Anyone ever do it on purpose? What about accidentally?


Can it be done?

Understand that this is for grins. If it doesn't work, I'll set a 220, and it'll be case closed. I snagged one in an 8" leg snare. He made a light catch circle, twisted up the cable, and he went on his way.


I'm thinking that a mink custom diller snare may do the trick. They jump, buck, run, and I think that I better have plenty of swivels. My custom diller snare is 1x19 3/64" Loaded HARD with a slim lock. I didn't want anyone to accuse me of skimpin' on the swivels, so I spared no expense. (2) 8/0 inline swivels, (1) 12/0 inline swivel, and (1) universal swivel is what I decided would suffice. I anchored it with a Berkshire HD, and I used a 24" 3/8" kill pole with support wire to aid dispatch.

Ya know, the neck is about the only place to hold em. If the loop gets around the shell, results will be marginal at best. That's why I'm thinking about a 3 1/2" loop, set 2 inches off of the ground may just work. Like I said, this is just for grins. I have to take em out either way, might as well try something new!


Think it'll work? It's a hot trail.



Anyone?

I know 220s don't work for me on dillers. I can't do land snares or for anything other than flat tails so no hands on experience. However I suspect it wouldn't be a high percent option.

I have caught a few. Not easy to do consistently. I first started trying with 1/16th cable. Never held one in it. I think I they may have been to fast and was catching the snout. I have caught a few with 3/32 cable. It's like snaring a football.

All the ones I caught were right behind the shoulders. Never could get 1 on the neck.

I have faith in you. Cool post, look forward to seeing how you make out with it.

On my waterlines, I flat smoke the dillers in 160s and 220s. I even caught one in a half submerged 220. Dangedest thing I saw all day. They're almost as bad as grinners sometimes for me, but at least when I get a diller I know that I've at least done something. They burrow in levees, and they're guilty of making holes that are only good for spraining ankles and breaking bones for livestock mostly, but I can think of at least an occasion or two that a diller hole was at least caused me to stumble. I believe in getting rid of the jokers.

Bodygrips on Hstands will flat smoke dillers in my experience

This last season. The season before I caught 7 or more, less than 15. Can't remember at the moment, I have it written somewhere.

Anyway, this last season I caught quite a few. Probably at least 30

I'm assuming the 3/32 was with a sure lock? After seeing how those things lock down, I believe it. I imagine something like that is a must for holding one by the body, but I believe it. Sure locks may be big, but they lock down tight. I wanted to use a sure lock this time, but I like using a size bigger than the cable, and the 1/16" sure lock just felt like it was too much for the tiny loop with the 3/64".
Sure locks are dang good locks.




Cool. I Appreciate it.

Yes, it was 1/8th inch sure lock. I was using bmi mini locks on the 1/16th. Never messed with 3/64th cable. I may try it again this week with a camera on it.

Oh yeah, I like this! Get-m. Never would have thought trapping armadillos would be so much fun. You have hog snaring down to a science, Now you are going to figure out diller snaring. Cottonmouth snaring next, maybe?

Will be waiting for you to post the results. I have toyed with the idea myself.

Well, I had a bite, but didn't connect. I reset the snare, did a better job centering up the loop, and I lowered it to about an inch above the soil. I'll probably set 2-3 more today to speed up the learning experience.



Next action update: Monday Morning

Airport, the 1/16" with BMI you tried....was it 1x19 or 7x7? Were you going for the neck or body? I'm wondering if 1/16" 7x7, 6-7" loop for the body might work. Maybe the 7x7 could cinch up on the shell a little better than 1x19, maybe not. For this time, I want a neck catch, but for the next one I'll probably try for the body. As I said, I had one in a leg snare long enough to coil the cable and make a light circle, so there may be a future in shell catches if I make the same size loop but lock on top. My lock being on the bottom may have caused the escape with the legsnare.

All I use is 1x19. I had a few circles and kinked snares with nothing there. I was running a 4 inch loop 1 inch off the ground.

I will set a few Monday with a camera on it and see what happens.

I just realized I messed up. I've made the correction. The slim lock needed to have its Tang closed a little to bite on the 3/64". I may have wasted a neck catch last night, because the lock didn't lock! Fixed now, ready for round 2.

