# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Hunting & Trapping >  Squirrel Snare Issues

## Birddog123

Hey all,

So I have been trying to snare some squirrels in my back yard for practice. I set up a squirrel pole and also set snares all along a fence where I see them running. My first problem was my snare wire was not thick enough. So I snared a few but they chewed through it and got away. Now I moved to copper wire but I swear I was watching them the other day and the little punks were running around my snare! 

I also tried baiting them with a live trap with no such luck. :/ any help would be appreciated!

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## kyratshooter

So you are saying the squirrels are smarter than you are?

Sorry, I do not have a solution for that problem.

You could climb up in a tree and act like a nut.

Apparently they have plenty of food available.  To live trap them you will need to offer them something they want more that what is available all around them.  Try dog food or cat food.  Even shell corn might work.

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## welderguy

try using peanut butter, It seems to work every time I set a live trap out?

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## Mischief

Peanut butter on a rat spring trap

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## Birddog123

Tried shelled corn no luck.. will give peanut butter a try!

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## Mozartghost1791

Also remember that snaring is 'technically' illegal in most states and you might want to consider placing your traps where people won't see or hear the trapped squirrels, and make sure that there are no domestic pets that will get caught in them. I considered snaring on my land but since we have domesticated cats roaming our fields, I decided to use Paiute deadfalls instead, baited with something the cats wouldn't want, and a rock light and low enough that it couldn't seriously hurt them. Of course, this pretty much limits your available game to birds and rats, but its better than getting jailed for killing the neighbor's pet or having someone report you for animal cruelty when they hear a squirrel screaming its head off in a snare. If you're out in the woods away from everyone I don't think its a big deal, just a few things to consider.

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## Wildthang

Try a shelled pecan, most squirrells cannot resist pecans!

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## Cast-Iron

SUNFLOWER SEEDS
I ecountered a similar problem a few years back when i was live trapping the bushy-tailed rats.  After the nearly $1000 repair bill for the wiring they destroyed on one of my vehicles I declared war on the rodents.  Tried corn, peanuts, and pecans, but nothing could compete with whole sunflower seeds (birdfood),  Even trapped a dove with sunflower seeds.  Nowdays, though, I use an airgun and have dispatched 5 of the critters in the last week.  (Compete disclosure:  I never had any luck using snares either)

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## Nothus

> Hey all,
> 
> So I have been trying to snare some squirrels in my back yard for practice. I set up a squirrel pole and also set snares all along a fence where I see them running. My first problem was my snare wire was not thick enough. So I snared a few but they chewed through it and got away. Now I moved to copper wire but I swear I was watching them the other day and the little punks were running around my snare! 
> 
> I also tried baiting them with a live trap with no such luck. :/ any help would be appreciated!






> Peanut butter on a rat spring trap



I have experimented with leaning pole wire snares on several different mast trees with no success.  I believe this was armchair bushcraft, a good idea in theory, but with indifferent or no results in practice.  I agree with Mischief.  Altho I never used rat traps for squirrel, I had success with them on muskrats before I could afford leg holds.  The only problem I can forsee is catching birds.  I would try it with the PB on the underside of the trigger.  I do not think birds, in general, have a sense of smell, altho it has been proven that vultures do.

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## Rick

You can take squirrels by any means in our state as long as it's in season and you have a valid hunting license. You might want to make certain you are following your state's laws. If a neighbor calls John Brown that could be a pricey little tree rat if you aren't legal.

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## crashdive123

> I have experimented with leaning pole wire snares on several different mast trees with no success.  I believe this was armchair bushcraft, a good idea in theory, but with indifferent or no results in practice.  I agree with Mischief.  Altho I never used rat traps for squirrel, I had success with them on muskrats before I could afford leg holds.  The only problem I can forsee is catching birds.  I would try it with the PB on the underside of the trigger.  I do not think birds, in general, have a sense of smell, altho it has been proven that vultures do.


