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