snaring in snow?

[BOWHUNTER]

How do you guys go about setting snares when there is 6 to 12 inches of snow on the ground what I mean by that is how do you keep your tracks to a minimum do you carry a broom to brush them out or anything like that?

[bobcatcurtis]

Bowhunter, if you are setting on a trail walk right on itthis will make it easier for the animal to walk, place your snare and than retreat out the same way. bobcat

[Snareman]

When setting a snare, I usually have the trail or travel corridor picked out, then I'll stand back and decide where the snares will go before I go to the spots. Once I establish where snares will be, I walk in from the sides taking large steps and trying to step in spots that disguises my steps and also prevents animals from following my own tracks, like fox and deer.

For coyotes in snow, I don't like walking down the trail. I hardly ever have a coyote follow my own tracks... fox and deer, yes... and timbers, but coyotes not often.

I also like to brush out my tracks if I disturb the spot too much. People say if you walk in from the side, it gives the animal something else to walk down instead of the trail, but not if you walk in like I described above.

Snareman

[BOWHUNTER]

Thanks for the replys guys but in Pa your set must be in the open so there will be alot of disturbence even if you walk in from the side.

[Snareman]

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue."

Meaning what you say and believe, is what the results you will have. If you say you'll have disturbance, then you'll have disturbance. Not me, I brush out my tracks with a limb if I have to for piece of mind. I've sent snares in countless... and I mean that, countless situations that would be deemed legal for use as a cable restraint, ie, no 1/2" rooted brush, etc, nearby for entanglement.

It's a huge misnomer that cable restraints can only be used in the open. I will share some of that at PaCableRestraints.com www.pacablerestraints.com later this summer when the site is complete.

So for now, have the mindset you can set snare/cable restraint wherever you command, as carrying and importing some cover brush to the spot the cable restraint will hang, will do wonders to help blend it in.

You will also benefit in the future by directing your questions to the use of cable restraints as they are a different tool and do take some different considerations in their use.

Snareman

[Rod17]

I would consider using some larger size snowshoes to make a well-worn path through the snow. Once the snow gets deep enought most animals will use any trail thats easier to travel, including snowshoe tracks. I always walk well past where I plan to set, turn around and come back, hang my snare and walk out. Large snowshoes beat down a pretty good trail and I have seen fox and coyote tracks in these trails.

If the canines in you area shy away from tracks like Snareman suggestes occur in his area, I would walk perpendicualr to their travel lanes and hang snares where the two lanes intersect.

Good luck

Rod17

[RallySnares]

Try dragging a venison 1/4 or beaver carcass in your tracks and set snares as you pass through grass or cattail areas to conform to the Pa regs. If legal make several of these type "trails" all leading through cattails onto a lake and when you have several made leave the carcass in the center of the lake and walk out. To aid in checking snares, use flagging ribbons or leaning switches attached to,or in the set area, that will be pulled or knocked down when a catch is made. Then when you go back to check you can use a pair of binoculars to check without disturbing the area or leaving tracks close to the sets. If you go back and they have made additional trails just walk through the cattails and set those trails too. If you can arrange it, try to check from a small hill top, or beaver house to give you a little heighth when checking. Avoid approaching the baits or snares until deeper snow or a catch is made. Also keep in mind when setting the heighth of snare that the coyote/ fox/fisher will have their nose near the ground like a trailing hound so lower is normally better when a bait has been dragged to cover your tracks. I also most often set two snares to each trail in case a tweety or clump of falling snow puts one out of commision, rather than disturb the area just to reset one snare. I also find the longer it sets the better. The local ravens and tweeties will get to working the bait an aid in drawing the canines and felines. A loud call lure in the begining may help but I can't really swear it makes much difference. It also helps if you scrape the snow off the ice before putting the bait down as it freezes better and is harder to remove in large pieces. Beaver guts frozen to a lake is very good in wolf country to keep them from taking off with your whole bait. Once it freezes down it takes a bulldozer to get it off the ice.
The primary reason I mention this set is that you can then anchor your "Cable Restraints" by drilling small holes in the ice and putting Berkshire Disposables or such under the ice and they freeze in place. The cattails should also be within the 1/2" diameter maximum" rooted woody substance allowed for non entanglement".

[levesque]

One year i did exactly as Rally mentioned with a beaver carcass and it did not work . Not saying it won't but it didn't for ma at that peticular time . The snow was deep and the animals were keeping to other areas at the time . The real problem we have here is the 24 hour check . Each time you check your snares you creat disturbances and the animals will leave , sometimes for long periods of time . Sometimes it seems pointless but it is what we have to work with so be it .