Info needed, please help

[Allene]

I am a writer who needs a bit of informatin regarding snares used in the 1850's. Does anyone know the history of the materials used in those days? Were snares made of wire? Leather? rope?

I am hoping to have a snare placed in a grassy meadow, not tied to a tree or post. Were stakes used?

I would appreciate any help with this as authenticity is vital to me.

Allene

[Valigator]

Sorry Allene, I dont know much about those but as we speak we are trying to devise one for our alligators here in South Florida, we need one to attach to a electric winch....so if anyone has an idea to manuver the rope around the bulk of the gator and attach to the winch that would be cool....Val

[TreeDoc]

A snare placed in a grassy meadow? That's almost poetic. Isn't that how women "got their man" back in the day? :confused:

:D ;)

Welcome to the Asylum, Allene.

[petey]

In 1823, in New York. Sewell New York house began manufacturing steel traps with interchangeable parts on a multiple production basis.

I would assume the same would be so with snares, but if I find a little more time I can do some research. More than likely all three of your options were probably used in the 1850's.... Probably hide or rope more so than a wire snare.

As for when each was introduced?? Well the indians used snares way before "modern civilization" ever showed up here in the now states. I'd be looking into the history of trapping along with the native americans. I'll bet you'll find your answer there.

[Allene]

I'm having trouble with figuring ourt how to reply to messages. I think I am replying to myself!

Thanks for the answers. I appreciate your time.

TreeDoc, very funny. <s> Not a romance...

Petey, great point. Thanks!

[Mad Reloader]

Pretty sure the wire snare came out during the Victorian epoch...

....but that covers the timespan of 1837-1901, and frankly I am not sure whether it was in the first, second, third or final quarter that it made its appearance.

Post 1885...safe to say a wire snare would have been in use, with 90% likelihood.

1850's? Can't say for sure, and I'm pretty good at my gizmos and contraptions of the 19th C. !

(For instance--the spring-loaded heavy gauge wire gopher trap dates to about 1898...saw a bunch of them at a hardware store in Overgaard AZ, fresh batch but made to original late Victorian specs. Rather narsty little varmint impalers, they were!)

[SeekHer]

You can use wire in the 1820's as it was part of the consignment of trade goods that went out to the Rendezvous...but snares were used for predators and small game...rope, leather strips interwoven, grasses/vines woven together were all used for snares...

although if you read, you'll find that alot of the Indians would use deadfalls, to break the back, more than snares for catching game and/or fur bearers...

you can also check with Hudson Bay Company archives for manifests of trading post inventories...sorry, I don't have their URL

[SeekHer]

On the Prairie you would use the materials handy to make your snares, usually woven grasses and such...
stakes would have been used, to prevent the animal running off, as well as tying to the hardier bushes and small trees...which would be used to make spring traps that flicked the animal into the air, hopefully breaking their neck but high enough that their body weight would strangle themselves.

I remember from my youth, (long long ago in a galaxy etc) that you would place the snares on the animal's runs and the more out there the better your chances...but what I recall was that you would place crossed sticks in the path to make the animal go over or under to ensnare themselves...but this meant that the animal had to keep running to choke themselves...

Pick up any of the books from A.R.Harding which would describe the process far better than from someone who hasn't done it in 35+ years...I checked and the volume you'd want is titled Deadfall & Snares by A.R.Harding published 1935 by Harding who published the magazine Fur-Fish-Game

Other titles, by the same author, of interest would be
Camp & Trail Methods
Trails To Successful Trapping
The Trapper's Companion
50 Years A Hunter & Trapper

other authors published by them
The Science Of Trapping by E. Kerr
Canadian Wilds by Martin Hunter
Home Tanning And Leather Making Guide by A.B. Farnham
Home Manufacture of Furs and Skins by A.B. Farnham

All of these were published from the 1900s to the 1930s so the techniques described are from the mid 1800s which is the time frame you desire...they should be available at the library--as they're mostly still in print--otherwise a used book store or you could try one of the trapping supply companies like Legget's etc...

You might want to pick up a copy of Fur-Fish-Game, still an excellent magazine, and see if they have them...I don't know where mine have gotten to and besides they'd be 15+ years old.