I suspect that if your squirrel pole did not work it had nothing to do with armchair bushcraft, but rather improper set up.

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## ubercrow

Never under estimate squirrels

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## Dennis

Great video my main anti squirrel tool is the 22LR.

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## Old Professor

When I used to live trap cottontails for the Penna. DNR, I often caught tree rats and I used apples for bait. Nasty tempered little ba---rds are tricky to remove from a live trap without getting bitten!

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## senna

I used to raise the trap's door just enough that his tail would stick out, shake it and then get him by the tail. stand on the trap, manipulate the door and his tail until you've got him held by the neck. wrap his paws and body in a big rag, so as to tie them up. Then get him the rest of the way out of the trap, and drop him, rag and all into the carrying cage, (or the drown sack, as the case may be). :-)

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## Rick

You could always take the traps by Bill's Radiator Shop and just have him flush 'em out.

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## adventurestrong

The video is pretty funny. Determined little buggers. But I like squirrels so I'd only kill them to survive. Is their meat any good?

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## crashdive123

Yep.  Tastes a little squirrely though.

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## Rick

Well, what a nutty answer.

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## wildlearner

> Hey all,
> 
> So I have been trying to snare some squirrels in my back yard for practice. I set up a squirrel pole and also set snares all along a fence where I see them running. My first problem was my snare wire was not thick enough. So I snared a few but they chewed through it and got away. Now I moved to copper wire but I swear I was watching them the other day and the little punks were running around my snare! 
> 
> I also tried baiting them with a live trap with no such luck. :/ any help would be appreciated!


Same happened to me till I got a rat trap. Now I'm working on tanning one.

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## wildlearner

> Yep.  Tastes a little squirrely though.


ya but with a little wild chicken tast too

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## MItygrr

Sounds like improper sets.  The wire can be small if placed properly, I use telephone wire.  Just one strand.  The noose needs to be small enough to catch the head but not allow the body through.  Then should be set as to make the critter twitch and fall.  Death by strangulation or neck breaking.  The nice thing about the phone wire, once tight, it's too tight for them to get their grubby little paws on.  I used peanut butter in a homemade "live trap" for 2 flying squirrels in my house.  Just be sure to use welding gloves or at least real thick letter if you need to grab them or you'll be getting rabies shots!

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## Rick

Do you remove the insulation? And do you prefer red, green or yellow? Inquiring minds want to know.  :Stuart:

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## hunter63

> Do you remove the insulation? And do you prefer red, green or yellow? Inquiring minds want to know.


So is white neutral?

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## Rick

Now you're into cable.

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## kyratshooter

No, No, No 

Black is hot!
white is neutral! 
green is ground!

Oh, sorry that is Romex and not telephone wire.

BTW, what is telephone wire?  

MY phone goes into my pocket and has no wires!!

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## Rick

You kids. Why I remember back in the day when a mobile phone let you walk all of five feet.

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## Wise Old Owl

DOn't pick too much on them... they not know what they do...

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## crashdive123

> You kids. Why I remember back in the day when a mobile phone let you walk all of five feet.


The day my dad added the 20 ft cord to the rotary phone on the wall in the kitchen......let's just say my Mom was a happy woman.  I think she said something about roaming.......of course, that has a whole different meaning today.

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## hunter63

Yeah, till that long cord wiped the coffee cup off the counter.......................

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## Batch

> No, No, No 
> 
> Black is hot!
> white is neutral! 
> green is ground!
> 
> Oh, sorry that is Romex and not telephone wire.
> 
> BTW, what is telephone wire?  
> ...


Black is the ungrounded conductor and if it is getting hot call an electrician.

White is the grounded conductor and is only neutral when all ungrounded conductors have been opened.

Green is the equipment grounding conductor.

My first cell phone was an Ericson flip phone that was also the smallest phone I have ever had. My newest phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Which is 4 or 5 times larger. I guess it is lucky that my pant size has somehow increased to accommodate. LOL Evolution.

