Hunting Around Conibear Traps and Snares

[brittman]

Excellent video and advise (originally posted by backtroller1 - thanks):

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/hunting-dog-owners-watch-how-to-release-body-grip-traps/

I suggest you go buy a #220 and practice with both the big zip ties and the rope method. I can squeeze the smaller size by hand, but there is no way I could squeeze the #220 with one hand and reset the safety with the other. The #220 is the one that is truly large enough get around most bird dog's head.

By practicing with the zip ties you can master opening the trap with some speed and also make sure the zip ties are long and strong enough. The zip tie method is great because you do not have to worry about the setting the safeties or having them slip back out of place.

The rope method shown in the DNR booklet and on some web sites is not an easy method to master. Odds are low that the rope method will work if the first time you use it is on a trapped dog.

In Your Vest

24" zip ties

rope

leash - can you instead of rope or leash dog in other situations that maybe dangerous to your dog

bolt cutters - the bolt cutter is for cutting snares if you cannot slip it off your dogs neck.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Good info!

Makes me absolutely sick how many dogs die in these traps every year. Sure hope a compromise is reached for the benefit of our dogs and the trappers.

Every death or near death of a dog makes it harder and harder for me to support trappers, and what little support I have is nearly gone.

End the madness!

[DaSwede]

I know next year I will have zip ties in my hunting vest. I hunt only private land, but my last lab stepped in a spring trap on that private land. Ask the owner of the property if he started trapping, and he looked at me like I was crazy. I handed him the trap. Of course there was no ID on it.

Keep your dogs safe!

[water rat]

Great post !

Never In my life have I had a trap issue,with that said,in the last 2 weeks my male wirehair( I have 3). Found himself in a snare and yesterday he Found a foothold ! I / he was very lucky with the snare,I could see him looking at me with his ears pulled up tight,I thought he was hung up in some string that a duck hunter may have used,then I saw the cable,he was choking when I got to him....now yesterday he found a coyote foothold set! At least I could hear him this time....

My dogs and my self are fortunate..this was on public property near my home.

[duckbuster]

I couldn't agree more. End the FREAKIN MADNESS!!!!

Good info!

Makes me absolutely sick how many dogs die in these traps every year. Sure hope a compromise is reached for the benefit of our dogs and the trappers.

Every death or near death of a dog makes it harder and harder for me to support trappers, and what little support I have is nearly gone.

End the madness!

[Todd Caswell]

Brett is a good friend of mine and a training partner, he's very passionate about this. There are two different " grades" if you will of zip ties, all plastic and the better ones have a metal lip inside the large end that the tie slides through. I'm an electrician and we use alot of zip ties for many different applications. I recommend practicing with some cheap ones and buy a few good ones to keep in your vest. The better grade ones are much much stronger and will not slip, the cheaper one also have a tendency to break in really cold weather. And the black one are outdoor and UV rated as well. Heating and cooling trades use the really big ones for attatching duct vents.

[RangerJack]

bruledrifter and duckbuster, you guys must not realize that without trappers, there would be a lot less pheasants, grouse, and waterfowl flying around for you to shoot at.

Do you not realize how many eggs, chicks, and adult birds a coon, mink, otter, skunk, weasel, bobcat, fox, or coyote will eat???

Bird hunters should be thanking trappers for controlling the predator populations.

I agree that both sides will need to compromise on seasons that overlap, etc, etc. Trappers and bird hunters don't have to be in the woods during the same time of year. We can push back the trapping seasons (bobcat, fisher, and pine marten) a while, and end our bird hunting seasons a little sooner, and I bet that would solve a lot of problems with dogs and traps. It would keep the majority of the conibears out of the woods while bird hunters are walking around. IMO.

[nofishfisherman]

I agree that both sides will need to compromise on seasons that overlap, etc, etc. Trappers and bird hunters don't have to be in the woods during the same time of year. We can push back the trapping seasons (bobcat, fisher, and pine marten) a while, and end our bird hunting seasons a little sooner, and I bet that would solve a lot of problems with dogs and traps. It would keep the majority of the conibears out of the woods while bird hunters are walking around. IMO.

