Trap Covering

[castiron]

What is your usual covering in freeze thaw conditions. Where I trap we usually get light rain or snow every two or three days. Weather changes alot, it will drop down below freezing at night then above freezing in the day. It is a full time job just keeping the traps working. I used peat moss with a light covering of dry dirt this year and hardly had a trap that would work three nights in a row. I am thinking of using straight peat moss this year with no dirt covering at all. The peat did not freeze last year it was the dirt covering over the peat that I had trouble with. Do you have a lot of refuseals using straight peat moss? How do I blend this type of a set in? Thanks for all your help.

[trappnman]

in constant rain/thaw, I always used glycol with dry dirt. I am hoping, that in these light rain/freeze conditions, that peat can handle the stuff alone, if not, I'll add glycol to it- at least it own't turn into mud.

[DaveM]

In constant freeze/thaw conditions , I have used straight peat. I'm sure I had some refusals, but still caught plenty. The top of the covered trap needs to be a couple inches below ground level to keep the peat from blowing away.

[NEPISIGUIT]

I wonder if the type of soil in the area of the trap has any bearing on what is used. I used peat last year in almost contunious rain for a few days. The siol was clay loam and aparently very poor draining in the field.. So much so that it lifted #3 bridgers to the surface when the peat became saturated. I doubt if anything would have worked here,but never tried glycol=maybe?

[Wright Brothers]

Dry dirt was useless for me last time. If the ground freezes and stays frozen with no day time warm ups dirt works good. Soon as the mud thaws, dry dirt is wet and freezes.

Straight peat with no dirt cover worked best "this time."

If the peat cover will not get snow covered, I blend the set with cut up grasses or other local fine blend. I did make some remake catches with large pattern peat showing, but I'd rather blend it.

I tried the glycol for one season and did not like it here, seemed liked it washed out/diluted and things froze up fast. Glycol may be the ticket in other areas or Carolina, just the one season I tryed it failed here.

Waxed dirt is the best I have tried. Most labor intensive too.

[trappnman]

using glycol- forget the RV stuff. Its cheap and I heard it works- but it works in a very limited way if even tat- temps in low 20s, it doesn't work.

But reg glycol works good- starting with spraying down te empty bed, then the trap held over the bed, then the trap after bedded, then each dirt layer- finally a wide overspray cause te stuff darknes dirt and you need the overspray to blend.

such sets protect well in rain than freezing down to single digits.

without rain, protects to zero and below.

[Jeffrey]

I use cover hulls under the trap and then over the trap with dirt sifted on top.

[Stef]

waxed sand

as soon as the sun goes out... the first spot that will dry out (top dress) near the set(s) area will be right on top of your trap(s)... why?
Its dry underneath

[archer109]

Stef, is the sand that use really fine or would regular beach sand work?

[Bristleback]

Arch, I made up some WS this year, I usually use 100% WD. The sand I used this time was actually too small......it would go right through my steel screen........so I used polyfil under my pan AND steel screen.

Next year I'll use a larger size sand, sure packs nice, heavy though.

We'll see what Stef has to say.

[17HMR]

Bristleback, my local sand also gos through the screen, my cure was to wax the screen. You have to do this on a still day or do it inside as a little breeze will blow the wax out of the screen holes.

[RonMarsh]

The sand that I use is playground sand. It does not go through the nylon screen pan covers. Regular steel screen has too large an opening in the mesh and the sand will go through it.

[trappnman]

I'm starting to come full circle on screens- haven't forsaken them entirely yet, but polyfil is so trouble free.....

[Stef]

Well..LoL
I don't know the size of the sand I use but I can tell you that its a little bigger than let say beach/powder sand.

As for the pan cover.... I use wax paper so I don't have problem with that.

Stef

[archer109]

Ok thanks, I have been using more polyfil also. Less hassle than with screens. Just plain easier IMO. Do use screen in some areas for my cat traps.

[Bristleback]

I waxed my screen when I used aluminum......not sure I'm patient enough to do a bunch of them.....but you're correct it would solve the problem.

I now use OG black screen.

Steve you can have all my polyfill.........$10 shipping and handling..LOL.....I had some traps I had to take a hammer to to get to fire..........polyfill was froze solid below the pan.......WS was perfect........grrrrrrrrrrr

[trappnman]

the biggest problem by far is using way, way too much polyfil under the pan. Saw an example recently on another forum of the way to do it, was packed under pan with polyfil spilling out on all sides and no one commented on it so must be accepted way.

You should never ever have enough under pan that you can see any part of it when the trap is set- I take a very small amount, and stretch it out so it is loose, and place that between the center of the pan and the free edge. With short latched or dogless traps, all you need is a slight pan drop- and that little bit of poly provides enough air space that it fires perfectly. Works very well this way in pure sand.

A little bit like that stretched out, and it easily collapses when froze.

[archer109]

I stretch mine like Steve does and push it so it is right under the front of pan. Seems to work for me.

[trappnman]

I've heard it said not to use poly under dogless, but maybe thats packing it hard- I've have no problems the way I use it.

I do know that over time, how much time not sure- that poly will pick up odors in the bag- so I toss old every year and for $2 pick up a new supply- the stuff I had trouble with was 15 or so years old- so stuff kept for a year or 2 would probably be jsut fine...but as cheap as it is..

[archer109]

Never heard that about dogless and poly, I know John G. uses it with his Montana in certain areas where the sand is to small, goes right thru his screen.