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## Rick

You guys don't know beans. Red is ring, Green is tip and Yellow is ground but generally not used or used as a control lead. Always remember Right, Ridged, Ring and you won't go wrong.

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## randyt

which one is the bond?

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## point man

> So is white neutral?


We talking 115v? Or 208v? Oh boy. I hope I didn't just through a wrench into this discussion 


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## point man

Don't EVER !! Trust the colors. Trust your meter


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## randyt

grab a hold of it and if you don't get a "poke" it is neutral.

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## hunter63

208/220 two black or red.....green neutral......

The small phone or even control wire is soft, so if a snare is made with it, will kink and lock up.....can be spun or twisted off when used for rabbits....so a fishing swivel added line in, will help.

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## point man

> 208/220 two black or red.....green neutral......
> 
> The small phone or even control wire is soft, so if a snare is made with it, will kink and lock up.....can be spun or twisted off when used for rabbits....so a fishing swivel added line in, will help.


If it was wired by a professional those colors may apply. It's to easy for joe home owner to connect a white to a hot. DONT trust colors.


Salt water toothy fish 160lb test steel leader, same size as 8lb mono filiment. Forms perfect circles for snares


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## point man

> grab a hold of it and if you don't get a "poke" it is neutral.


Or. You may not be grounded. If you got a good pair of boots on you could stick a hot wire right in your mouth and not get shocked. Then you touch a fixture or wall and BAM!


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## randyt

very often a piece of 10-2 romex will be run to a 240 volt water heater.

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## randyt

> Or. You may not be grounded. If you got a good pair of boots on you could stick a hot wire right in your mouth and not get shocked. Then you touch a fixture or wall and BAM!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


could be but more often than not you will get a poke. The worst shock I have receives was from a telephone wire. I was in  a wet crawl space finagiling a 21 foot piece of 1/2" black iron piper in place and bumped a bare telephone wire. My arm hurt for a week.  I have often wondered how a 10000 volt ignition transformer would feel, don't want to find out though.

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## hunter63

Just color the white lead black with a felt tip marker......

I do use a meter....or did ...not so much these days...LOL

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## randyt

I wrap black electrical tape around the white lead to indicate it's hot. I use a meter nearly every day. A fluke 16.

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## point man

> I wrap black electrical tape around the white lead to indicate it's hot. I use a meter nearly every day. A fluke 16.


Ada boy. Fluke 16 was a good model and my first. I've been running a fluke 902 for a few years now. I need the amp clamp allot


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## point man

> Just color the white lead black with a felt tip marker......
> 
> I do use a meter....or did ...not so much these days...LOL


A wig wand can take you along ways. As far as telling hot or not. 


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## randyt

yup it was a upgrade from my simpson 520. I like the fluke 16 partly for the micro-amp capabilities plus checking voltages and ohms. I have a separate ampmeter, don't like modular equipment in general.

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## randyt

Been wanting to get a wig wand, my father used one often in his job. What is the model number of the wig?

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## point man

> could be but more often than not you will get a poke. The worst shock I have receives was from a telephone wire. I was in  a wet crawl space finagiling a 21 foot piece of 1/2" black iron piper in place and bumped a bare telephone wire. My arm hurt for a week.  I have often wondered how a 10000 volt ignition transformer would feel, don't want to find out though.


Yeah! Hell, all the new igniters are 14k now. That'd be a heck of a wallop. No amps though. Amps kills.

Worst shock I ever got was, when I was wiring hot while squatting on ground. I started to loose balance and touched my forehead to a disconnect box. That was stupid. I had to go find a mirror to make sure I wasn't a ghost. Lucky I went home that night 


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## randyt

very little oil fired equipment left in our area. Sometimes I think the old style ignition transformers last longer than the new solid state models.

