good afternoon all, I am not sure if this should be hear or adc but!

this time of year ime doing a lot of fox snaring, nearly all of it on stock fences with the usual 4 inch squares ect.. my snares are 1/16th 1x19with a black lopro or micro lock...swivel then 2mm (5/64th?) about 18unch long with a loop on the end...

now the trouble is ive had the last 4 foxes tangle up and twist out the 1-16th wire as soon as their caught they jump thru the fence and render the swivel useless and every other fox had been dead as good Friday.(8 this week) due to them being tangled up and hung up.

its costing me a fortune in lost foxes aswell as having foxes run about with a necklace on isn't too good.

we cant use killing locks, they have to be free running but entanglement to kill them is not a problem...

the options I can think of are slider cables to get them away from the fence

kill poles away from the fence

or using the 2mm cable for the terminal end thou I don't really want to do that as it looks like tow rope compared to the 1 1/16th

answers on a post card please

Stake out as far as you can from the fence then drive In a kill pole close to your snare loop. The fox will probably make one turn around the kill pole and It will be hung up right there.
I've caught a lot of fox using 3/32 X1x19. so I don't think the larger cable Is going to be an issue.

Good luck

Good Morning Mawdy Man, one suggestion I'll make is a shorter length of cable for a loop with a swivel with a extension, if you can try some 1/16" 7x7 cable it's a bit softer and it may work rather well for you in this situation ?
Granted I use the majority of kill springs type snares and I make & sell quite a few it's a toss up which is better, it's what a person has the most confidence in. I'm not a fan of kill poles to me they are just more to pack into a set, but if one feels the need for one I'd suggest a pair cross staked in a X so you just tangle them a little quicker hopefully.
5/64ths 7x7 cable would work well for you also just a suggestion, if I were a bit smarter and could post pictures I would.
I hope this helps.
Allan

5/64",7×7 should do the trick.It is all I ever used for fox.You could use 5/64",1×19,loaded but I think it's overkill.

i have in the past just used the 5 64th 7x7 and went away from it in favour of the thinner cable...

allan i have done that with the last batch of snares i made their is only room for the support tube and half a inch before the lock when set...

i think i am going to have to go back to the 7x7,

Try 1\16- 7x7,forget the swivel,and drive in a kill stick the proper distance from the anchor.Myself I would not snare near a fence.There should be a couple good spots on the approaches to the fence intersection.

I love the 1x19 1/16" cables with those locks because they close so fast, and are invisible, but I catch plenty of fox in my coyote snares which are much thicker. They don't seem to mind the bigger cable.

theirs a couple of the places that have a good run too but snaring out into the field slightly is pretty much out the question due to sheeps...

if I had the brains I would put a couple pictures up of sets

The one thing you didn't mention was the height of the fences where the cross unders are that you have snares set on, then if I remember correctly from past conversations you aren't snaring these for for a fur market situation but predator control or the length of the snare your using now.
So I'd like to suggest this not knowing these details, I'd go with longer snares let's say 4-6' so they can jump the fence and tangle in it instead of a kill pole if fur damage isn't a concern.
Trail snare sets are still productive when sheep aren't in the same pasture with a 5-6" loop 6-8" off the ground just because of how a fox travels generally with its tail up or at least this has been my experience with them here in Montana.
Also are the snare locks new or have they been used before ? The lock may have a little wear so the don't lock up as they possibly could and the 1x19 cable is inherently slick in it's own right so the 7x7 cable may work better in your application even if the snare loop isn't a picture perfect circle loop then a crossed set of kill poles could be beneficial with a space between them.
I hope this helps ! Stay Safe out there and enjoy your day !
Allan

hi yeh no fur trade hear just knocking numbers down for a land owner, the fences are just your normal stock fences maybe 4 inch squares and 3 ft 6 high with 2 strands of barbed wire on top,, most my snares are 4-ft long and I anchor about 2 ft off the floor as solid as I can to try catch them under the chin and behind the ears, NORMALY this with the fast 1 16th cable this is a pretty deadly set up I can and have taken 3-4 fox a week of the same set with very little damage to the run...

like I said I set so they get wrapped up in the fence and hang them self real quick, but just lately they have been doing that and twisting the wire off.

locks are new and a few used but we cant used locking snares hear anyhow hence the micro lock and the black dogs their sold as relaxing so it keeps me right on that front..

I did forget to say one massive reason ive stuck to the thinner cable is badgers! if we get caught with one in a wire then were in some serious hot water! even as a accidental catch but they (so I hear!) will make short work of the 1 16th wire and pretty much walk out of it

1) Stop using Chinese or American cable !


2) Never boil snare cable and use it the following year, as it will rust from the inside and come apart easily.
May look okay, but in most cases, it won't be.
If you use it all up in one season, you'd be alright.

Micro locks are garbage, IMO.

Show us a pic.

Myself and others that boil cable must be very lucky since I have never had that problem.
If he should stop using Chinese and American cable what should he be using?

I am very limited to the cable I can get hold of...we only have one place hear that I can find that sells snare cable, unless I want stainless.

all the snares that have failed have been brand new made and never boiled, dipped or painted set out less than a week in every case..

locks are the same I can get micro locks ..the lopro locks or them relax-a-locks that's pretty much the selection I have to chose from..

thou I do really fear that the cable and its origin is the problem?

that's about how its ment to work out! when ime not losing ££

Great pics.If its not too cost prohibitive for you,stainless steel aircraft cable makes an excellent snare.a fox will not break that.

I think your own suggestions are the best Maudy man. I also use 1/16th, and yes there is a big risk of twisting out where fences are involved. I like to use sliders if at all possible. Yea there more hassle, but you may avoid loseing fox's and less chance of sets getting messed up.

If that ONE FOX would have used it's cane, it could have jumped over and gotten away!...

Anyway, I'd run a slider cable away from the fence, they're lighter/easier to pack in also.