I say your odds are at least 50-1 ... , so after resetting the snare 49 times you may finally get one . The diller body is not snare friendly

Do you ever file the burr off the back side of the "tang " ? . It makes close much faster.
I do this on all of my slim locks. I wish Newt could tumble them or something to remove the burr. . They still lock up solid after I do this.

Right, which is why my priority is to work on trying to get the neck. As for the body post I made, I'll cross that bridge when I get the neck snaring tried a few more times. I agree, the body is a tough target. They're a little armored football.


I've never filed the burr on my slims.

Day Two


I made 2 more diller snares. One with 7x7 3/64" with a Deathblow mini cam, and another 3/64" 1x19 with a Slim.


All 3 showed signs of being bulldozed. Back to the drawing board. I will make a smaller loop to see if that works. I suspect the leading edge of the shell is hindering my efforts to get a good neck catch. I have something else in mind for it.....if I could present a loop without the support cable area being in the way, I might be able to pull it off.


I have high hopes for day 3 action, because I'm pulling out an Indian trick. Stay tuned.

I have a trick or two in my boot.

My first thought was you'll need to angle that snare somehow to make the walk into it.

So, with that thought I would try one this way. Lower the holder so that the snare sits in the ground and angle the top away a slight bit. That might allow the head to enter the snare first.

This is what I did with two of them last night.....hoping they'd walk into it first

Day Three



Day three. Ole day three.....I put another 0 on the board. Bulldozed all three snares. I have no choice but to put a camera on it. Let's see what's really happening.

I'm also going to shrink my loop to as small as I can. 2"

You may have to body snare them.

But then again that may be like trying to hold a greasy footbal.

I may have to, but I hope not. I want to get rid of them, but I'm not in a great hurry. The trail is only about 60 yards from my house, so I look forward to checking progress each day. If I am not able to neck snare em within the next 10 days (I know that's a long wait), I'll move on...




Maybe so, but I think it'll be much easier than neck snaring them, at least that's what it's beginning to look like. I'm trying new things trying to get it down though...

Decided to build a couple and try again

Cool, let's get this diller snaring figured out! What size loop are you trying?



I've been too busy with work today to update the ole diller snaring thread, but I will---eventually.


All 3 snares were empty this morning. I will try Again tonight with a trail camera to hopefully better understand where I'm failing. I suspect the shoulders keep the snare from getting them behind the head, and their armor is preventing the cable from biting and holding on em. That or they're just putting it in reverse.



Keep us updated!

Two questions:


1: What size swivel is that?


2: How are you bending the lock endstop cable that way? Just curious

8-0 swivel
Needle nose pliers

3 1/2 inches tall, lock will be set at 3 o'clock so it fires up. There is only about 3/4 of an inch between skull armor and body shell. It will have to be there to hold.

Did you set it out, and did you put a camera on it?


Good point about the narrow gap.

I didn't have time to get them out yet.

What are armadillos used for?

Some people eat them others make helmets . Other than that they're just a nuisance.

Here are the 3 snare sets I'm trying tonight.


A vertical loop to try to avoid the support connection area of the cable from being bulldozed from the side.





Here's the legsnare style miniature 3" loop approach. Hoping the same cable area is as low as possible...




7x7 3/64" with a deathblow cam...




^^^Rigged the ole trail cam to an empty cable spool on a 5 gallon "blue" bucket. I have it set on video so hopefully I'll have something to learn from/share. I believe I'll be moving to body snares to try within a few Set nights...

I am waiting to hear the results.

Aix sponsa update for us?

I haven't had a chance to check it yet. I'll be checking them by about 4 this afternoon. I hope I have some video of the joker. Depending on what the camera shows me, I'm planning on dropping the neck snare approach by the end of the weekend and maybe as early as tomorrow night.

I feel as though neck snaring them just probably isn't the way to do it, and that body snaring them is probably the way to go when it comes to catching them with cable.

That looks a lot more difficult then setting wires for rabbits. I used either " picture wire" for the long eared field chickens or spun my own 4 strand brass. Brass closes real easy. May be worth a try is legal where you are. Brass worked a charm for squirrels as well.

What makes you think a smaller loop is the answer, if they are bulldozing them?

Again while I lack experience in snaring I know dillers and I suspect you're right on body snaring them.
Loop size is going to be the thing. Big enough to get one or both front feet through but small enough to fire on the hump of the back. Ideally snug up on the bands in the middle.