Problem with that is that it makes too much sense. No one ever wants to give a little on anything. Its always "make the other guy change".

To me it makes sense to find a way to eliminate the overlap in seasons, or at least limit the use of the larger conibears until the bird seasons are over.

[brittman]

If you want to debate trapping start your own thread. Be glad to join in on another thread. Let's keep this one focused on getting dogs out.

[brittman]

The cable ties in the photo worked well on a #220. They are heavy-duty rated 175 pound tensile strength.

I guess will see how they work at 0 degree F this Sunday. Depending upon the type of plastic used, they may indeed become brittle.

UV rating should mean little unless you let them lie around in the sun. They do not need to last more than a minute or two.

[duckbuster]

RangerJack,

That's just a little inside thing between Bruler and me. I trapped for 10 years, I know all about the Conibear, in fact it was my trap of choice along with snares when I did my sets for Beaver. I'll let it go at that. I don't want to upset the OP as I did earlier.

bruledrifter and duckbuster, you guys must not realize that without trappers, there would be a lot less pheasants, grouse, and waterfowl flying around for you to shoot at.

Do you not realize how many eggs, chicks, and adult birds a coon, mink, otter, skunk, weasel, bobcat, fox, or coyote will eat???

Bird hunters should be thanking trappers for controlling the predator populations.

I agree that both sides will need to compromise on seasons that overlap, etc, etc. Trappers and bird hunters don't have to be in the woods during the same time of year. We can push back the trapping seasons (bobcat, fisher, and pine marten) a while, and end our bird hunting seasons a little sooner, and I bet that would solve a lot of problems with dogs and traps. It would keep the majority of the conibears out of the woods while bird hunters are walking around. IMO.

[Todd Caswell]

The cable ties in the photo worked well on a #220. They are heavy-duty rated 175 pound tensile strength.

I guess will see how they work at 0 degree F this Sunday. Depending upon the type of plastic used, they may indeed become brittle.

UV rating should mean little unless you let them lie around in the sun. They do not need to last more than a minute or two.

Yah I would let them sit outside overnight and try them, you may be suprised. Went back and looked at you picture and I don't know if you have tried your pliers on aircraft cable yet but they look to be the same side cutters I have in my tool bag, used for cutting copper and alum wire. If used on steel wire or aircraft cable they will fold over. And would be very hard to get around the cable if it was tight around the dogs neck, because of the design. They make a plier for cutting aircraft cable that will also work on all wire, about the same price they have a pointed nose to knip it and there about half the size.

[brittman]

Zip ties in the photo worked well in November in normal late fall temps.

It is a "low grade" bolt cutter. It cut through a store bought coyote snare. It will cut small diameter bolts. Will also cut barb wire fencing if that ever became an issue. Surprizing how often you find a "ball" of fencing in the field or even in the woods. Higher performance bolt cutters also have long handles which make them impractical to carry in a hunting vest.

Will test zip ties tomorrow. Finding cable/zip ties that are 24" and are flexible at very low temps may be a tough find. Likewise the metal lip cable ties in 24" lengths maybe tough to find.

Todd: If you have a link to high performance 24" cable ties post it up. Gardner Bender websites suggest they don't.

Otherwise the rope method WILL have to work.

[brittman]

Snares can be best removed by manually releasing, but ...

Quote:

Snares self-lock as they are pulled tight. They can be released manually, but when a dog is fighting the snare and has tangled it soundly the quickest way to loosen it is by cutting. Having a good, strong set of side-cutter pliers or, even better, a set of cable-cutting pliers is about the best way to free the dog quickly. Those with rounded jaws would be preferable so as to minimize injury when slipping the jaws between the cable and the dog’s neck.

[brittman]

Youtube video on removing dogs from snares

[brittman]

They make a plier for cutting aircraft cable that will also work on all wire, about the same price they have a pointed nose to knip it and there about half the size.