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## hunter63

This was my hat light....also will show power,.... present (glows blue) or hot (blue to red)

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Also useful for removing animals out of the snare at night.......
Now how was that as a link back to the OP.....LOL

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## point man

> yup it was a upgrade from my simpson 520. I like the fluke 16 partly for the micro-amp capabilities plus checking voltages and ohms. I have a separate ampmeter, don't like modular equipment in general.


I still have my 16 in my van but the 902 is in my service bag. Does everything I need. Amps, volts ac/dc, ohms/continuity, temp, microfarads.  I do mostly commercial and any flame rectification in commercial equip is read with dc volts. If I run into milivolts or  micro amps I go to van to get another meter. The 902 is also true RMS


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## point man

http://www.wowwigs.com/wig-wand-jon-renau.html.  Hahaha. 


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## randyt

LOL, not the wiggy I had in mind, I reckon if it curls there's high voltage afoot.

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## hunter63

I can't handle that much voltage any more.......LOL

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## point man

> I can't handle that much voltage any more.......LOL


Hair on my neck stands up just thinking about it.

 I got a family now! Gotta be serious and no more fooling around




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## Rick

Randy - That should have been 48 VDC. Ring voltage is higher. 66 cycle ring voltage will knock your socks off. We had carrier systems that were much higher and AC but by the time it reached the house they were converted back to 48 VDC. Re your question about bond. From the protector in there is no bond. There is a ground at the protector. Today, it should be a common ground with power to meet NES code but that wasn't always the case. There may be homes out there with separate ground rods and I've even seen ground run to clothes line poles!

I went out on a trouble call and the lady complained every time the phone rang her dog went nuts. This was back when we did grounded ringing. The ground was tied to a metal clothse line pole that was set in concrete. When the phone rang the voltage ran UP the clothes line pole down the metal clothes line, down the metal wire tied to the dogs neck and out the pooches feet. It did flip flops ever time the phone rang. I regrounded the protector and got a call a week later from the same lady. She complained that she could no longer tell when the phone rang when she was outside and asked be to undo whatever I did! I refused of course. The pooch was always a bit shaky after that. :O)

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## randyt

I think I may try a fluke 902 at next meter purchase. For some reason I was thinking the 902 was a modular meter like the field piece meter. I see that it's not. 


That phone may have rang about the time I bumped it, don't know, it did smart though.  We have to bond csst gas lines these days. The sparkys want nothing to do with it so we end up doing it. Not a fan of csst gas lines in general though, give me black iron.

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## Batch

> Or. You may not be grounded. If you got a good pair of boots on you could stick a hot wire right in your mouth and not get shocked. Then you touch a fixture or wall and BAM!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Had a friend who believed the exact same thing. My brother installed a electrical wire that was designed to keep his dogs from digging under the fence. Wobbly Bob said that you can't get shocked if you had rubber soled boots on. He reached down and grabbed that wire and got lit up. 

He stood back and scratched his head and said, "Damn it Jim that ain't supposed to happen!" At which point he bent down and grabbed it again.

now, I can tell you first hand that watching somebody do that and get shocked a second time is dangerous to all that are there. As everyone immediately experienced difficulty breathing, pain in their sides and bellies. Hell, some of us even had tears coming out of our eyes.  :clap:

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## Wise Old Owl

> Randy - That should have been 48 VDC. Ring voltage is higher. 66 cycle ring voltage will knock your socks off. We had carrier systems that were much higher and AC but by the time it reached the house they were converted back to 48 VDC. Re your question about bond. From the protector in there is no bond. There is a ground at the protector. Today, it should be a common ground with power to meet NES code but that wasn't always the case. There may be homes out there with separate ground rods and I've even seen ground run to clothes line poles!
> 
> I went out on a trouble call and the lady complained every time the phone rang her dog went nuts. This was back when we did grounded ringing. The ground was tied to a metal clothse line pole that was set in concrete. When the phone rang the voltage ran UP the clothes line pole down the metal clothes line, down the metal wire tied to the dogs neck and out the pooches feet. It did flip flops ever time the phone rang. I regrounded the protector and got a call a week later from the same lady.* She complained that she could no longer tell when the phone rang when she was outside and asked be to undo whatever I did! I refused of course.* The pooch was always a bit shaky after that. :O)


