I'm going to add this for those having trouble making a round loop. I have used this method but prefer the method used by Boco, mostly because it is what I learned about 40 years ago.

One of our Instructors who harvests wolves consistently every year has a technique he has demonstrated at our Instructors meetings and at several of our convention. If you are looking at the snare he likes the lock to be at about 10 o'clock so it will drop very fast. He uses a "W" at the end of his support wire. What he does is take a very fine wire, a really light strand of copper wire will do, and he wraps it around the support wire, then winds it around the snare cable loop about 8" back from the lock. Just enough wraps so it holds but will pull out with very slight pressure. This will make even 7 x 7 wire make a nice round loop. If you look real close you can see that light wire holding the loop.

I had put this up in a post a few years ago but I will add it here as it pertains to the discussion and it should add to the conversation.
Brian if you want the post moved to a new thread just say the word.
My take on loading came from models of prebuilt snares I got from Rally Hess. A master snareman and someone that believes heavily in loading. The terminology and such that I put on here is my own concoction to make it more clear. The cable I am using is 1/16th 7 by 7 and prone to be a teardrop. I post this here to show that loading can have huge affect on shape.
Yukon you ask why people dislike a teardrop. A lot more taken with tear drop than without that is for sure. But that comes from far more snares being made without than with IMO. As well as trapper not knowing how to load them. I use the same method as Bctomcat.
When I look at a teardrop I see a snare shape exactly opposite of the shape I would want for the target. A large mass going in on top. (the head of a wolf or lynx) and a large opening on the bottom. (the feet). Creating a snare that I believe would be more prone to a leg being alllowed to enter the snare with the head. It just feels better to me to have the rounder shape. And one more conducive to the head up high in the snare. And I think you can get by with a smaller opening as so much of the loop is not having in a non target area. Creating even more weight on the snare distorting the shape.
I like the idea of having the large opening up high where the head is entering. Also it covers a wider area of the trail where the target is coming through. (the head).
That can't hurt. But more importantly is the speed. You have to drag closed a teardrop shaped snare all the way to the end. Compared to a loaded snare that naturally wants to close. Causing less pull on the animal and less likely for detection and backout.

Example of a 7 by 7 1/16 inch cable snare


Take that same snare and build in some lift on the cable behind the lock and you begin to get a shape that opens up the snare for better head entry.



Take that same snare and load and shape it and you will end up with this.
Granted this is not a wolf snare but I bet you can go a long way to opening up the shape and make it a lot faster with loading it. The picture like the ones above were taken with the snare held vertical not laying down. This is the hanging shape.
I achieve this by loading and shaping. The loading and shaping zone are described on the box.

Heavily loading the first inches past the lock dictates the direction of the cable as it circles around. I like to shoot for a horizontal direction rather than the slanted one you get with a teardrop. I continue to load further but with a lot less pressure. I also like to shape the cable in the shaping zone as well to round out the opposite side. Done the same way as loading but with a lot less pressure.
And wow fast in comparison to a teardrop is saying it lightly. You just can't compare how a teardrop snare closes compared to a loaded snare. A



Here inlies the issue you have to be very careful when loading snares. Many snare you build are not set up to take loading. Thus a good reason to make your own.
When you load heavily you need to account for the curling of the cable within the lock. Compare the two photos below.
This snare can not be loaded.



This snare can be.



Resulting in this.








When I look at this snare I see a small opening that could possibly brush up agains the side of a wolf's head and cause him to defer to the right or left or even back out. haha. Watch you will probably get a perfect catch in it. ;0)


Hopel this helps some guys new and old to snaring. Brian I hope it adds to your journal.
We can move the discussion on loading to a new thread if people are interested in carrying it on further.

Taxi - No i have not measured the skull, good idea I will. It was missing one canine so I took a large wolf tooth and inserted it into the spot. Looks good but the cougar has bigger diameter tooth.

ridge Reaper - not sure of your posts intention but thinking you have made a mistake. Either that or you have been up on that ridge drinking moonshine.

Boco that tree is the most massive white spruce I've ever seen. I contacted forestry and they're choppering out some staff to measure the circumference. They feel based on the photo it may be an Alberta record. They would steal some of it's cones for cross breeding as it shows unusual characteristics for a tree in Alberta. The younger spruce in proximity to it are also larger than average, probably descended from this monster. it'll be interesting to find out the rest of the story.

I did score a major find though. As I was hunting an island sandbar along the river I saw a skull sticking out of the sand. When I first saw it I thought bear based on the size but when I dug the jaws out I saw it was a cougar, and a big one. F & W gave me a found wildlife certificate so I've got it home.

very nice bull , our bulls are getting quieter every year not sure if it jus me or weather or jus the poor management practices being used on our elk herds , im blaming the later as we have seen this coming for past 20 years but the govt wont listen to anything except cry baby farmers , oh well great elk elk hunt bushman thanks for sharing it with us that are stuck on the job .