Post up a photo and better yet brand name. I am open to any better option.

[brittman]

I looked at the blade on the cable cutter and I believe I know what you mean on fold-over.

May look for a more durable cutter, although this one is supposed to be energency use only.

Is there a cutter out there than can handle repeated use on snare wire and barb wire fence for under $30 ?

[Todd Caswell]

I looked at the blade on the cable cutter and I believe I know what you mean on fold-over.

May look for a more durable cutter, although this one is supposed to be energency use only.

Is there a cutter out there than can handle repeated use on snare wire and barb wire fence for under $30 ?

Like I said these are made for cutting copper and alum. trust me I know because my dad was and electrician as well and as a kid trapping I ruined a brand new pair of his making snares. I haven't trapped in a few years but I just used a pair of high leverage side cutters for cutting the aircraft cable, nice clean cut. On alot of the critters we caught the cable was so tight around the neck that you would never be able to get your pliers in there around the cable. Plus these side cutters will cut fence as well, fence will do a number on your plies as well.

[RangerJack]

this is what you'd want if you're in the woods with snares.

it's an aircraft cable cutter, and will easily cut through any snare cable. It isn't meant for wire though. I carry one of these when I'm out hunting with my dog.

[MuleShack]

Snares can be best removed by manually releasing, but ...

"quote" Snares self-lock as they are pulled tight. They can be released manually, but when a dog is fighting the snare and has tangled it soundly the quickest way to loosen it is by cutting. Having a good, strong set of side-cutter pliers or, even better, a set of cable-cutting pliers is about the best way to free the dog quickly. Those with rounded jaws would be preferable so as to minimize injury when slipping the jaws between the cable and the dog’s neck. "/Quote"

I found this out the hard way this fall too. My GSP got into a snare but luckily she didn't panic and it didn't get pulled so tight that she couldn't breath. I only had a leatherman along and I could have snapped the handles off of that thing before that cable would have cut. Even though the cable was tight, she could still get air, but when I tried to pry the long nose of the pliers under the wire, it made it tighter and she was screaming. It would be much better to have a short nose pliers that cuts on the end like the picture above.

Luckily I was able to figure out how to undo the snare manually, but my first reaction was to cut it and that is wasting time if you dont have the right tool.

[MuleShack]

I have a question for you snare guys.

The experience above is my only exposure to snares. The snare that was on my dog, had the wire come around thru the catch and the end was thru a spring with a stop on the end of the wire. I'm assuming that the spring against the stop is what keeps pressure on the catch so it doesn't release.

Rather than trying to pry the pliers under the wire (if it was that tight on the dog and you are in a hurry to get it air) would cutting that "stop" off of the end release the pressure by letting the wire release thru the stop? I'm just asking because that piece of wire that sticks out is a bit easier to get to if your in a pinch. (no pun intended)

[Look-A-Like]

My son was hunting with Tim Manning the day his dog Bella got caught in a conibear on public land North of Brainerd. He told me it was the worst experience in his life. There were articles printed in the Star Trib and Outdoor News last week describing the accident.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/187053051.html

[candiru]

I received my KNIPEX 95 61 150 from amazon today. It is rated for wire rope, I tried it and cut through some 1/8th garage door cable with ease. The cable on snares would be thinner than this.

I did pay $28 for mine, they now show the price at $37. If a person waited, I would guess the price might drop a little.

This cutter is only 6.5 inches long which makes it just about the size of a regular pair of pliers. Maybe a person could even find a sheath for it.

[HunterLee]

Any dog that is ever been on a leash shouldn't pull hard enough to choke themselves. They will most likely sit and whine.

I have snared my own dog when she tags along. It took me a while to figure why she wouldn't come. I just walked back and loosened the lock and took her out.

That being said a pair of clippers won't hurt anything.

Also I highly recommend that people show their dogs traps so they know they are bad news. Mine traps with me all the time and knows to stay out of them, and with a tiny bit of training I would assume most dogs would get the idea.