was looking at your snare stakes, I understand about the nut welded on top to run the loop end of the snare through but what's the cross piece below the nut and below the support wire?

I'll see if this helps.... Those were designed for raccoons. Poles were 4' long. The cross was just help get raccoons hung up over the pole so they dispatch faster. The support wire is #9 annealed (black) wire. It's all I ever use to support snares. Its more flexible than galvanized to "pigtail" wrap around the stakes yet solid enough to support the snares very firm so nothing moves before the lock fires shut.







I used to do a lot of live snaring of fox and raccoons as well. I use 24" long stakes for that, 1/2" rebar. I wrap the wire the same and weld the tag end to the stake. If you don't wrap they get broken off and if you don't weld they get loose....









For coyotes and cats I use 5', 1/2" rebar with a little longer support wire so I can set the pole off the side of the trail some if need be. I leave the tag end of the #9 stick out so in case my adjustable loop end of the snare should slide, it won't come off the end. I did away with the cross on these so I can use that green stake driver (just a pipe with a heavy chunk of steel welded in one end like a fence post driver) to pound the stakes in. SO much easier than a hammer...

Thank you for explaining them

Thank you Jayme! So, how much in the ground, and how much out (does species matter)? Great thread!

The coon poles are 24" in and 24" out of the ground... as a place to start anyway. If the ground is harder or softer you may want to adjust that a little obviously.

The 24" live snare stakes are all the way in the ground.

The coyote poles are 30-34" in the ground. I guess. I started anchoring the snares to the bottom of these and I am liking the results better but it takes a little longer snare (60-66").

Glad to help where I can.

Great pictorial Jayme!

Thanks Mike. This stuff works here, it's probably not for everyone though.

Anyone ever snared beaver without the ability to drown them? I walk quite a distance sometimes and hauling 10' drowning rods around isn't fun. Even if I have deep enough water to drown the beaver. Sometimes not.

We never bother to try and drown them with snares.

Here is some info on the set we use. We use it to bridge hop in the spring for traveling beaver. We don't even look for sign as long as the creek is large enough to hold beaver.

Dig a trench into the waters edge, slightly angled down stream if there is current, 8" to a foot deep and about 8" wide. Then lure as you see in the picture, rarely use any kind of mound.



I made this lightweight tool from an old shovel to dig the trench, but you could use a big hoe or something...





Here's how it digs, only takes a minute or two...















Hope that helps.

Thanks.

Question for ADC also. I have stakes made out of 1\2 rebar that 48" long. Are your coyote stakes or pole 1\2". Is 1\2" strong enough? I think anchoring the low is good but do you get any chew offs with them anchored low.

Good question. I suppose 5/8" would be even better but I have about 10 dozen and the $ difference would be a deal breaker for me. Occasionally I get bent rods but I just bend them back straight before I pull them from the ground if I can, or in a vice at the shop, if I can't. VERY few chew outs since I went to kill springs on my snares. I think it helps that I use such solid support wires, such fast loaded snares and I set them higher (12-14" off the trail) so they just clear it with their chins. I get a lot of them just below the head with the lock near the back of the skull and that combo puts them down pretty fast.

I had to go to longer than 4' poles though because I like at least 2' above ground and if the ground wasn't really hard they were pulling them.

Jayme- you the man for keeping posting these pictures and videos that I forget about! I LOVE a 750 on a drowning rod in spring but the amount of concrete rubble and fluctuating water levels make me want to give a snare line a decent shot.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained Mitch. Give it a try. Its a great, easy way to catch beaver.