No. The lock you use will determine how easy they open back up.

If you're having BAD failures I'd go with as short of a CR as I can possibly use and still get my loop size and height correct. The longer run they get the harder they hit the end popping the BADs if the locks won't lock to dispatch them or the stop won't allow the loop to close tight enough to. Also if your anchor has some give to it it'll absorb some of that shock too. I'd use a 3/8" 5' rod to anchor and support the CRs and leave it 24" out of the ground with your CR attached to the top.

My snaring season is over. I just pull all of my sets. The last day I caught 3 coyotes. One was dead in the CR, one broke the CR's cable, the third one pulled out.

I plan on taking my disappointment and funneling it towards the Michigan DNR Commission. I guess that I am a dreamer but I want to see what I can do change this situation around and get our DNR to allow using regular lethal snares. In Michigan one of the restrictions for using snares is that it is restricted to private land only. This restriction should protect the trapper and landowner from any fault if hunting dogs or pets get in the snares that are legaly set. Unfortunately, I am afraid that our DNR is more influenced by public opinion rather than the legal situation. Dog owners are required to have their dogs under control. If their dogs are not under control and go on to land where they have no permission to enter, they will held responsible for situation. I am afraid that the DNR will not allow lethal snares to avoid being put in a uncomfortable position. They would prefer to restrict trappers from the use of these snares legally set than deal with a public relations problem where the complainants are the ones in the wrong.

My hope is for this change to happen soon. I had a blast in my first time setting snares / CRs. All that I can think about right now is correcting my mistakes and catching more coyotes. But it is going to have to happen soon because I am getting old and my trapping days a numbered.

Bottom Line...? Your dealing with the hunting dog lobby and the DNR commision. Working and hunting dogs have free run in Michigan. Pet's are to be on a 6ft. Leash. Our old snare (CR) law was much better than the current one is.

I've been down that road with the DNR,they don't care.The fact the cr's are on private property means nothing to them either,dogs in this state are protected by "recreational trespass",which means if they're hunting and end up on private property and get caught its on the landowner,not the dog or its owner.If anybody has any ideas on how to handle our regs with success I'm all ears.When they became legal I got into them big time,I was on a learning curve and had a lot to learn but was successful on coyotes and fox and gained alot of confidence.Then they required the 41/4"loop and checking seemed to be a nightmare,more - than +.I'm no expert on their use,but I can't get pass the success ratio,60% or less on coyotes,fox forget it.I had better success using footholds in the snow.

I am contacting MTPCA to see is anyone is working on this. My interest is to put my disappointment towards positive action for Michigan becoming a lethal snaring state. I know some hounds-men and will talk with them. It would be a lot of fun to just be able to set snares. I have to try, will probably get discouraged but who knows. I have had a little taste of talking to Lansing DNR, they are experts at blowing you off.

States that are near us use kill snares.

Anybody trying to change our regs for the better I wish you luck,and I'm not being sarcastic.Maybe I should get up and try again.I felt like I ran into a stonewall that wouldn't budge and the attitude seemed to be "your lucky we allow you to use anything".When the regs said we could use 21/2"loops we had a downstate couple come on our local radio station that had an outdoor show every saturday morning with their tale of woe about their two dogs,some type of registered breed that was worth thousands of dollars I guess.They were trying to petition the DNR to outlaw CR's,had alot of pictures of their dogs,romping with the family,then they took pictures of them in the CR's,dead.They got the host all worked up,him saying if this happened to his dogs he'd beat somebody like a red headed step child,etc.Not one word about how the trapper was 100% in the right,that the landowner went to bat for the trapper,telling the local media and the DNR he had the trapper on his property and the dogs had no business being there,that the owner had a habit of letting his dogs run anywhere,anytime.So I called in and started asking the owner about it,he wouldn't comment about none of it,the host tried asking and he wouldn't answer to the charges.He did say he had it on good authority from sources within the Dept.that the DNR was going to make changes in the regs,and he was taking full credit for those changes,altho he actually wanted them banned out right.Shortly after we got the rules we have today.And I gave up.

Ttt