I think that a loop only as big as needed would work better, because any additional loop can hit the shell and fail.


In my mind, I thought that a small loop with the supported cable below would let only the loop around the neck without any other part of the snare getting in the way. That's how it was supposed to work at least

I have never tried to snare a armadillo. If a animal is bulldozing the snare one of three things are most common. The snare is not centered on the trail. The loop is at the wrong height or the loop is too small. I can see how the support wire on the bottom may help with armadillos.

I don't see how that could possibly help. If you've ever watched a diller on the move you'll realize it's nose is almost always in contact with the ground.

This post is too much fun. Inna see if I can stay quiet a like longer lol !

I'm running the same play again tonight with the 3 snares. No video on the camera from last night, so I repositioned the trail cam.

I set the spool on the ground with the camera as high as I could slide it. I didn't want to disturb the trail too much, so I cut the grass about 3-4 feet off of the trail, but I left the shallow row of grass standing on ground side of the trail, except the gap I cut at the snare itself. (Hope he doesn't go where I cut)


Anyway, it's on 20 sec video, so hopefully I'll get something to learn from on camera. It's setup at about 90 degrees from the trail. It would have been nice to be able to set it shooting down the trail. Maybe I can build something that I can attach a 1/4" bolt to attach the camera to and hold the camera angled where I need it to....




Now we wait...





It's nice that those jokers aren't spooky! Can you imagine trying to catch a coyote that hits steel resistance 3 times a night, every night? I would think he'd be at leads a little spooked eventually...

Update Today will be this afternoon.





Right. That's why my loop is at ground level now and the rest of the cable is at ground level as well. Hopefully all parts of the diller will pass over the rest of the cable.

Been a busy busy afternoon, company just left.


I got some video footage. Will post tomorrow. Kinda stinks lol

How old do the dillers get ?? It may hand in its chips before you get a wire on it

Update

Last night we had a house party. Even with the snares being so close to home, I didn't have a chance to go setup the snares and camera. They're setup for tonight.


On Thursday night though, I got some video footage. Unfortunately, it was a GRINNER! I have trapped dillers on trails that looked exactly like that. I kind of hope that it's been grinners this whole time, because it would mean that I'd get a fresh start on dillers.


My dad lives about 400 yards from my house, and his yard is heavily cratered by dillers. I'm going to be hunting for multiple diller trails to set heavily so that I can finally wrap this project up soon. I realize that this probably can end as a disappointment to those following this thread, but I'm not giving up. I'm going to get one by the neck or I'm going to start body snaring them. I just need to verify that I'm on a diller trail and not a grinner trail and continue my quest! I encourage all of you to try snaring fillets too, because we're all in it together on this thread!

OK, I'm going make a suggestion that goes against EVERYTHING we all know about snaring. Put your support wire for your snare dead center in the middle of the trail, have your support raise the snare no more than an inch off the ground and use about a 3-4 inch loop. have your lock at the bottom of the snare, centered in the trail.

Take a look on page 2 of this thread. The post I made with pictures of 3 snares.....the one I said looks like a miniature leg snare.........is that not what you're describing?

Almost, I think that with a dillar's body shape you need to have the snare SHORT, and at least semi anchored dead center of the trail. A vertical loop with the lock on the bottom. This way the loop can hit behind the head, but in front of the body, and tighten on the critter's throat.

I understand what you're saying. That sounds like a good approach.

if a dillers nose is always on the ground, why not put the bottom of the snare on the ground or even below ground level in a small finger width "ditch" cut into the ground.
RR

Another good idea. I'm going to check the trail camera today, and if I don't see a diller I'm going to have to regroup and relocate. I can't snare a diller if I only have grinners on that trail!


I can see it now---someone else is going to beat me to snaring a diller, because I've been jacking around with a dang grinner trail. I have to find a hot trail to set, and by hot I don't mean grinner hot.

[b]The clock is tickin'. I'm going to be out of pocket in a couple days. I'll have to pick it back up after thanksgiving. Someone else will have done it before me if I don't step up my game soon!

If I were trying to use a snare on an armadillo I would set the snare in a small trench about one and a half to two inches deep. Use some sort of sand or mud from a barrel as Airport trapper has shown on each side of the snare. I would use a smaller cable than a 3/32 beaver snare. He would be less likely to nose under the snare and nose into the snare.


