Mad_Mat wrote on Nov 26^th, 2010 at 2:00pm:



Again, excellent point. I was hazy on details, so I checked it out for clarification. I have a MN small game and trapping license, both of which are required for trapping on public lands. But a guy can trap on his own property (read: primary residence) with only a trapping license. Residents can buy both licenses online from the MN DNR, unless you were born after 1989 - then you need to complete a trapper education program before they will issue the trapping license. Rabbits are legal to snare, trap, or shoot in Minnesota during the desingated winter season.

I was under the false impression that a guy could trap on his own land in Minnesota without a license, so I'm glad you brought that up! I have been reading about snaring methods (and rabbit recipes, yum) so I will put some of them to test over the winter.

Also a good point about the flagging tape, in combination with the pen or marker for leaving details in case someone is following your trail. However, I share your frustration about left-behind flag tape, and I also often leave the woods with a good handful of the stuff in my pack. I think it was in the other survival kit thread (maybe we should combine the two?) where Denton_Doc posted a link to a an online merchant which sells a good variety of nifty survival items. Among them was this (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links), which I think is a good idea. I will likely order a few rolls of that stuff for my own personal use, and some will likely end up in the final version of the ditch kit.

Wouldn't it be a b**** to get lost, make a camp, then lose the camp while out searching for a trail or some other necessities? Jason Rasmussen's story headlined that idea, and that is why I always have more than one compass, paper and pen for making patrol maps, and a reliable means of measuring distance while walking, like the paracord pedometer. When I'm out hunting or searching for fishing holes, job #1 is navigator. Meat in the bag is a nice bonus, to be enjoyed at home with a cold beer and a hockey game on TV. Having some flagging tape would be convenient, and save the hassle of counting paces, taking azimuths, and drawing pictures.

I marked my deer stand "trails" with so-called Trail Tacks, basically a reflective button that you pin into trees to mark a path. You can't really see them during the day, as they're small and don't stand out like ugly flag tape, but at night or dusk/dawn with a flashlight, you can see them from a good distance away. At first I thought these wouldn't be very helpful in a survival / SAR situation, but then I read about the dog teams and their handlers preferring to operate at night. A trail tack marking a spot where you've left a flag or note with details about your condition and intentions would be easily noticed at night from across a large swamp, etc.

But does that possibility warrant the tacks' inclusion in a ditch kit of limited size? I guess we'll see once I start putting it together.

If you left a note in your car or with a friend before you headed out, and mentioned something like the tacks as part of your emergency gear, then maybe searchers would have a good idea of what to start looking for. I'd be willing to bet that these reflective tacks could be seen from the air as well, and provided you had a good quantity of them, could be arranged on open ground to form arrows, messages, etc.

Which brings me to a point unrelated to the ditch kit, but relevant to the situations requiring their use. Leaving detailed notes with whomever you trust before heading out, detailing your intentions and with instructions on who to contact if you don't return, which also details your experience, familiarity with the area, type of emergency gear, medical conditions, etc. would be a great help to rescuers and might help get you found faster. I've been pretty lax with this, but for future trips it will provide some security and peace of mind, if not for me than for the people I leave the details with.

Akula wrote on Nov 26^th, 2010 at 4:48pm:

Trapping/snares illegal or restricted?  For me, this could be over-thinking the problem.  If it is a survival situation, I'd gladly pay whatever fines are involved.

I've followed Trail Tacks back in the day when I was doing night geocaching.  True enough, you can see them from some distance when the beam of a flashlight hits them ... nice reflection ... and they are difficult to spot during the day.  However, I have my doubts about this being spotted from the air (at night).  And I doubt the pilot will be shining a flashlight toward the ground. 

I've left notes behind (with wife and grown children) when I head out.  I often even keep Jimbo in the loop, since he has been to the areas where I'm canoeing ... and he knows my meager skill levels.   I've even been known to put my route plan into the self-service envelop I've used on occasion when entering Quetico pre-season.

dd

I believe that you use to only see moose in canoe country, but it seems like deer have increased over the years.  Likewise I don't see many rabbits in the BWCA.   Although I did see rabbit tracks on my last trip.  I suspect they are more abundant in the aspen type woods to the south.  When I was younger we used to try to snare rabbits, but wasn't very sussessful.  I think it's best to try to develop a funnel with logs or rocks that drives them into the trap, with numerous lines to check.  It will at least keep you busy while waiting for rescue.

starwatcher

All this talk of snaring rabbits. A deer would be far easier provided you had the cable to hold one. Aircraft cable would suffice. It doesn't rust. Make a loop in one end and use a mashed nut to hold it in place. This will allow you to loop it around a tree and feed itself through the loop which will hold it around the tree without additional measures. A bent washer with two holes drilled to secure the cable completes the snare in a manner which it will close very easily. If you want perfection a bobby pin can hold both pieces a cable until the appointed time. About 3 or 4 feet of cable will suffice. It is very light and sorta/kinda compact (but not fit in an altoids tin). A smidge of fishing line to drop from a branch to the desired height and a very small stick from the ground up to the bottom of the snare will guide the head. Set in a runway it would be very effective. Simple. Again we are talking worst case scenario right :question At least you would have plenty of food .

Preacher wrote on Nov 26^th, 2010 at 7:24pm:


I thought tired, hungry, haven't eaten in days and perhaps lost was what we were talking about? Anything caught in a snare other than a domesticated dog (used to being on a leash) will be as dead as a doornail by the time you show up. You just have to get the fire going .

If a deer is to much then a beaver is easy to catch in a snare as well and I hear they are quite tasty although I have never tried one. Either of these critters are easier to catch than a bunny IMO.