Tension Spring on Coyote Snares

I have been running coyote snares with a toothed cam lock and senneker spring setup (without the trigger). I was wondering if I just used the toothed cam lock and no tension spring if it would put down the coyote just as well? How much do those springs help to dispatch the coyote? I am going to order some more supplies and was just wondering what you guys experienced?

NO! The cam lock will dispatch well with entanglement but, a dispatch spring greatly increases the effectiveness of any lock by keeping it from backing off. Thus you get a much quicker humane dispatch and less site disturbance, often without entanglement.

If your using Marty Sennecker's system use the trigger system and set up per his recommendations for best results!

BC is spot on ,, Had the opportunity on a control job last winter under permit to use all the tools to test the dispatch springs. Used toothed cams, with and without springs. All the yotes were DOA with springs, without all but one was running big circles. 1 chew out without springs. All 1x19 16th 10 footers with inline swivels. no entanglement natural grass fields.. A few with springs didn't fight it long. Very little disturbance.

I had problems with the toothed cam locks freezing up, when it warmed up and melted snow or rained they would get water down in the teeth and freeze up, missed a couple wolves this way (never used toothed cam locks on coyote snares). Went to using the smooth cam locks and didn't have that problem. I usually have entanglement anywhere I'm snaring so don't find the kill springs necessary, I will say the one wolf I caught in a snare with a kill spring went down fast, but it was also wrapped around a three inch fir tree and practically hanging.
Only live coyote I've ever had in a snare was in a wolf snare with kill spring and toothed cam lock. Had the deer stop placed out intentionally where I didn't think it would choke out a dog because it was an area where I and other houndmen hunted. 10 foot of cable and the coyote never wrapped around a tree and had been there for a day or so, I dunno, strange things happen.

I bought a dozen wolf snares with kill springs when they first opened it up here. Only experience I have had with kill springs, otherwise I have always made my own snares and never used springs.

Whether or not you have good entanglement the springs will greatly enhance the dispatch. You will have very few, if any, jughead catches when using dispatch springs. A drop of glycerine on the cam lock will help with the freeze up problem.

Thanks guys.

Thanks for the glycerin tip. Never thought of that

Spray silicone works well also. But spray them ahead of time so they air off a bit.

I used a modified L lock with a dispatch spring on all my snares. Very few are running circles when i get to them. I switched to a 50lb dispatch spring on snares i made this season, seem to work better for me on yotes here, the 25lb would be fully compressed on some of the live ones and not providing any more tension. I would fully recommend dispatch springs of either size.

I would use a Trigger on them if you can. They work ok without it but the trigger really helps things shine. I caught 571 coyotes last year with 1/16th cable as my experience level......

I agree with the trigger recommendation. I also like the #22 springs better than the short ones. More travel, so it takes up more slack. Never had a live yote with the #22 springs this year. Very few that you couldn't hang a new snare right in it's place.

Tell us some more specs on your snares if you don't mind Lee. And the supports and anching you prefer. Thanks buddy!

Jayme, I hate to give all my secrets away at one time! Just kidding! I use the standard Senneker setup, but like I said, the longer springs are a winner in my book. Even if the lock slips a wee bit, they have enough travel to really keep the pressure on. What makes the triggers important, is The yote hits the end and the lock is set before it releases the tension from the spring. I use a piece of 1/4 inch rod that is thirty inches long, with a piece of 11 gauge wire welded to the end and the other end is flattened to keep the wind from turning it. I like the long rod because I drive it into the ground at a steep angle to the trail, then use a loop in the wire to hold a weed stalk to break the outline of the snare lock and spring, and also the support rod. It just looks like a blown over weed at that point. I like iron weeds for the weed, they have a bushy top. I've snared a lot of yotes off of cow trails where there was just a path through buffalo grass, the coyotes walk those trails before they walk the grass, and in overgrazed pastures, many times there is an abundance of weeds standing in those pastures! Not real effective during a full moon, but the rest of the time, it can be deadly! For anchoring, I just drive a rebar stake, usually back off the trail. The idea is to get him dead and off the trail so you can reset the same spot. I always use an extension, so I can loop a new snare to the extension without pulling the stake. You play with it, you figure it out quick!

Thanks Lee! Always appreciate your input!

The Magnum springs work way better. I find shorter cable works best as well for some reason.

That's awesome nube! What do you neighbors in suburbia think when you haul a truck bed full of dead coyotes into your driveway? 😂