I’m new to snaring and recently caught a coon by the body in one of my beaver snares. Needless to say he nearly tied my snare in a knot around a small willow sapling. My snare is now full of kinks and will not stay open in an even circle and the lock no longer slides easily. What’s the best way to straighten the cable out? I’d rather not have to discard a snare every time I body catch a coon. Thanks for any help!

Snares for the most part are one and done devises. Rarely do you get to re-use one.

Rebuilt it with Cable, the time and misses you will have will cost you more than the cent's In new cable.

Yup, the cable is pretty much disposable. The lock, swivel, whammy, and washer reusable though eventually the lock may wear beyond salvage.

Save the lock unless it is worn too much to lock,and cut off the kinked part of the snare and scrp it.Re-purpose the good part of the snare as an extension.

Are you buying or making snares? If you’re buying, set that one aside and grab a new one. If you’re making, save whatever parts are useable and like others have said, throw out the cable.
If you’re not making your own you will eventually have enough parts to start.

Thanks for the help y’all. Sounds like I’ll be buying some cable here soon!

Cable is like toilet paper...one and done

If the undamaged cable is long enough you can make cable stakes with the good part.
just

This ^^^^^^^^^^^

One and done the general rule although got 3 fox* this winter in the one snare before it was damaged beyond. First 2 times hardly know anything happened. That is a first for me on fox but was using a cam lock versus regular slim locks. Don't use cams that much though as they freeze but they do a good job when they can work.

* Luck did not stop there as all 3 were cross foxes.

crosspatch could you post some photos of them for us?.......jk

Same with cat snares,can often use them multiple times.
Same with some under ice beaver snares.
Quick kill-snare is often reuseable.
Flank catch-snares are wrecked.

Always test fire re used snares that look good to make sure there is no cam in the wire.If there is turn them into extensions and dont try to re use them.
The old style beaver wire can be re used lots of times.

All gone to FHA. Take you are interested in cross fox. I keep records going back almost 50 years now and we get roughly 80% red, 15% cross and 5% silver. Had an unusual run of good luck on colours this year. Only got 16 fox but 6 cross and a silver on that. Reds poor price but the silver and cross almost so good as a good female marten on average this past year sales.

And yes Boco quite correct as can often reuse lynx snares.