Traps

WHAT ARE TRAPS?

A trap is a device you make that catches an animal, they make it easier to catch food than trying to hunt for it and the traps we will be looking at are as humane as you can make them. Trapping and killing an animal is not something most people particularly want to do and, for those who would rather die than have to kill an animal, there are other things such as snails and worms that can be eaten and that we will find out how to prepare later.

There is--trapping. Not only do you end up with a hearty meal, but compared to the hours of energy expended while foraging or hunting, traps take little time to set, and unlike firearms or fishing rods, they work for you while you sleep. But to trap animals with enough regularity to feed yourself, you need to heed these three principles as you set up:

1. Location. Rabbits, muskrats, groundhogs, and other animals make distinct trails that they use over and over. These trails are the best places to set traps, but they can be difficult to see in bright sunlight. Search for them early or late in the day, when the shadows that define them are longer.

2. Direction. Where possible, narrow an existing traily brushing vegetation or driving a couple of small sticks into the groundo direct the animal into the trap, or place a horizontal stick at the top of the snare so that the animal must duck slightly, ensuring that its head will go right into the noose.

3. Size. Scale your trap correctly. As a rule, the noose should be one and a half times the diameter of the head of the animal you wish to capture and made of material that will break should you inadvertently snare, say, a cougar? foot.

The most important tool you can carry for catching dinner is a spool of snare wire (26 gauge is about right for all-purpose small-game snares; use 28 gauge for squirrels, 24 or heavier for beaver-size animals). Soft single-strand wire is superior to nylon monofilament because it holds its shape and game can? chew through it. Snares can also be made from braided fishing superlines or 550 parachute cord, depending on the trap you?