Set the loop at 5-6 inches with 4-5 inches out of the ground. Use a half circle plate about 7" in diameter if it were a full circle. The plate should be about a 3/4" plate. Place it with the half side up. Pound in ground until your optimum depth is achieved. That will make trench. If you pound in the trench I believe the armadillo would be less likely to nose into the trench and displace the snare. You dig the trench and the armadillo might dig also.

_________________________

Thanks Kirk.


Update

Back to square one. I reviewed the trail cam, and it's an opossum superhighway. I'm going to take care of those grinners, and close the trail down.

I found another trail this evening that looks much more likely being used by an actual ARMADILLO. The soil is scratched and looks like it's a lot more promising. Maybe now the experiment can begin!

Think We can get a Grinner Snaring thread ?

Knock yourself out. I don't wanna catch anymore than I have to.

6 inch loop 6 inches off ground.

Here's my attempt. Couldn't find a hot trail but it is a trail with tracks in it. I set 2. I will have to build some more.

Whoop Whoop


Let's hope someone's on the board soon!

Im in!!! I have just the trail behind my house for opossum snaring.

Well... foot snared possom

Why was I surprised that grinners get in the way of diller catching just like they get in the way of catching everything else. I mean EVERYTHING. From coyotes to mink.


I take that back---I did not catch a single grinner in pig snares. Maybe that's why I liked it!

Funny looking dilla....

He forgot to put his she'll on.

I hate when that happens. It's like Master Splinter.

You got to set your snares later in the day. Now you are catching them dillers before they had a chance to get dressed.

No updates? I'll hopefully be able to resume diller chasing next week

I will be resetting Monday. Everything has been closed

Now I wanna foot snare a coon

I don't recommend it

Aix, you started back on them yet?

Set 2 yesterday and wouldn't you know it......

Just seeing this post....



No I have not started back on them yet. Whenever I find time to take them on again I will. I was coming to this thread to let everyone know that I have not given up on it, I just have too many irons in the fire at this time.


I'm steadily making Coon snares and getting my bodygrips and other gear ready for when I decide to go full throttle. Today I'm cutting chains and putting stainless 7x7 3x32 cable on my bodygrips and DPs. It'll be nice not having to replace cables in the future.


Will update this thread when I set some diller snares!

Lay a stick that he can't move under the snare to make him raise his head up some. It can be done. Got one one time under water in a 330 under a dive pole set for beavers. Also got a swamp rabbit that way one time. Ever threw one on a frozen pond? Make you laugh your butt off, bet that joker would go a mile on ice if it had the room.

I haven't given up, in case you were wondering. I've just been busy with other things.


I stopped trying on the trail that this thread was started over, because (once I put a trail cam) all that was passing were grinners. I got lots of videos of grinners. Today, I was going through those videos, and I realized I have another visitor that was using that trail, and I would think it's still using this trail. I'm going to have to hang a snare or two and wait, just in case.


I shot at a bobcat that was sitting on its duff right outside my barn a few weeks ago. It was a Friday morning about 7:30. I saw it and even showed my wife before grabbing a shotgun. It was at the extreme limits of shotgun range, and I should have grabbed something else. I justs didn't know how much time I had and a shotgun was close. It may or may not have been hit. I thought surely I hit it, but it ran like lightning, and I never recovered it, so it may still be waiting to pounce on my chickens. This trail is only a few yards from my barn.



^^^ my nightly trail runner







I sure hope it's dead, but if it isn't, I may end up catching it in a snare.

Setting up a Coon line I came across two burrows that appear to be active. When I started this thread, it turned out I was setting on a trail that grinners were traveling and knocking over my snares. I'm finally getting around to setting snares just for dillers. Game on!

Good luck can't wait to see how this turns out

I'm glad to catch skunks, especially those that haven't sprayed, but itd be nice to get dillers when that's what I'm after...




No activity at the other burrow. Looks like I'll be setting snares on more burrows tomorrow and Sunday

I found some great trails to set next week. Looks like mostly armadillos traveling them

Set 4 on decent trail today. As well as a Grinner snare in hopes of cutting them off.

I set up two on a good trail yesterday as well. One of them was knocked down this morning.


