Back in the 1970's, 1980's and even up to today most trappers that snare have been told (and believe) that coons cannot be neck snared. I think that idea came more from the use of washer locks. Nothing makes a poorer lock than a washer. Not for the design, but because of the metal in the washer itself. Washers are made to be a spacer on a bolt and nut, so they are made of the cheapest, poor quality iron or steel available. Used for a snare lock the hole is quickly sawed out by the cable and the snare will literally back off so much it almost falls off by itself. A coon has good hands so at this point it is easy for him to remove it. Most snare locks are made with better quality steel so that when a coon tightens that snare on his first lunge it stays in place. I have a few Thompson locks made in the early 1970's that have caught maybe 30, 40 animals and the hole in the lock is the same size as when it was new. Actually I get 70% or more of my coons by the neck. Having been raised on a farm with a zoo I got to study animal behavior. One thing I noticed is when a coon walks in water he shuffles his feet, I assume to not splash himself in the face. That makes any snare set in the water tailor made to neck snare him.
During the 70's and 80's fur boom my main coon set was culverts. The first picture shows how I set them up. I would cut green sticks ahead of time just the same length as the diameter of the culvert. Twist on a piece of 14 gauge wire for snare support and that stick will wedge in the culvert hang my snare, add another stick on the other side of the loop and I was on my way. In order to save time I went pre-season around my line and placed 10 sticks with support wire attached just far enough from the culvert that a caught animal could not reach them. Most culverts had exposed reinforcement wire so I fastened my snare to that with a dog leash type snap. I could shoot the coon, replace the snare and be back in my truck before the coon quit kicking. In 1979,on the first night of trapping season I left my house at 2:30 AM and was home to skin mink at the ranch at 7:30 AM with 104 coons in my International Scout. That is 1 coon every 3 minutes! Of course many times I had a coon on each end of the culvert so that sped things up. Also note in the picture I placed a can or rock on the top of the culvert so I could check the snares with a light from the truck. Catch a coon and the can and/or rock is quickly knocked off.
Due to the Easter Holiday I will not post more pictures until next Monday.



Another favorite set was to lean a pole or in this case an old board against a den tree, the coons will climb it for easy access.

Neck snared coons expire quickly with a little entanglement





1 night, 56 coons, 70 some rats and a gray fox who also went into a culvert snare. Not all coons are in pic.

Nice catch of fur.

That’s a nice pile of fur!

You make it look easy!!

Great job! Boy to be back in those days.

Thanks Eric!

Happy Easter, Eric.

Thank you again for all your pictures and snaring info!

thanks for sharing, sure was fun back in the old days

Happy Easter for Pa also, great of you to put these post on the internet.....jk