Robert, I don't consider myself an expert hog snareman, but according to my wife I am considered an "obsessed" hog snare'er.
In my area, I am usually kinda hush mouthed when it comes to hog snarin'. There are alot of folks that believe hogs can't be snared because they've tried and had little to no success. As bad as I hate to admit it, I like that train of thought, especially around these parts.
My answers are all based on my own experiences only.
To keep from getting long winded on the answers, I'll describe my basic hog snare set up.
All my snares are made with EHD sure locks, 120"s of 1/8" 7x7 or 1x19 cable.
I make my own supports and wammies specific for the hog snares. They are a bit beefier than whats available from the supply vendors.
Loop is usually 20" to 24" and as large as 30" with around 4" to 6" ground clearance set for non-entanglement whenever possible.
Snares are checked twice a day, early morning and late afternoon.
If heat wasn't a factor and there were 24 hour checks, how many hogs will be expired?
Heat is a huge factor in the death rate on snared hogs.
I've only lost one hog during cool/cold conditions and it expired due to entanglement.
I've found as long as the temps are below 45º F my losses are 1% or less, 45º to 55º F they go to 3%, above 55º F they jump to as much as 10%.
In most cases a hog will lay down shortly after being snared and will remain somewhat calm until you arrive. Sows with pigs are the worst fighters and IMO should be cut loose ASAP, just don't turn your back on her even after it looks like she's going to run away from you, they like to double back and put you up a tree.
If it's warm, you need to quickly decide what you want to do (alive or dispatched) and work as fast as possible if wanting to keep them alive.
What percentage of neck catches would one expect?
My neck catch percentage is around 95%.
Is there a preference for body catching or neck catching?... or does it matter?
IMO neck catches are by far the best. Using the locks described in my snares, when the hog hits the end of the cable it will almost always try to push through the cable with a hard lunge. When it does this the lock will almost always bend and crimp the cable in the lock. Not what you'd like to see in most snaring scenerios but in this case it will keep the lock crimped at that spot on the cable unless the hog really uses excessive force.
When a couple of lunges don't free them they will try to back out of the loop. By now thier usually winded and will lay down.
I have witnessed this several times. I've had hogs come down a trail that I had just set and was fortunate to get to actually watch them go into the snare.
It'll look like a bomb went off on a body or hoof caught hog.
What size cable is preferred for all around snaring? How about the larger hogs?
I use the 1/8" cable for two reasons. It has held ALMOST every hog that it has connected with and I use the used snare cable for my earth anchors.
I've had snare failures, but it has almost always been the lock that fails.
I'm not sure I really wanted to tackle the hogs that can rip one of those locks apart anyway, besides, I have to leave some breeding stock behind.
That 1/8" cable does look like sewing thread when a 400 lb pi**ed off boar hits the end of it 2' in front of you at a full charge.
