Guidelines for Snares

For a snare site:

• Find a location where your target animals are present and active.
• Determine likely set locations.
  • Good locations include runs or waterway constriction points between larger bodies of water.
  • Constriction points can also be formed or narrowed by using natural material found nearby, including rocks, sticks, limbs, and other natural debris.
  • Dams, lodges, and feeding stations are also optimal set locations. However, Pennsylvania law requires that snares be set a minimum of 15 feet from a beaver lodge or dam.
• After a set location has been identified, locate an anchor site and determine snare length.
  • Underwater entanglement is allowed for cable devices placed as water sets in Pennsylvania. However, the loop of the snare must be partially or fully submerged in water.
  • Trap identification tags must also be placed so that they:
    • Are above any ice that is present or that forms and…
    • Are easily readable.