Good idea to cut the grinners off!

WE WILL HAVE SOME DILLERS NECK SNARED BEFORE THE FAT LADIES SING!


We will have some dillers snared some-kinda-way before the fat ladies sing!

Still looking to buy any armadillo skulls any of you guys get, good luck

Here's one of the sets, lock on bottom

Ok, enough is enough. I'm going to snare a dang armadillo. Up until this point, I have been trying to neck snare one. Now I'm just going to snare one however I can. I am setting 2 1/2 - 3 1/2" neck snares, 6-8" inverted body snares, and I'm setting 6-8" standard snares with the body in mind. I'm using 1x19 and 7x7.


I am going to gang set multiple trails starting tonight, and I am going to continue setting several snares on different trails each day for the next week or two if needed. I'm catching one! If this means thinning out grinners first, then so be it. I have to do the same in every other way that I trap. Why shouldn't they ruin good diller sets too ....If I don't catch one, then I'm going to stop jackin around with the idea, at least for now.


One way or another, I'm doing it. Boom or bust!



Tonight I added 3 body snares to trail #2--2 inverted and 1 standard. Also have two neck snares on trail #2.








Will set additional snares tomorrow on trail #1 and #4. Will also update every few days unless I make a catch.

Aix, If nothing else, you aren't a quitter! Lol.

Good luck with you diller quest

Aix, this has been a fun thread to follow, thanks for taking us along.
Jim

Agreed, thank you!!

At this point though, I would wonder if you actually have armadillos in your area.

Welp, picked up my first snare clogger on trail #2 this morning. Surprisingly, it wasn't a grinner. It was a coon.


Trail #1 is the original trail that I setup. The one that I thought I was just missing the diller, because the neck snares (all 4) were knocked down every.single.morning. Once I put up a trail camera, I realized that grinners were knocking down the snares, so I pulled. I will be setting #1 again, because dillers, grinners, bobcats, coons, and who knows what else is continually using that trail. Dillers are the target, but the rest of those critters listed are problems for my birds, so I'll remove them too.

I am going to set body snares that are inverted, as well as right side up. If you're wondering why would I set the body snares upside down, here's my thinking::: Armadillos have a hard shell that wraps around 3 sides of their body. The only side that isn't covered is the underside. My hunch is that with the lock on top, I may encounter issues with lockup. Maybe, maybe not. If I have my lock on the bottom, I feel as though I have a better chance of the lock not having problems locking up--once I get em to fire it.

I am also considering switching from short extensions to long extensions. Currently, my snare + extension is less than 4 feet. If I increase that to 8-10 feet then MAYBE I could really get a good lockup when they hit the end of the cable.

We'll see. Since there's nothing that I've seen written on the subject, kinda having to figure things out as it happens. I know that everytime I empty a diller out of a 160 or 220 on my trap lines, I think "Dang, this could have been snared".






Airport Trapper, what are your updates? Are they knocking down your snare loops? Are you getting dillers on trail camera?

I cheated, started back setting boxes. Grinners and armadillos on camera but the grinners always get there 1st.

Airport Trapper,


Looks like you're about to be able to retire.

It would depend on price and legality

Well, here is a story, as best I can remember it, which may not be too good. A number of years ago I met a trapper that went by the name of Jack Pine Savage on here. Seems like one of his partners in crime had gone on a southern sabbatical and came across a dillo which he transported back to northern Minnesota and placed in one of Jack Pine's coyote snares, mid January or so.
The names Arnie and Swedberg seem to stick in my mind.
lol, Zim

What happened? Was it illegal to bring back to Minnesota?

Ah, it was a prank played on one trapper by another. As far as legality, might be a case there as the dillo was a non-resident.

Zim

Anything yet?

Aix, text me when you get one. This thread has my undivided attention but I forget to check it.

ttt

I cannot take the suspense....:)

I came back from the dead to discover the outcome and I am left hanging like one of those movies that do not end ( well ).

So....any luck, photos ?

Very enjoyable thread. Many thanks y'all.

I've never seen one but i'm pretty sure I could snare one.

Ttt

Ttt

Possum on the half shell.

Where are we on snaring these dillos? Inquiring minds want to know. We could start a fundraiser to bring boco down to give it a go!

He'd be lost with no snow lol

Ttt