Do
It Yourself Snare Pole
A
game remover snare pole you can make yourself for
about $5
I made my own snare to save on weight and it works as
well or better than the commercial ones, as it has a
longer handle than most, a bigger snare loop, and it
weighs less.
All
materials available from any hardware store:
A) 42 inches of half-inch PVC pipe
-- or longer if you prefer (if longer you will also
need a longer length of cable). This very narrow PVC
pipe flexes a bit, but it's tough enough to do the
job. I find 42 inches is long enough to make the
animal feel it can bolt, but short enough to carry on
the outside of my pack.
B) Two short copper pieces used to
sweat copper pipes together. These go on the ends of
the PVC pipe, prevent cable wear on the PVC pipe, and
look good to boot. These copper tips will stay on by
themselves -- no glue is needed.
C) About 4 inches of copper pipe to
be used as a T handle.
D) About 8 feet of 1/8 cable
(available from Home Depot).
E) A hacksaw and a hammer, and an electric
drill with 1/8 bit. A vice is very nice to have.
F) A 1/8 inch cable ferrule and stop
set (available from Home Depot). You will only be
using the two stops, not the ferrules.
Assembly Directions:
1. Cut the PVC to length, slip the
copper end caps on, and drill straight through one
end cap so that the cable can be pushed through.
2. Thread cable as show below, and
slip on a stop set and hammer it flat to swage it in
place and prevent it from pulling through.
3.
Slip the long piece of the cable up and out the other
end of the PVC pipe.
4)
Drill a hole through the 4 inch copper pipe to be
used as a "T" handle. This hole should go
through only one wall of the pipe.
5)
Thread the cable through the hole in the side of the
copper pipe handle, and run it through the pipe as
shown.
6)
Put on the other cable stop piece and adjust the
cable length, making sure to leave a large enough
loop in the snare end to completely fit a large den
pipe used by groundhog, raccoon, or fox. Slip the
cable up and down and see how easy the snare slides
tight? Put the stop end where appropriate it, and
hammer it flat in order to swage it in place. Cut off
the extra cable with the hacksaw (clamping the cable
in a vice makes this much easier). Pull the swaged
stop into the handle where it will be hidden from
view.
7) Your snare is finished! In order
to carry the snare with you on the outside of your
pack, I recommend hooking a short bungee cord (three
for a dollar at the Dollar Store) through the snare
end and drawing it tight to the handle (see picture
below). I have a thong attached to the handle as
well, which is used to attach the snare to my pack.
How to use a snare:
Block the exit to the main den with a shovel. Put the
snare loop in the exit or pipe where the quarry is
going to bolt from. Wait. When the groundhog, raccoon
or fox has gotten its head and at least one leg
through the snare, pull it tight very quicky. Keep
pressure on the cable as you lift the animal free of
the pipe. The cable can be double-backed down the
body of the PVC pipe so that you can keep the cable
tight and hold the game remover with just one hand
while you either dispatch, bag or take a picture
prior to release.
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