Trapping, source of food for millennia, is still used to hunt both man and beast.

This article is not designed to net you your next meal, but rather, next kill.
Be aware that the word "trap" does not mean "snare for the purpose of detaining",
though it could. This trap is anything that you want, so long as it is something your prey is lead into.
Also, though the "target" is used as a singular, it is not necessarily one person, or even a person,
adapt the techniques below to any other quarry you may have. Though I see trapping as always,
always, always initiated by the victim or target.

Any experience with hunting, tracking, or trapping will be a boon to you.
Just apply the same principles to your new prey.

The Art of Trapping
Trapping presents itself is an interesting, almost paradoxical, conundrum:
There is no passive trapping, you must actively set traps and snares to catch your quarry,
however,
Trapping by nature is passive, as often the prey initiates its own capture or death.

How could anyone bring these two contradictory phrases together?
What is the trapping "theory of everything?"

It is based in knowledge and in action.

The essence of trapping, or of war, or anything is stated in these two directives:
"Know your objective. Know it well."

This applied to anything is true.
Need a drain fixed? Call a plumber.
Need a house sold? Call a realtor.
Need a guy dead? Call a mobster.

Why do people go to the mentioned persons for specific help? Because they know it well. (usually)

Knowing your target means exploiting it. It runs its daily course, it has its own life, wants, and needs.
Buy studying and understanding it, you will be able to make inferences as to where, how, and when to trap.

There are three stages to the art of trapping, and to the first: three aspects.

Stage 1: Knowing your target
Bet you didn't see that coming.
Knowing your target is key if you are in any way, shape, or form planning on finding and trapping it.
There are three aspects to find out about your target in order to track him effectively:

1) Wants/Needs
This has proven to be a go to source of information time, and time again.
Wants/needs prove to be one of the most effective baits to use.
Even with animals, the hunter uses an animal's primal wants/needs to lure it to its death.

Example: An animal's 4 wants/needs: air, water, food, and a mate.
Hunting deer, many products are made for each of these (except air, its everywhere).
Water: While no product is made, very often hunters will set up not far from a watering hole for their prey.
Food: Deer feeders, food pellets and salt licks.
Mating: Decoy does, rattling antlers (males fighting for mates), and doe urine.

If any of the above were not true, then there would be no market for such items.

For people, the principle is very much the same.
During WWII, crates labeled "Scotch Whiskey" were placed on C4 and tilt detonators, killing or
maiming anyone who moved the crate.
Also in WWII, Germans would leave "souvenirs" in the form of Walther or Luger Officer's Pistols.
Allied soldiers would grab their war trophy, set off the hidden explosives attached, and lose a hand.

Wants or needs are the most easily exploited encounters not within the target's usual habit.
One of the most powerful wants/needs is the want/need to know. In other words, curiosity.

Far too many automobile accidents have been caused by people who slow down just to capture
a glimpse of something they think is absolutely crucial for them to know.
Likewise, as a plot device in many horror movies, despite the protests of those in the theatre,
the unlucky protagonist goes upstairs to investigate that dark room to discover a grisly surprise.

This want/need complex is what drives us to better ourselves, or our perceived standard of living.
It is also rooted in the hypothalamus, which tells us we want something, and NOW!
This provides that there will always be a way to your target through his/her very primal instinct.

2) Habits
As wants/needs are readily exploited as encounters outside of habit, it naturally follows for the
next item to be exploited is the habits of the target themselves.

Habits are what often govern our behaviours and routines, to the point of nigh-monotony.
They are what we as people have deemed the most efficient and beneficent for their needs.

Beyond these habits form out of sheer repetition, creations of our own idiosyncrasies, either learned
or developed ourselves, to the point where they become subconscious, necessary actions in life,

Exploiting these tendencies allows for easy prey along their normal course of living.

For example, Viet Cong noticed during the Second Indochina War that allied GIs would habitually
kick cans while walking down roads on patrol. Not long after, explosive devices started appearing
in said cans, resulting in allied casualties and a reform of patrol policy.
The Viet Cong, too, noticed the habits of GIs burning suspected hideouts to the ground. Their counter
was a hand grenade, with the safety pin removed and the arming spoon rubberbanded to the grenade.
These being placed in various buildings, when burnt down, the rubber band would snap, releasing
the spoon and detonating the grenade shortly thereafter, posing a significant risk to nearby soldiers.

