Our wolf season opens next week and I need the opinion of experienced wolf trappers...we are limited to a relaxing lock with absolutely no entanglement....so all catches will be alive. We have a 24 hour check. My question is what cable size would be best to avoid chew outs?

1x19x3/32

Or

7x7x1/8

1x19x 3/32 IMO

Thanks for making this post. I am interested to see what people say. I have been running a mix of 3/32 and 1/8 cable. I have had two wolves chew out of 1/8 cable this year. It's probably due to me making mistakes while learning to properly set these snares.

From the regs DNR posted last night:




I personally think 3/32 is too thin. I'm trying to figure out if 1/8" is enough. An equally considerable concern is whether a wolf would open the 350# BAD.

I'm trying to figure out where to buy 'Wi Legal' WOLF cable restraints

I'm making my own.

Here's what The Snare Shop just emailed me. I wonder if 7/64 would be thick enough:

https://www.snareshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SNARE605

How do you propose anchoring your snares? Frankly, with those restrictions, I wouldn't even consider snaring.
Footholds would by my choice, period.

Rebar, or chain earth anchors.

Upon further review, the WOLF regs don't appear to require a BAD like for coyote trapping

My personal preference is 7/64" 1X19 cable. I've never used relaxing locks, however. In Alaska and Idaho, the snares I make (made) for various Fish and Game agencies have a BAD in the loop, and it breaks pretty consistently at 700-750 lbs (that's tested on a tensiometer, not the manufacturers "advertised" break-away poundage). The 7/64" or 1/8" 7X7 cable had far too many chew-outs for me. Good to see they're not requiring a BAD for wolves in WI.

Also, I would add, I agree with Viking; I'd use footholds where possible rather than cable.

X3. Those restrictions would lead me to footholds on a drag.

I’m using 7/64 1x19 with the #12 swivel. No BAD per regs. Setup similar to snare shop’s version but I don’t like their terminal swivel. Idk if I’d trust a standard snare swivel on a wolf rig....your setup is only as strong as the weakest link.

Once you get an earth anchor under the frost line, it goes nowhere. The no entanglement rule sucks but that’s what we have available.

All of my wolf size footholds are setup for beaver and not prepped for K9 trapping or I’d plant those too.

First I need a tag!!

You AK boys are living the dream...I love reading about your adventures! Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I use 7/64 cut at 68 inches with a cam lock and 5 feet of number 9 seems to work pretty good

Good thread.

Curious how you plan to attach the swivel, BvrRetrievr.

Here's how the swivel on my wolf CR is attached. Each attendee at the 2014 Wi Wolf Trapper Ed course course got 1 of these CR's for free.

Those restrictions on anchoring a snare (cable restraint) are the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a long while!

I wonder if whoever dreamed that nonsense up has any idea of what that will result in? I'd guess not!

Is their objective to have a bunch of wolves wearing snares around their necks running all over the countryside?

Pete

That was my thought exactly !

How would you do it different?

They need to allow you to at least tie it off to a tree. But they are no doubt afraid the wolf will wrap the cable around the tree before you get there.

I just wouldn't mess with cable at all

Proper rebar and/or chain earth anchors would hold it fine. The issue would be the no entanglement, or chewing. Or I suppose another issue is it could pull hard enough to pull off the swivel at the end, but I don't worry about adequate staking being the issue, not in our frozen ground.

How often do you have to check them ?