Why is snaring legal in the UK?

Answer 1

It's legal but it isn't legal.

There is a lot of confusion in the UK whether snares are illegal or not - thanks to Scottish politics contradicting UK rulings.

In the UK, small free-running snares are legal for catching rabbits and rodents. You must have permission from the landowner and the local law enforcement before laying any rabbit/rodent snares, and you must tell the landowner exactly where your snares are, in accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The snares must have a tag/label on them, stating what you intend to catch (rabbits/rodents), your name and your contact method (number/address).

This is for three reasons - 1) You can tell who the snare belongs to. 2) Law enforcement can track you down if your snare is illegal and 3) the public can contact you if the snare has trapped something.

They're usually used by hunters, farmers protecting crops and pest controllers.

Larger snares or self-locking snares that are large enough to bring down medium-to-large animals such as deer, dogs, sheep and so on are illegal and will result in criminal prosecution.

Snares designed for birds and snares left in trees (where they could accidently trap a bird) are also illegal and will result in criminal prosecution, whether you catch anything or not, because the UK has quite a few protected and rare bird species.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 also states that all snares must be checked daily, at least every 24 hours. Anything that isn't a rabbit or rodent must be freed- if it requires medical attention, you are responsible for making sure the animal gets it.

So, in summary, small snares designed for rabbits and rodents are legal, provided you follow the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Large, self locking or bird snares are illegal and will result in arrest and criminal charges.