using lure when snaring

[glen]

I've done a lot of snaring mostly in fence rows and thicket trails. What is the proper way to use lure or urine when snaring, remember I've never used either. I guess one of my biggest guestions is location.

[Snareman]

I'll start off and explain one way I use lure...

When I see canine activity on a deer trail, I don't want to put a snare there, but I do want to catch the canines that are on that trail!

What I'll do is find some thicker brush or some sort of corridor that represents a trail-like spot that branches off the deer trail on the "upwind" side. I'll place some lure about 25 feet off the trail and hang a snare 1/2 way between the deer trail and the lure. I'll have lure about knee high. When a canine comes up deer trail, he'll pick up that lure smell, double-back and hopefully work up this branch towards the lure just like working a dirt set.... and the snare will get them. I also set these up ahead of season in areas where I know canines will travel in areas where there are deer and/or heavy sportsman traffic on a woods trail. Canine walk woods trails too and this method will get them off the trail. I would love to set the path or small road, but 4 wheelers and such will plow them over.

I have others, but hopefully some will drop in with their .02 cents too!

Snareman

[conibear]

The only lure i've used is pure skunk essence that i extracted from fall trapping when i catch skunks, but i
put out alot of bait station , so the animals are already used to comeing in. I use the skunk essences, if i find a place where i don't have bait set up, and the the fox and coyotes sign tells me they are there. All i do is find a place close to the area there useing and use 2 or 3 film canisters fild with cotton and skunk essences with no lid and put in trees in a 10 to15 foot circle and hang snares in trail you think that they will try to come in on, i like to set back away from the smell aways to get them when they circle the smell. That is just my 2 cents worth i hope it helps.

[Snareman]

conibear,

That's a good one. I like the part where you mention the circling. Some canines won't come into the bait, but circle and if you have snares for this habit, you'll have success!

Skunk essence is a real good call lure to bring in the curious.

Snareman

[buckfreak]

I use a trailing scent when snaring coon trails. I think it will up your catch enough to justify it. The only drawback to me is that a fish based scent is death on bobcats. If we had a season It wouldn't bother me to use it extensively but because of the high catch rate on cats I use it in selected spots. I don't squirt alot, just dribble it on each side of the snares a few feet. Works good in a spot where you don't have room to move the snare and have to reset the same circle. Just pile up trash on both sides of the trail reset snare and use the trailing scent to pull them into the circle.
Have used some baits for coyotes that are more of a long distance type call. Usually use about half of a three pound coffee can of it with holes in the can to let the smell out. Set it in the middle of a brush or willow patch and set all trails especially the ones on the predominant down wind side. The circling effect has been covered but it works on the ones not brazen enough to get close to the smell. One tip that can be used with the lure is to use a chunk of old hide and hang it about four feet off the ground as a visual attractor. Hang it so it swings in the breeze. You would be surprised how far visual stimuli will attract fox and coyotes especially when you use it in conjunction with lure or "bait".
Hope this helps.

[45/70]

First of all, a snare is essentially a blind set tool, and it this use that accounts for most animals taken in snares. I think that some folks get too enamored by lure and bait, and overlook the obvious.
That said, there are some lured and/or baited sets which will work well with a snare. A castor mound set, or some variation of that set may be the most common of the lured snare sets.
A snare can work well in a lured and baited cubby set for bobcats. A variation of a baited cubby cat set is to set a piece of hog wire into the ground so that an arch, open at both ends is formed. Cover the wire with burlap, brush, etc. Bait in the center of the cubby thus formed, and do a light scratch-up over the bait. Sprinkle some cat urine over the bait. Hang a snare maybe a foot inside each end.
A set I have found that works well on fallow land with a lot of broom sage is: till a square bottomed U off the side of any field road runing thru the sage. The long side needs be parallel to the road. This is a labor intensive set, and one that is best prepared with a garden tiller prior to the season. I usually run off the road way maybe 3 feet or so, and the long side is maybe 5 feet (these measurments are very general, and you may want more distance for a coyote).
Bait and lure in the center of the long side. Hang a snare about half way down each of the short legs.
If you have round hay bales in your area, usually a lot of these are never taken up or used, and are left to rot in the field year after year. What you need to look for is a couple of bales laying side by side (not end to end). Work out a path betwen the bales. You can do this pre-season with a tiller, or during season by "walking a path down" between the bales with some light trimming with a machete, and light chopping with a hoe (remember the draw of fresh dirt). Don't make this a clean walk-way -- leave it somewhat obscure. Bait half way thru, and lure on top of the bales. Hang a snare a couple of feet into each end of the walk way. You might use different lures on each of the bales -- one of them a LDC lure.
Many standard sets can be adapted to snare use, but one last time: Do not loose the concept that a snare is a blind harvet tool.
Adios,
45/70,
RKBA !!!

[buckfreak]

45/70 while a snare is a "blind" set tool it can successfully be used with bait or lure. Using a trailing scent you can get a critter to go where you want, which is through the snare loop. It is alot faster and easier than using a garden tiller Can't see putting out 3-500 snares with that method. A gallon of trailing scent will go ALOT farther than a gallon of gas for your tiller, but to each his own. I am not enamoured with lure and bait with snares I just realize its effectiveness.

[45/70]

While you are correct that trailing scents may be successfully used in some snaring situations, my point was that to become so focused on using baited or lured snare sets as to ignore the snare's primary use as a blind set is to loose much, maybe most, of the snare's potential.
I believe that we agree on that.
As to using the tiller, I said that these were labor intensive sets. If your trapping area is limited so that you cannot string 500 snares, one may be forced to look at other sets. I have run that many snares -- I am sure that many of us have. I am equally sure that some of us have neither the time nor the area for that kind of snaring. One thing that may limit working area is ADC work. There are times I like to "play around" or experiement with things. Much of what I have learned about animals and snaring has been gleaned in this manner.
The feller who posed this question asked for ways in which to utilitize bait and lure while snaring. That was the question I addressed. I don't believe that any of us can fully cover the subject, if for no other reason than that our experience is too widely varied. There is certainly room to discuss trailing scents as another technique.
Adios,
45/70,
RKBA !!!
Adios,
45/70,
RKBA !!!

[glen]

Thanks for the feed back on lure and bait. Believe me '70 I know that the snare is a blind set tool and up to this year I have never used any bait or lure. I have read on this fourm about guy using lure and wanted to ask some questions. I'm going to apply some of your info this year, I just have to find out when and how in my area. Thanks again for the info