The Figure 4 Spring Snare

I have recently been playing around with a new spring snare trigger.  It looks and functions a lot like a figure 4 deadfall trigger.  I like it because if is quick and easy to construct, and because you can control the sensitivity by adjusting the bait stick in the same way you would on a figure 4.  I also like the fact that it only calls for 3 straight sticks, which tend to be far easier to find than ones with forks.

As you can see, the white cord (tied to sapling) is exerting upward pressure on the toggle.  The top end of the toggle is sitting in a notch on the upright stick.  This means that the bottom end wants to swing outwards, but the bait stick is retaining it.  The bait stick (the horizontal one) is just barely caught on the squared off surface of the vertical stick.  It's pretty self explanatory.

Next, lets talk about how I build the rest of the trap.  I start by placing two logs in a V position, with the trigger at the back.

Triggers where the two logs come together.  

At this point I will bait and set the trigger.  I will then cover the top of the trap with a layer of sticks.  This is to prevent critters from approaching it from above.  Squirrels in particular will try this.  They love to sit on a log and look at stuff before approaching it.  You gotta make it inconvenient for them to go through the top because of this.

At this point you need to set your snare out.  Put it over the opening and support it.  Make sure its far enough out from the bait stick, otherwise critters can touch off your trap without getting caught.  

To really insure that critters will approach from the correct direction, you can put some bait in front of the path you want them to take.  I have done this by smearing bait (peanut butter) on one of the logs used for funnelling.  

I feel that I need to talk about some of the challenges of this trap.  I had a good deal of trouble getting it set at first.  The toggle would roll to the side, which prevented me from being able to set the trap.  I proceeded to do some small scale experiments, and discovered that the trap is easiest to set when you do these things:

1. Make the toggle (the diagonal stick) sit at right around 45 degrees.  If it's too vertical, or too horizontal, it will be far harder to set.
2. Place the toggle carefully in the notch, so that it's sitting to the same side as the bait stick.  (If the bait stick is on the right, the toggle should be on the right side of the notch in the vertical stick.)  This serves to keep the toggle as vertical as possible, which makes it easier to set.
3. Don't have the cord attached to the toggle pulling straight up.  Have it pulling back and away from the toggle.  Imagine your trying to form a 90 degree angle between the toggle and the cord. This will make the trap infinitely easier to set.  
4. Attach the cord to your toggle in the middle.
5. Follow the correct construction sequence (described below).

Here, I will talk about the order in which you should build the trap.  It's complicated, but there is logic to the order.

Start  by making the toggle.  Then the bait stick.  The length of the toggle should be equal to the distance between the notches on the bait stick.  Doing this insures that your toggle will be at the correct angle.  

Next, find the upright stick.  Do not square it off or notch it though.  Simply sharpen the end.  You will notch and square off the stick once it's in the ground.  Once reason for doing this is to prevent the stick from splitting as you pound in into the ground.  The other reason will become apparent shortly.

At this point you have 3 sticks.  Before you go pounding stuff into the ground, attach your toggle to your sapling about a foot from the end.  Bend it over and measure where your trap will be.  Once the saplings bent over, hold the toggle and pull it straight away from the trunk of the sapling.  

Doing this does 2 things.  It lines up the tip of the sapling and the cord.  It also shows you which way you will want you bait stick oriented.  The reason you want your saplings tip in line is simple, by attaching your snare there you get a faster trap.  This is because as soon as the toggle releases, the snare is tightening.  If your snare was attached to your toggle cord, it would take longer for the noose to begin closing.  The reason you want to know which way to orient your bait stick is also simple.  If you have your notch on the wrong side of your upright, your trap will be impossible to set.

At this point go ahead and pound your upright into the ground, cut your notch, and square it off.  The face of your notch should be facing the same way the cord is pulling.  If it is not, the toggle will torque sideways out of the notch.  

Getting the notch angled the correct direction is the most challenging part of constructing this trap.  By following the sequence described above however, you should be able to avoid most of the headache associated with the task.  After you have the notch made, you can assemble the trigger, along with the rest of the trap.