Increasing populations of feralhogs in Texas are damaging

landscapes, agriculturalproduction, water quality, andnative plant and animalcommunities. To reduce theseproblems, snaring can be an easy,inexpensive part of a feral hogmanagement strategy.

Snares can be used when a single hog needs to be capturedand where larger traps are imprac-tical. Because snares are easy toassemble, many landowners maketheir own.

Materials neededTo make a hog snare, you will

need the following tools and ma-terials (Fig. 1):• Needle-nose pliers• Hammer• Cable cutters• Tape measure• 10 feet of �1⁄8 -inch steel cable• Two �1⁄8 -inch single ferrules• One 1⁄8 -inch double ferrule• One R 6/0 barrel swivel• One�1⁄8 -inch snare or cam lock

Steps for building a snareWhen building a feral hog

snare, keep in mind that the cable used to makesnares has a natural lay, or memory. Do not goagainst the memory of the cable when workingwith snares.

1. Feed the cable through the snare lock (Fig.2). For this example, a �1⁄8 -inch snare lock isused. There are many different lock designs,and some people make their own.

2. Take a single ferrule and crimp it to the endof the cable (Fig. 3). This can be accom-

MAKING A FERAL HOG SNARE | 1

*Former Extension Assistant; Extension Program Specialist; Extension Program Specialist II; Assistant Extension Wildlife Specialist; Professor and Extension Soil Fertility Specialist; and Associate Professor and Extension Wildlife SpecialistAll of The Texas A&M University System

L-552902-11

Making a Feral Hog SnareChancey Lewis, Matt Berg, Nikki Dictson, Jim Gallagher, Mark McFarland, and James C. Cathey*

Materials for creating a feral hog snare.

Figure 1

Run the cablethrough the snarelock.

Figure 2

1⁄8 - in. snare lockR 6/0 barrel swivel

1⁄8 - in. single ferrulesCam lock

back view

front view1⁄8 - in. double ferrules

2 | MAKING A FERAL HOG SNARE

plished by using fencing crimpers or a ham-mer and hard surface.

3. Using needle-nose pliers, make a reversebend in the cable just beneath the ferrule(Fig. 4). This will be the only time that thecable is bent against the memory. The re-verse bend helps secure the lock.

4. Load the snare. Simply find a durable roundor cylindrical object such as a pipe or vicehandle. For the snare in this example, thetrailer ball on a receiver hitch was used.When loading the snare, it is critical that thenatural memory of the cable is followed.Only 8 to 10 inches beyond the ferrule stopneeds to be loaded. This serves two purposes:1) it gives the snare a more circular shape,which is important to capture animals withlarge, pointy ears like those of hogs, and 2) itenables the snare to close much more easilyand freely.

5. Move the snare back and forth, applyingfirm pressure near the stop while graduallylessening the pressure down the cable nearthe 10 inch mark (Fig. 5). An unloaded snarehas a teardrop shape; a loaded snare is muchrounder (Fig. 6).

6. Next, construct the end so that the snare canbe attached to a tree, post, or drag. For thisexample, an adjustable end was made. Anadjustable end can be altered to loop the endaround various size objects; however, it willnot swivel. To make an adjustable end snare,start by sliding a double ferrule over the endof the cable (Fig. 7A). Then run the cableback through the double ferrule (Fig. 7B).

7. Use a hammer or crimpers to attach a singleferrule to the end, creating the desired con-figuration (Fig. 8). A swivel end may beattached with two single ferrules forstrength. Having an adjustable end is advan-

Figure 3

Reverse bend above single ferrule to secure the snarelock.

Figure 4

Load the snare by applying pressure as the cable is moved back and forth.

Figure 5

Run the cable through the snare lock.

MAKING A FERAL HOG SNARE | 3

tageous when settingsnares on rubs ortrees. The end can be opened, and thesnare loop can bewrapped around therub or tree and thenback through thesnare end, attachingthe snare to the rub or tree.

SummaryUsed as a comple-

ment to other approachesor in areas where largertraps are impractical,handmade snares can be a helpful tool in feralhog management. Withsimple tools and minimalhardware, snares can bemade quickly at low cost,increasing their appeal in situations involvingthe capture of a single animal.

Create an adjustable end by sliding adouble ferrule over the cable (A) thenfeeding the cable back through the double ferrule.

B

Figure 7

A

Figure 6

A B

A constructed snare before the cable is loaded (A),

and after (B).

Attach a ferrule to the end of the cable (A). The snare can be designed with aswivel end (B-left) or an adjustable end (B-right).

A B

Figure 8

4 | MAKING A FERAL HOG SNARE

Acknowledgment and disclaimerThis publication was developed as part of the Plum Creek Watershed Feral Hog Project, with funding support fromthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through a Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source grant administeredby the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Integrated Water Quality Program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) anddo not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA.

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914, incooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Edward G. Smith, Director, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System.12M, New

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