DIY trapping a Coyote/cat/coon

[Patton]

Would it be a big No-No to order new traps and only boil them, therefore skipping the dying and waxing

[Fergeris]

Would it be a big No-No to order new traps and only boil them, therefore skipping the dying and waxing

A lot of the old timers never waxed their traps. Some just threw them in creek water or a pond an let them set for a lil while

[wilded]

If you do not dip or wax your traps they will often stick to dirt and not close quickly. I bed my traps in peat moss and put a ball of polyester fluff under the pan to keep dirt from blocking the pan instead of a pan cover. They go off quick and there is no pan cover to crackle or make noise when it is stepped on. Use a sifter and sifter dirt from the site lightly over the trap. When you use guide sticks or stones use small ones they work just as well as big sticks and look more natural. I keep dove and quail feathers from kills just so I can spread a few around a trap site in cat country. It draws cats and coyotes. Use a lure and a urine.

[Tuffbroadhead]

Would it be a big No-No to order new traps and only boil them, therefore skipping the dying and waxing

Nope wont hurt a bit, when new traps come in all I do is boil them/clean them and use them till they get scent issues from multiple catches and blood.

It does not effect the speed of the trap in dirt what so ever.

THE ONLY time a trap will have issues is if its frozen to the ground and a dyed and waxed trap will freeze just like a raw steel one will.

IF you are setting traps and you know it will be freezing, make sure your dirt is DRY DRY DRY, or use peet moss to bed but you will still need to blend in the set with dry dirt on top...

What you use for a pan cover is totally your preference.

POLYFILL works great, one or a two time use and its done
UNDERALLS (round foam cut circles) work great...but once again couple uses and its done and can get scent issues.
WAX PAPER, very cheap, one use . Cut in squares in needed size , when ready for use, crumple they up really well then straighten them out and use them..Works great and is lightweight.
ALUMINUM SCREEN(window screen type) works great also, cut in sizes that you will need, you will get multiple uses out of them.

ALL LISTED pan covers make ZERO noise and all will work, its just preference..


I wont bother dying and waxing a trap in the middle of season, all my traps get done once a year before season starts...I will add that I boil and clean traps throughout the season to keep them scent free..

Tuning/new parts
Boiling/cleaning
Dye process
Wax process

[BSOB]

Nope wont hurt a bit, when new traps come in all I do is boil them/clean them and use them till they get scent issues from multiple catches and blood.

It does not effect the speed of the trap in dirt what so ever.

THE ONLY time a trap will have issues is if its frozen to the ground and a dyed and waxed trap will freeze just like a raw steel one will.

IF you are setting traps and you know it will be freezing, make sure your dirt is DRY DRY DRY, or use peet moss to bed but you will still need to blend in the set with dry dirt on top...

What you use for a pan cover is totally your preference.

POLYFILL works great, one or a two time use and its done
UNDERALLS (round foam cut circles) work great...but once again couple uses and its done and can get scent issues.
WAX PAPER, very cheap, one use . Cut in squares in needed size , when ready for use, crumple they up really well then straighten them out and use them..Works great and is lightweight.
ALUMINUM SCREEN(window screen type) works great also, cut in sizes that you will need, you will get multiple uses out of them.

ALL LISTED pan covers make ZERO noise and all will work, its just preference..


I wont bother dying and waxing a trap in the middle of season, all my traps get done once a year before season starts...I will add that I boil and clean traps throughout the season to keep them scent free..

Tuning/new parts
Boiling/cleaning
Dye process
Wax process

Great info guys! I know for rookies like myself it means alot and is helpful.

I am so lost on the waxing/dying part?

So when I get my traps in I need to boil them...I am lost after that haha

I will never be trapping in freezing weather so is wax/dye a big issue?

[yanta61]

Would it be a big No-No to order new traps and only boil them, therefore skipping the dying and waxing

I think the biggest thing is to try and keep everything scent free. Dyeing doesn't really do anything for the scent free part. It will help stop the rusting of the traps. I like dyed traps because if by some chance a piece gets uncovered by something you don't have a shiny piece of metal showing. This could all be total BS but in my head it sounds good...That is why I dye my traps.

Waxing makes them scent free and I think a little quicker, Also think it helps protect the traps.


I know people that just paint there traps and there done, Some dip there traps, some just degrease them, some dye and wax...Pretty sure everyone still catch some coyotes.

[yanta61]

I am so lost on the waxing/dying part?

So when I get my traps in I need to boil them...I am lost after that haha

You pretty much just boil the traps in a trapping dye (Red Powder Logwood Trap Dye, Black Powder Trap Dye, Black Walnuts, Oak leaves/bark) the dye will stick to the slightly rusted traps....After that you pull them out and let them dry, Then you put them in a melted scent free trapping wax. you have to leave the traps in there for a few seconds. When the traps heat up to the same temp as the wax you can pull them out and let cool. this will give you a thin coat of wax. If you just dunk the traps in an pull them out without letting them heat up a little a bunch of wax will stick to them. all you want is a nice thin even coat.

Now that’s the way it’s supposed to be done......I stray from the pack a little and put the wax into my dye. The wax will float on top of the water/dye. Let the traps boil for a few min and I pull them in and out a few time and let them hang until there dry and cool. Hopefully i will do this tonight.....

[ground level]

Tuff and Yanta are explaining it quite well. Been doing this since I first got into trapping back in the early 70's.

Waxing will help in making the trap snap quicker, but will also hold odors as well.

[Mark jackson]

Good tread I have never dyed or waxed my traps before but then again i never looked into the right way to do it. We still do pretty good just setting them out and putting a little foam under the trigger and we always wear gloves to set the traps. Very interesting tread appreciate all the info so far

[Caprock]

We used to just boil the traps and when setting them we used wax paper. We would put them in our watermelon patch because the dang coyotes would eat you out of watermelons if you didn't trap them.

[Patton]

Thanks for all the info, all excellent stuff. Definitely going to help with avoiding a few of the rookie mistakes I hope

[yanta61]

Ok.... Let's start the dyeing. I use a old turkey frying pot. I fill it up with oak bark and oak leaves. Then fill it up with water and let it start boiling

After it boils for a little while I will take it and strain it into a 5 gallon bucket. Then put the black water back into the pot and bring back to a boil.

Then I put the traps in a lower the heat so it just barely boils.


After about 20 min I pulled them out

Bad pic but it's already dark... I put them back in for another 20 min. Then I pulled them all out again. I then add my wax to the dye water and put a 3 traps back in.

Once the wax melts I will pull the traps out and let dry. Then add another 3 traps. I let them sit in the pot for about a minute and them pull them out.

[Patton]

So did you add a purchased dye, or does the tree mixture act as your dye?


Edit: after reading it a few times a see the oak mixture acts as the dye. Thanks, good to know, another thing I won't need to buy

[yanta61]

Trap on the left is dyed and waxed. The one on the left is only dyed. I would like them to be a little darker but they will work this year. If I would've let the rust longer they would have dyed darker.

Here all the traps dyed and waxed. Also made some rebar stakes and 3 drags.

[Tuffbroadhead]

Looks good brother!

Got a dozen Freedom brand Dp's to try out, they came in today and they got cleaned, 6 of them are already out working.

Also tweeked my raccoon bait recipe a bit, we shall see what the results are in the morning, lol