Snares are ancient tools, used since prerecorded time. Many advancements and improvements have been made in the 21st century, including aircraft cable, snare locks, swivels, and breakaway devices. Though still a popular capture tool in many parts of North America, their prevalence has declined worldwide and in some parts of the United States. I describe current snaring terms, define the difference between snares and cable restraints, summarize all commercially available snare and cable restraint components, and provide a general description of their use. I also point out some shortcomings in the current literature. I hope this will shed new light on an old tool.