When I started building snares, I used #11 support wire and a plastic support collar that was snug. I’ve since graduated to plastic tubing that will take a #9 support wire. The problem sometimes is the plastic is stiff and it doesn’t want to take the #9 support wire without some effort.

My dentist gives away a lip balm product like chapstick. There is no odor. So I’ve begun using it as a lubricant on my support wire and it works very well. There is enough resistance to hold the snare until it over-peaks and the loading fires the snare.

I’m sure someone will come up with a joke/play on words. Have at it.

I paint my snare supports a flat grass-tan color. The paint may be making the support collar and support wire connection too tight. The chapstick type product makes life easier.

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Just stop using plastic tubing and go with a metal coiled WAMMY designed specifically for that size cable.
Chuck the #11 gauge and start going with #9 gauge.
You' ll be a lot happier with the results.

Plastic will not expand in cold temps, it in fact seems to do the opposite, making it difficult to work with in colder weather,
Most of my snare line in in freezing temps and snow.



Becoming a better snare man, well, that starts with using better equipment !


* Feel free to contact me direct. Always willing to help out a fellow trapper and /or snare man.

I don’t trap/snare under extreme weather conditions anymore. In fact, except for spring beaver, I’m done for this season. I tried metal whammies and wasn’t impressed. That’s why all my snares are set up with plastic tubing. But I’ve gotten away from using #11 wire even though Newt Sterling and other snaremen use it quite a bit.

In 2019 I attended the Ron Jones/Newt Sterling/Morgan Bennett snaring school. Their methods, plus those of Dale Billingsley and others have shaped my efforts at stringing cable.

There’s no question I like snaring. It’s simple, fast and effective. Next season I’ll only run snares and DPs.

I started going to the black tubing a long time ago when 10 gauge wire was starting to be sold as 9 and my whammies werent tight on the wire like it was supposed to be.

I like poly vinyl because it’s versatile.

At one spot I may diving into a patch of buffalo berry, anchoring a snare off the main trunk and wrapping some 11 gauge around some brush and rolling on. Quick and sweet.

I like 11 gauge for this application. Easier to work with.

The next stop I may be in an open grass trail, driving a rebar anchor/support utilizing 9 gauge wire. I like 9 gauge for this application. It’s more rigid and supportive in the longer lengths required for this application.

Polyvinyl allows me to utilize both systems with the same snare.

The tightly wrapped metal collars are to size specific, and I’m not gonna start making/carrying two types of snares around.
The corkscrew type collars, well they just suck.

I use poly down to some stupid low temps. Does it get stiff? Sure. But it’s still workable.

The biggest drawback to it is if you have some snares that make it a few years of carryover the polyvinyl starts to dry out. This makes them real hard.

This seams odd but when my tubing gets to cold/stiff to get the wire in i put a lighter on it for a couple of seconds. Makes it nice & pliable for the wire..

Rubber gas line tubing.