Snare
9
hunting, walrus, hide
plain
2020-05-29T14:38:25+00:00
1879
63.47805, -162.03916
Walrus Hide Snare
Coiled in a hoop – 25 cm x 20 cm
Walrus Hide
St. Michaels, Alaska (Yup’ik), c. 1879
Collector: E. W. Nelson
Museum ID: NEL.C1.dg.0138
Many snares were used to catch deer, but this one’s long length suggests it could have been used to trap wolves or moose. The cord is made of walrus hide, which can be seen through the density and leftover hairs on the object. The snare would be hung in a circular noose between posts, trees, or bushes, which would entangle the deer’s antlers and trap the animal. There is a slip knot so that when an animal steps into the trap, it will wrap around the neck, suffocating it.