The Box Snare

Categories: SNARES OR MOOSE TRAPS.

This is a most unique device, and will well repay anyone who may

desire to test its merits. It may be set for rabbits, coon, or

feathered game, of course varying the size of the box accordingly. For

ordinary purposes, it should be seven or eight inches square, leaving

one end open. Place it in the position shown in the illustration

and proceed to bore an auger hole in the top board, one and a half

inches from the back dge.






This is for the reception of the bait stick. Directly opposite

to this and an inch from the front edge of the board a notched

peg should be inserted. A gimlet hole should now be bored on a

line between the auger hole and notched peg, and half an inch from

the latter. A small stout screw eye should next be inserted at

the rear edge of the board, and another one fastened to the back

board, two inches from the bottom. With these simple preparations

the box is complete. The bait stick should be about five or six

inches long and supplied with a notch at the upper end. It should be

of such a size as to pass easily into the auger hole, and provided

with a peg inserted through it at about an inch and a half from

the notched end, as shown in our illustration at (a). The object

of this peg is to prevent the bait stick from being drawn entirely


through the hole by the force of the pull from above. The catch piece

should be only long enough to secure its ends beneath the notches in

the peg at the top of the box and the projecting bait stick. It should

be bevelled off at the tips as in the instances previously described,

and attached to a piece of sucker wire, the point of attachment being

at about an inch from the end of the stick. The wire should be about

two and a half feet in length, the catch piece being fastened at about

six inches from one end. To set this neat little invention it is

first necessary to procure a strong and elastic switch about four

feet in length, sharpen it slightly at the large end and insert

it firmly in the screw eye at the back of the box, securing it in

place at the top by strings through the screw eye at that place. By

now attaching the short end of the wire to the tip of the sapling,

inserting the bait stick from the inside of the box, and securing the

catch piece in the notches, the other pieces will be in equilibrium,

and the only remaining thing to be done is to pass the long end

of the wire through the gimlet hole, and form it into a slipping

noose which shall completely fill the opening of the box. In order

to reach the bait the animal must pass his head through the noose,

and it can be easily seen that the slightest pull on that tempting

morsel will release the catch piece and tighten the wire around

the neck of the intruder. Where the trap is small and the captured

animal is large, it will sometimes happen that the box will be

carried a distance of several feet before overpowering its victim;

but it is sure to do it in the end if the spring powers of the

sapling are strong and it is firmly secured to the box. If desired,

the box may be tied to a neighboring stone or tree to prevent any

such capers; but it will generally be found unnecessary, and a few

minutes' search will always reveal it with its unlucky captive.



We have described the box with its spring attached; but this is not

a requisite, as it may be used with growing sapling when required.



The same trap may be constructed of a pasteboard box and whalebone,

for the capture of small birds, and used with good success. The

size we have mentioned is adaptable for rabbits and animals of

the same size, but is really larger than necessary for feathered

game.