you gotta love customers.... their nuts!  We just did a termiticide treatment last Saturday she watched the tech for a few hours, she stepped out and came back. After all the rains and storms she complained that he didn't do under the deck and it wasn't possible to get under it. ( He did while she was away) and now she wants us to redo under the deck even though the termites were at the front door. It appears the smarter they are, the more psychosis they have.

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## point man

> I think I may try a fluke 902 at next meter purchase. For some reason I was thinking the 902 was a modular meter like the field piece meter. I see that it's not. 
> 
> 
> http://www.wowwigs.com/wig-wand-jon-...renau.htmlThat phone may have rang about the time I bumped it, don't know, it did smart though.  We have to bond csst gas lines these days. The sparkys want nothing to do with it so we end up doing it. Not a fan of csst gas lines in general though, give me black iron.


Yeah, no field piece here. I agree, no go on modular. Most techs around here run the 902. It's been a good investment. 


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## point man

> Had a friend who believed the exact same thing. My brother installed a electrical wire that was designed to keep his dogs from digging under the fence. Wobbly Bob said that you can't get shocked if you had rubber soled boots on. He reached down and grabbed that wire and got lit up. 
> 
> He stood back and scratched his head and said, "Damn it Jim that ain't supposed to happen!" At which point he bent down and grabbed it again.
> 
> now, I can tell you first hand that watching somebody do that and get shocked a second time is dangerous to all that are there. As everyone immediately experienced difficulty breathing, pain in their sides and bellies. Hell, some of us even had tears coming out of our eyes.


I didn't say rubber soled. I said a good pair of boots. 

It is true that if you are not grounded you won't get shocked. The rubber soled boots he was wearing probably had a steel shank in the sole that may have reduced the level of insulation


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## Batch

> I didn't say rubber soled. I said a good pair of boots. 
> 
> It is true that if you are not grounded you won't get shocked. The rubber soled boots he was wearing probably had a steel shank in the sole that may have reduced the level of insulation
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I know you didn't say rubber boots. But, that was what Wobbly Bob thought and said.

There are a lot of variables. Good rubber soles on boots can have a resistance of 20 megaohms. That is going to be pretty good protection on flat dry ground against lower voltages. But, if my friend had damp boots and was standing in a yard where he ended up having the leather of his boot in contact with the earth. Also, the wire was higher voltage than house wiring. voltage in the thousands and amperage in the milliamps.

Hell he could have stepped on a nail or screw and picked it with out knowing. I don't know. I just know it was funny as hell when he did it the second time.

I know I have been shocked on fiberglass ladders, while wearing good boots with rubber soles. Didn't see how I was grounded. But, I got shocked. But, I damn sure didn't do it again.

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## point man

[QUO TE=Batch;430442]I know you didn't say rubber boots. But, that was what Wobbly Bob thought and said.

There are a lot of variables. Good rubber soles on boots can have a resistance of 20 megaohms. That is going to be pretty good protection on flat dry ground against lower voltages. But, if my friend had damp boots and was standing in a yard where he ended up having the leather of his boot in contact with the earth. Also, the wire was higher voltage than house wiring. voltage in the thousands and amperage in the milliamps.

Hell he could have stepped on a nail or screw and picked it with out knowing. I don't know. I just know it was funny as hell when he did it the second time.

I know I have been shocked on fiberglass ladders, while wearing good boots with rubber soles. Didn't see how I was grounded. But, I got shocked. But, I damn sure didn't do it again.[/QUOTE]


Ahhh got ya.

Well, there are accidents, and there are stupids. You can prevent, but not stop accidents. You can't fix stupid.


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