Snare Trap

5 Ways to Make a Snare Trap (For Small Game)

Whether you are in a survival situation or catching food while you camp, knowing how to make a snare trap can go a long way in helping you out. Fortunately, there isn’t just one snare trap – there are many different kinds that help in different situations.

having the right tools tools will make buiklding snares easier, but it is really your knowledge on living off the land that drives success, below are 5 ways to make a snare trap that will help you catch small game.

1. Simple Snare Trap

To create this trap, you will need two sticks or a stick in a “Y” shape that you can stick into the ground. You may need to sharpen these sticks a bit so that they sink into the ground easier. If you are using two sticks, stick them into the ground about 2 to 3 inches apart from one another.

Then, you will need 3 smaller sticks. Two of these sticks will go horizontally on each side of the two sticks you placed in the ground. These will be used to keep the third smaller stick, or trigger, in place upright between them. From the trigger, you will have a length of string or wire leading to the engine of your trap. On the end of your string hanging from the trigger, tie this length into a noose.

As a final step, you will want to build a small ramp by leaning two larger sticks against the part of your trap you already built and use smaller sticks horizontally to create a semi-flat surface. Your noose, or snare loop, will go on top of this. Remember to camouflage it for the best results.

2. Trigger Snare

For the trigger snare, you will need two pegs, some wire and/or rope to make a leader line and noose loops, and a bent sapling to use as an engine. The two pegs should be able to hook onto each other so that both stand vertically. If you don’t have pegs, you can create them from a pair of thick sticks. Just like the last snare trap we looked at, one of these pegs or sticks must be sharp enough on the opposite end that it hooks onto the other one to stick into the ground securely.

You should use your rope to attach the top of the hook to your engine – the bent sapling. Then, you will want to attach the noose to the bottom end of the top stick that makes up the hook.

3. Squirrel Pole

This next snare is perfect if you are trying to snare squirrels. After all, squirrels are fast animals and it can take a little extra working to make sure you catch one in your trap. With a little work, though, this snare can be perfect for catching the small animals.

For the main portion of this snare, you will need a straight branch or tree of about 10 to 12 feet that you will lean against a standing tree at about a 45-degree angle. Next, you will need some wire to create the actual snare portion of the trap with. Each section of wire you use will be around 10 to 12 inches long.

When you create each noose, you will want to position it upward, so it would catch each squirrel as it ran down the branch. This is why you must use wire for this trap, any type of rope won’t be able to stick up to catch the squirrels. You can put as many of these as you want on the branch, in theory, but you won’t want any too close to the ends.

To catch a squirrel’s head, you won’t want the nooses to be right against the branch either. Instead, position them about an inch above it.

I have shared squirrel poles before, this is a pretty simple way to get a little extra food.

4. Snare for Fishing

If you are more interested in catching fish with your snare, that can be arranged as well. The easiest way to do this is to simply modify the trigger snare we went over earlier.

Getting started, you will follow all the same basic steps as you did creating the trigger snare. Instead of creating a noose, though, you will use a baited hook in line attached to the snare the same way the noose was. This will, naturally, extend into the water to bait fish.

Once the fish bites the bait, the snare will trigger, pulling the fish out of the water. You should be sure that you clear the area of anything that will accidentally trigger the trap. Since you are catching fish, you don’t need to worry about camouflaging the majority of the trap like other options on this list since your game won’t see it until it’s too late.

5. Drowning Snare

A drowning snare is a rather simple trap that, as the name suggests, kills the game it catches by drowning. This is great because it keeps the game you catch away from other animals and it keeps it out of the sun.

Creating this trap is pretty easy. All you need is a few sticks, a snare line, and a rock. Of course, you will need to do this near water deep enough to drown the game and a steep enough bank for the trap to work.

To start, you will want to tie the snare line to both the rock and the float stick. Make sure to add a noose as part of the actual trap. Then, prop the rock up with your second stick so that it will fall if any game runs through the snare. When the snare is triggered, the rock will plummet into the water, drowning the game. The float that you tied to the rock will signal where in the water your game is when you come back later.

Steel Wool Firestarter

Camping: How to Start a Fire With a Battery
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A Steel Wool Firestarter is a cool trick, I have used a battery to light fine steel wool, and a match will light it just as well.

This PDF is like the freezer document.  It is really too short to bother downloading so I will just post the content here:

An easy and dramatic way to start a fire is to use two flashlight batteries and a strip of grade 00 or finer steel wool. Cut or stretch a piece to about 8 inches in length.

Align two good flashlight batteries on top of each other in an upright position (as if they were placed inside a flashlight). Hold one end of the steel wool strip against the bottom of the lower battery.

Carefully rub the otherend of the steel wool across the “nub” of the upper battery. As soon as the steel wool sparks, place it on tinder or other burnable material and slowly blow on it. As you blow, the flame will grow more intense.

This method works very well for starting a fire in windy areas. For safety reasons, always pack the steel wool and batteries in separate containers.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.tngun.com/wp-content/uploads/Steel-Wool-Firestarter.pdf” title=”Steel Wool Firestarter”]

How to Choose Binoculars

how to choose binoculars
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Here is an info-graphic on how to choose binoculars from Binoculars Today.  I hope this is useful to you.  I don’t normally post infographics, but this one seems to have some useful information for you.

It talks about what the numbers like 109×50 mean.  It also gives some information on lens coatings and prism types.

This info gives some good basic information, but if you want to know more you can visit their website, or look at the book I linked to at the top left of this article.

