Counterweight Snare
I have tried in vain to find a variant of this trap that wasn't in a video format, and while I would totally do one I don't currently have the time nor a good spot to record it. Since I can not draw, I have opted to do my best in GIMP to show you how it works. This is a simple snare, that uses a counterweight instead of the spring power of a sapling to close the proverbial noose. I know for certain this trap works, as I used it to snag the one eyed "Ol' Grey" during the tense days of the Squirrel War (a real thing and a story for another day).
The trap requires a tree or something similar, and relies on gravity to yank the snare closed. The snare is a simple slip knot loop and uses a trigger stick held between a notch in the tree and a stake. This trigger stick is what suspends the weight above, which is tossed over an available branch. The weight can be anything easily found to hand. A log, paint can, milk jug filled with sand, hell I even used a hunk of cinder block once. The trip line should be as tight as possible, and depending on how sensitive you need your trap to be, the weight should be higher, the stakes holding it should be more shallow in the ground and there should be less material of your trigger stick contacting the stake and the tree. The trap is triggered when the animal puts weight upon the trip line, which pulls the stakes in towards the center, thus releasing the trigger stick. This allows the weight to fall and the snare to close around the prey, yanking it up off of the ground and hopefully preventing predators from stealing your catch. You can make this as big or as small as possible, just remember that a heavier counterweight requires a more substantial trigger stick and line, thus making it harder to keep sensitive. I've found that peanut butter is a great bait for this setup, especially if you stick bird seed into it. I'd imagine catfish cheese bait or chicken liver could work well for raccoons and other pest critters. Even if you don't use this seriously, it is a fun way to waste a summers day just to see the simple mechanics of it in action.
Counter weight trap.
