Anchor Peg
Definition
The stake, branch, or root to which a snare is fixed at the ground end, allowing the loop to stay open at the correct height. The peg's insertion marks and nearby soil can retain footwear impressions.
- Function
- Fixes snare loop to the ground
- Materials
- Stake, branch, or root
- Purpose of height
- Keeps loop open at correct level
- Forensic trace value
- Insertion marks and nearby footwear impressions
Common questions
Why is the anchor peg itself worth examining rather than just the snare cable?+
The peg is set by hand at the scene, so the ground around it can preserve tool marks from how it was driven in, soil disturbance patterns, and footwear impressions left by whoever placed the trap, evidence the cable alone will not carry.
What can peg placement reveal about the trap setter's intent or skill?+
Consistent peg height and secure anchoring across multiple snares can indicate an experienced setter following a deliberate method, which is relevant when investigators are trying to characterise poaching technique or link scenes to a common offender.
Related terms
- Circumferential Groove
- The band of compressed skin and tissue left around a limb or neck by a taut wire snare. Groove depth and width...
- Spring-Set Snare
- A snare in which a bent sapling or tensioned wire provides a spring that lifts the caught animal off the ground when...
- Tool Marks
- Impressions or striations left on an object (here, a wire cut end) by a tool (here, wire cutters). Class characteristics reflect tool...
- Trace Transfer
- Material moved from the handler to the snare (fingerprints, DNA, fibres) or from the environment to the snare (soil, plant material) during...
- Wire Gauge
- The diameter of a wire strand, typically expressed in millimetres or as a standard wire gauge number. Gauge is a class characteristic...