When controlling rabbits is woodlands areas the pegged rabbit snare is very affective, and so any trapper knows not every location is perfect, as ground conditions vary in different areas, at times you will come across ground that is less that perfect such as boggy and softer ground, this is where the single tealer can be most effective, cut approximately 18” long half inch to 5/8” thick pointed at one end and a tiny hold drilled through the peg, 1 ¼” down from the top. A professional rabbit snare 22 ½” long is fine, to attach the wire snare to the tealer peg, push the end of the snare peg through tiny hole in peg, then form a small double loop the size of a 10 pence piece, now slip snare loop over your arm and pull the peg downwards as this motion will now form a nice little double knot. At the back of the peg (illustration on hunting life, showing professional rabbit snaring, pages 1&2 by G.S Waters shows how to make this double knot in detail.
On completion of the double knot, you now tension and shape the snare noose to the correct size 7.5” x 5.5 “, then pull the double knot round the tealer as shown and just bend the knot itself over the snare cable which is protruding from the front of the tealer, push the tealer into the softer ground as deep as needed sometimes 9-10” to the side of the rabbit run, then cock the tension snare loop to the required height of 6 ½” inches to the bottom of the noose over the middle of a beat as the dotted line shows, (do not ever set them between the beats) illustration “C” shows the results. If you look at this illustration ”A” you will notice that this snare loop is different altogether from a normal snare loop. Due to the fact that I developed a rabbit snare with a spun in stop 5 inches along the snare cable from the end eyelet, it also contains a copper breakaway system, in the form of a small 3/4”long S hook around the eyelet and is attached to the three double end loops of the snare wire. I devised this system to protect woodland deer, especially the smaller types, eg Roe and Muntjac from getting foot snared and then escaping with a broken rabbit snare around one of their feet which can cause a necrosis and the loss of a foot these two simple additions totally eliminates this latter problem.
When using the single hazel tealer method, I only use the snare loops with the breakaway at the eyelet, all my pegged rabbit snares now have a permanent fixed stop and a breakaway eye. These breakaway snares where well tested woodga catching over 300 rabbits in the trial, therefore two different types of breakaway one at approx 20lbs and 16lbs both tested on a straight pull, this actually increases once in a formed loop. This breakaway system was also designed to allow all animals from cats upwards to escape, as accidental catches do happen but the breakaway had to hold every rabbit and one of these pegged snares until the double knot swivel can hold up to 30 rabbits before the loop needs changing, unless the noose gets badly kinked or a broken strand happens then the noose is replaced immediately. The bottom eye of the S hoop is made smaller to make it stronger so that the big eye around the eyelet breaks open, therefore, allowing the snare loop to fall freely to the ground and the non target species walk away freely without any harm. These breakaway snares can be purchased from (Geordie on mobile 07990 917 191) who is a new member to Hunting Life.
“B” shows a knot placed in the snare at the back of the eyelet. This is to stop the 7.5” x 5.5” large tensioned snare loop from opening up and touching the hazel tealer. This is due to the added breakaway attached to the eyelet. This does not happen with a normal snare noose, the new breakaway snare with added spun in stop. Tensions and shape is just as easy as a normal snare loop and works every hit as good and is more humane, allowing non target species to escape, should they accidentally get caught.
Rabbit Snaring Without A Peg
Illustration 2 is practically self explanatory, except there is no wooden peg to secure the snare system.
A. Shows a big 7.5″ x 5.5” snare loop sitting over the middle of a rabbit beat, held in position with a double wire tealer attached to an oval quick clip ring and a large fishing swivel, held fast with a wide narrow wire hoop.
B. The hoops consists of a 16” length of galvanished 4mm fenceline wire, bent into a tight U shape, 8” long. This simple system is excellent for the person who only wants to set out a dozen or so snares to catch a few rabbits. It saves cutting wooden pegs, a dozen tealers with nooses attached can be slipped into a inside pocket or small bag and the wire placed in a separate pocket some shaped tops to the top from easy withdraw from ones pocket, just insert tealer into the ground, so that the big noose sits over the middle of the small beat as dotted line shows, then slip a wire leg of hoop through swivel eye and push it into the ground so far, then use the heel of your boot to push it right down to secure the whole system, this type of snare is good in grass fields, the narrow hoops can be made a bit longer if required. I have used the wire hoops system to secure the mink traps on many occasions over many years. Its extremely simple and effective, the swivel allows a 360 degree rotation, they can set quickly and lifted quickly by slipping a small snare toggle through the tealer under the ground extracted in seconds.
Break away rabbit snare with quick clip, swivel And U pin peg in set position , ready for the U pin to be driven into the earth.
