This snare set up is a classic. It’s just a wooden pole and a few feet of wire that gives you a reusable trap that is easily moved, requires no bait, and takes advantage of the squirrel’s natural love of short cuts.
Here’s how to make it.
Select a 4-foot to 6-foot pole that is about the diameter of your arm. It’s best if the pole has a rough, natural look to it, so don’t carve off all the bark. It’s also helpful if the pole has a fork at one end, which you can stick into the ground or pin against the tree to keep the pole from twisting out of place.
Begin making wire snare loops from 2-foot lengths of wire. 22-gauge or 24-gauge wire is about right. Make the nooses just less than 3 inches in diameter, and zig-zag the wire between the pole and the noose to give you some slack. Twist these snares around the pole, and place them all over the squirrel pole. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by just using two or three snare loops. Put a dozen or more on the pole, with some on the top and some on the sides.
Now, pin the squirrel pole against a tree that has squirrel sign in the vicinity, or especially a squirrel nest up the tree. It may take a few days for the animals to calm down and become accustomed to this new addition to their landscape. But, eventually they’ll come and you’ll get your meal.
Check the trap once daily close up or more often from a distance with binoculars or a scope.
Remember that this is a “survival” trap, and not legal for practice or for regulated trapping activities (in most states).
Tried it before? Please tell us what happened by leaving a comment below.