When I was an older boy scout we organized a large capture the flag event and spent months preparing to win the contest.  It was during that time that I learned that a good pair of binoculars gathered light and made it easier to see at night.  It wasn’t night vision by any means.  When the moon is out providing some ambient light binoculars can help.

I hope this picture will help you better know how to choose binoculars.  Good binoculars can make the difference in many outdoor and prepper activities.  You should have a decent set in every prepper kit you own.

How to Choose Binoculars

How to Choose Binoculars

Infographics by http://binocularstoday.com/

The More You Know the Less You Carry

 

The More You Know the Less You Carry
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I got my start with bushcraft as a child living on a state park.  The man in the video above is Mors Kochanski who is a internationally known bushcrafter.

He popularized the idea of the more you know the less you carry.  I am sharing this video to explain a very important concept for preppers.

My conversations with new preppers that talk about their bug out plans and how much ammo they plan on carrying.  It is not uncommon for people to tell me that they keep a pistol, a backup pistol, a shotgun and an AR (or SKS or AK) and 200 rounds each in their car in case they have to get out of dodge.

Now that’s not terribly unrealistic in a car, but next they tell me that they plan on EMP and trying to hike home or to their bug out location 15 or twenty miles away.

I doubt those guys have every tried to walk a distance with 800 rounds, but I carry that much around on the range all the time to issue ammo – I don’t like carrying that 10 feet, much less 10 miles.

Let us be realistic in our plans, let’s think about all aspects of preparedness and not just stop at what we think is cool.

Survival Skills: 7 Ways to Find Water in the Wild

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Only a very few people can survive the wild these days without the modern convenience, such as electricity and electronic gadgets, mobile devices. Although some can still survive without this modern equipment, nobody can survive without water.

Needless to say, water is highly essential for survival. Yes, you can package some water along with you to the wild; they cannot sustain you if you plan to spend a considerable period of time. If you want to spend more time in the wild, then you need to devise some ways to find water in the wild.

Start With the Obvious: Streams, Rivers, and Lakes

Streams, rivers, and lakes are the most obvious source of water in the wild. These sources of water offer clean, clear flowing water which is the best option you can ever think of. Generally, flowing water does not allow bacteria to fester. Small streams are what you should first look for once you get to the wild. You can also consider rivers as a second choice after stream. Larger rivers often have a higher percentage of pollution. If this is this only option available, you should consider purifying the water consumption. Lakes and ponds are also okay but they are stagnant and hence, a high rate of bacteria.

So, how do you find these sources of water? First, you should conduct a research on the location of rivers and streams before you embark on the journey in cases where possible. In the wild, you need to use your senses. If you stand still and silent, you should be able to hear the sound of flowing water. More so, If you stand at a sloppy ground, you should know that there is a flowing river or stream at the extreme base.

Another way to locate rivers or streams is by tracing animal footpaths which can lead to water. Insect swarms, although annoying, is another sign of water proximity. Another way to locate rivers or streams is by following the birds swarm early in the morning or late in the evening.

Collect Rainwater

Rainwater is one of the safest ways to get drinkable water without the fear of bacterial infections. If you are lucky to find yourself in a wild in the tropical region during the rainy season, you wouldn’t have to worry about water all through your stay in the wild.

There are basically 2 ways of collecting rainwater. The first is to place as many containers as you have in the rain. In cases where you have little or no container, then you can try this second method. Tarp around trees a few millimeters off the ground or tie the corners of a poncho, place a small piece of stone at the center to create depression and watch the water collect in it.

Collect Heavy Morning Dew

Heavy morning dew is another source of water in the wild. You can get up to 1 liter of water per hour from morning dew. To do this, tie some absorbent clothes around your ankles take a workout early in the morning before sunrise. When your cloth gets saturated, wring out the water and repeat the process over and over again.

Fruits/Vegetation

You should not underestimate the amount of water you can derive from plants. Plant fruits, roots, vegetables, fleshy plants, and other plants have a lot of water embedded in it. Collect EDIBLE plants, place them into a container, and smash them with a piece of stone or rock. Although it may be a very tedious process, it can be very useful in desperate situations.  Try my Leaf Condensation trick.

Collect Plant Transpiration

You can also get some water by trapping the plant’s transpiration. Transpiration is a process whereby water is translocated from the root to the underside of the leaf before it is eventually released to the atmosphere. So, the trick here is to catch the water before it escapes to the sky.

First in the morning, tie a bag or anything that can be mold into a bed around the leafy green area of a shrub. Place a small piece of rock in the bag in order to create a depression and weigh it down a bit for easy water collection. Instead of the vapor to escape to the atmosphere, the water will be collected and retained in the bed. However, do not try this with a poisonous plant.

Tree Crotches/Rock Crevices

Tree crotches and rock crevices are another good sources of water, just like the fruit and vegetation. Although the process can be stressful and demanding, it is a good alternative, especially in difficult situations. To collect water from tree crotches or rock crevices, dip a cloth inside the hole, allow it to soak, and wring it out. Repeat this process as much as possible to get enough water.

Dig an Underground Still

This method is a relatively reliable source of water compared to other ways. It is a good option if you or your team is camping in the wild for a considerable long period of time. The process of digging well is very common which you are surely aware of. Although the process is tasking, the outcome always worth the energy invested. However, make sure you site your well or still close to a reputable water source or riverine area.

Conclusion

While you can survive without electricity or electronic gadgets in the wild, it is quite impossible to survive without water. Getting water in the wild may first sound difficult to you. However, we hope this guide on ways to find water will help you a lot.