Even in the Modern Iraq War, insurgents place roadside bombs along heavily traveled roads, and
would attack military convoys that pass by.

If you know your targets pattern of life, then you should easily be able to tell where s/he is over 90%
of the time, allowing you to plan your trap accordingly.

3) Contacts
Finally, the "Contacts" section. Friends, family, bosses, coworkers, rivals, flings, and study-buddies.
All the above are as valuable to you as is the above two sections, unless you know everything
about the person that you are tracking.

Why are they valuable?

Simply as contingency, they likely know more than you know about your target in one or more areas,
including schedule, habits, likes, dislikes, preferences, stresses, needs, plans, and emotions.
All of the above are significant tidbits of information that allows you to put together the person who is
your prey.

Simply put, they have information you don't. Getting them to talk to you may prove easy or difficult, and,
since it is case by case, will not be discussed on this page.

If you want to know something about your target, ask them. They'll more than likely have what you need.

Stage 2: Picking Your Trap
A very important stage, depending on your end goal.
Also comprised of three steps, this stage requires your careful consideration to
pick the right device for the job you plan to carry out.
All of the following section is completely personal and arbitrary, as such the steps
will be listed, but at length or in depth discussion will be absent.
1) End Goal
First, you must figure out what to do to your victim.
Do you wish to maim, kill, snare, disable, or stun your victim?
Simple enough, but do consider the consequences of such actions.

2) Message (optional)
Nextly, what sort of message do you wish to send?
Who do you want to send the message to?

Do you want to scare the target, with or without blood?
Do you want to say to those around the target, "You're next?"
Do you just want to say, "It's personal." regardless of whether the target knows?

This step,coupled with your end goal allows you to determine the last step of this stage.

3) Device Selection
Coupling your aim with your message, will allow you to pick your device.

Devices an be either purchased (such as firearms), or made (such as Punji sticks).
The manufacture is totally at the trapper's discretion.

Aims as follows with possible messages:
Kill: Bomb (I don't want anything left of you), Shotgun Spring-gun (You ain't so pretty, now)
Maim: Punji Spikes (You stabbed me in the back), Mine-device (You run too fast)

Anything less than these often does not have a message, and is used to aid capture.

Snare: Bear trap (You are an animal), Covered Pit (I was helpless, now you are)
Disable: Tazer Spring-gun, Electrified net
Stun: Flashbang, Disabling Chemicals

Now that you have knowledge, bait, an aim, a message, and a device, there is only
but one thing still left to do.

Stage 3: Deploying Your Trap
Probably the most difficult phase of trapping, a plan is necessary to successfully trap your quarry.
As with any scenario you will need to monitor three things.

1) Placement
Placement is key. If the trap is too far from your target, they will likely not notice it, too close,
and they may become suspicious. This includes your initiation system as well. Placing the initiation
system where it will likely be seen will arouse suspicion. Also, placement may be inclusive or exclusive.
Make sure it appears to be destined for your target, otherwise another individual may become your
victim. Try to place it just outside of the target's regularly scheduled travel zones.
Though placement is key, it will not seal the deal The other two two factors do that.

2) Bait
This is where knowledge is key. Like placement it can be exclusive or inclusive.
For example, an alcoholic is more likely to pick up an unopened bottle of wine from the street than,
say, a Mormon. Likewise, bait according to your quarry's idiosyncratic wants, those that separate
them from most any other individual. A tilted-painting for the OCD-guy. A messy pile of clothes for the
neat-freak. Anything that will get them, and only them, to do exactly what you want them to do.

3) Concealment
Finally, if you send a bomb to someone, and you want them to set it off, don't make it look like a bomb!!
It seems simple, but if they feel something isn't right, cover your tracks to convince them otherwise.
Put leaves over the carpet covering your spike pit. Gift-wrap your parcel bomb. Hide your giant
spinning axe of doom around a blind, dark corner. If it is worth doing, it's worth overdoing, especially
if you want it done right.


Afterword
I have told you all I know concerning such things, and therefore want to leave you with this message:
Neither the man behind the profile LLukeL, nor the ZSDW, its hosts, admins, or moderators, condone,
suggest, approve, or command the above actions or methods, except in the event of Z-Day.
Responsibility for actions following the instructions above resulting in the loss of life, limb, sanity, or
property rest solely on the individual(s) who perpetrated such action. LLukeL, ZSDW, its hosts, admins,
or moderators, cannot and will not be held responsible for any actions other than their own.