It's legal to snare where I live,snaring rabbits ( we have cottontail ) is actually fairly simple,but a few rules must be followed.1st,our rabbits have small heads,the biggest mistake is having to large of loop,a loop 2-1/2" in diameter is plenty.2nd,the hoop needs to be very close to the ground,1" off the ground is good,allowing just their feet to slip just under the loop.3rd,set the snare in a fenced down area,or a force.A woven wire fence will prevent rabbits from passing,they in turn,dig under or find a hole through,this is perfect for snaring.
4th,a lock is not really neccasary on a rabbit snare,most if not all rabbits will kill themselves very quickly when snared,or the will maintain pressure on the snare themselves.5th,adding a kill stake next to the snare ,will all but insure a deceased rabbit.6th,check snares often,our cottontails are actually nocturnal,snaring a night is by far more successful than daytime snaring.Me and some trapping pals,set a dozen snares along a woven wire security fence one night just after dark,by the time we set the last snare,we had three rabbits in the other snares.In less than a half hour we had more than enough for a camp meal.
Snaring is a game of chance,but by finding them and their travel routes,and setting the snares properly,your odds go up.Search for droppings,feeding sights( rabbits chew bark on small trees and shrubs ). They are recognizable by the bark being skinned or ringed around the tree or shub very low to the ground.Setting trail snares is basically the same as a fence set,narrow down a spot in the trail with twigs/ brush,set the bottom of the snare loop 1" off the ground,with a hoop size no larger than 2-1/2" diameter.set several snares in the same trail,ups the odds as rabbits often travel in pairs.
Good luck,experiment a bit with hoop size,camparitable to your average rabbit size.A loop pulled tight indicates the hoop was too large ,allowing the rabbit to slip through the snare.A loop pushed away, indicates too small of loop,and or,the snare not positioned center of trail,or loop to far off the ground.I hope I didn't make snaring sound difficult,but rather these tips will persuade you to give snaring a go.