Howler a 4 foot piece of 16 gauge wire with a simple sip loop on the end of a 4 foot alder is all I use. Didn't worry about keeping it longer than the day or if lost I just made another. Always had what it took. I like wire better than a snare as once the animal limps out you can quickly wind it on a branch and leave hang on is weight to do the rest of the choke hold. Harder to do with cable. You will be surprised at how fast it is. And no blood. I like the pole as it gives me more options when things go bad too.

WB that brought back some good memories.
Like you I always am looking first at how it is caught. What happened. The two toes were nearly through and you could not tell?

Once when I was a kid in Montana it happened to my dad and a bobcat. He pulled on the snare and up came an unattached mad kitty. He kept him at bay at arms length but it cost him the front of his Arctic cat parka. ;0) It was pretty shredded up in front. He managed to get to his pistol and finish it. We all laughed when he got home and the stuffing was coming out all over the front of his coat.

I had one caught by a couple toes when I lived in Mt Village. Had my son and another boy with me. They hollered and said it was barely caught. I told them to just hold the 22 on it and shoot if it started fighting or got out. I got there and put my choker on it. Out it came. There happened to be a head high leaning pole right near me and I went up and over the top and put some distance between me and the cat. That was close.

Funny one was getting up to a cat that was snared by the back feet in a 1/16 snare. I was selling to taxidermy market and wanted photos. Actually had the video going also. Was just walking up to it and pop. There it went. My 5 year old daughter, on the video even. "Lynx run away!" Memories some time come with a price. ;0)

Cool pic, what trap is that? Looks pretty good sized.