Very legal. The snare would still be a relaxing snare. It just means that the snare closes quicker, and as said, it results in more catches around the neck, which is what you want.

Happened to a buddy of mine. He ended up having to get a vet in to tranqualise it so he could release it.

Yes of course, all ur doing is putting tension in a specific part of the cable to make it close faster, nothing else.

There's always the option of using breakaway snares. This allows badgers etc, to break free from the snare, but will still hold any fox. Another way to avoid catching badgers, is to only set on open runs, and avoid setting fencelines. A nine inch loop about nine inch off the ground should avoid catching any badgers.

It's years since I set fox snares.

When we used to do it we brought a garden fork with us - an old one that had the centre prongs cut off - it only had the two outer prongs.

On the rare occasion that we did snare a badger we used the fork to carefully hold down the badger's neck while we cut the snare with a wire-cutters.

Finished in a minute or two and no harm or unneccessary stress to the released badger.

I've been out shooting rabbits recently, (lots about currently) and have seen quite a few foxes, haven't shot any as the landowners want them to reduce the sudden surge in rabbit numbers (like myself).

I'll be going to my deer permission this afternoon (S42 in place) as they're doing a lot of damage. If I see any foxes there, they'll be targeted, as it's sheep farming country and all the landowners are keen to see foxes culled.

As to how big they are, I came across four cubs on the "Forest Road" just after dark leaving Carrigaline last week. They were more than 1/2 grown and looked to be in really good condition. Unlikely to be any shortage of foxes for the foreseeable future given the surge in rabbits (they had been scarce for quite a while.

Trail cameras and scraps of your local butcher buried under an inch or 2 of sod grass taken from where you're putting bait.Meat must be under sod or birds will spot it and have it gone.Dont bury too deep as you want smell to come up.

Place trail cameras on post or bring one yourself and drive it down.Place camera around 20ft away.Do this all in a spot where it's safe to shoot towards and somewhere you can place yourself 50-100yrds away.Give it a week,check cameras and work from there.

Thermal spotter and NV attached to scope and that's the setup.Also livestock love breaking cameras,cattle will lick it but horses well my horses will chew at camera and break locking points and ir screens so I buy 20e ones from AliExpress.

Setup is 223 with decathlon tripod with 4-16-44 scope shooting fiocchi 55gr epn