Trap Preparation for Canines ( Traditional or FMJ)

[nycoyote]

Since I started trapping canines a few years back I have prepared my traps with the traditional dye and wax process. Time is always a factor when getting prepared for the upcoming season and I wonder if there is a quicker option to get traps ready.   I see Full Metal Jacket mentioned on occasion is some post and wonder how that works for people. Any guys on here use FMJ? Is it worth trying or should I stay with what I have been doing?

[jim]

I just wax mine. Clean them in a cement mixer with sand in it first.

[trappnman]

I've never used full metal jacket.

But I've used several dips and F-1. I caught coyotes on each, in fact one year 107 on speed dip. But.....that was in a high population and oh boy the avoided traps.

So one year about 15 years ago- I had some dipped traps, and some F-1 traps, that had been hanging since Sept. It was Jan, froze ground, but with a couple inches of light snow predicted that afternoon and night. We managed to get in 12 sets, finishing up in the snow. The next morning in the fresh snow, set after set showed me coyotes coming up to the edge of the trap bed, digging down to the trap exposing a corner- then either left or worked set from the side. I left those traps in 2 weeks, caught a couple, saw the same happen many times, as we would get a skiff of dry snow every other day or so. I went and boiled and waxed 12 traps, took them out to those sets and used same anchors and same sets, just new traps. Digging all but eliminated. Same coyotes- different trap.

Made a believer out of me, and I've dyed and waxed ever since.

I do dye at beginning of season- I boil the traps to clean, might as well dye as well as I do like that fresh look. but I need to redo traps midway, and those I just soak and rinse and wax and I see no difference in performance.

Don'y look at it as a chore- gives you opportunity to check each trap, name tags etc- I pick a nice day, start the water early, and make it a easy day.

[braveheart]

I dipped mine one time in the gas junk years ago. The coyotes had a hay day digging traps out.
I just use my real logwood crystal and go quite waxing just a good long simmer and done.
I just pulled up some traps I thought I would get back to sat snapped for about 3 months had some little spots of rust trying to start. Good enough for me.

[flathead40]

braveheart, what do you think the difference in the dye job is between your logwood and walnuts or sumac? I prefer either to logwood crystals, but haven't tried the stuff you sell. I'm not a fan of the dip for coyote traps, gas or water.

[trappnman]

I think the difference isn't much if any. I sold both the black crystals, and the red powder. Some guys swore by the difference, and gladly paid the premium price- other would report they tried both and didn't see any difference.

I always used red dye, but last year used the crystals on everything- and didn't see any difference in the coatings, nor did it last longer.

Odd you prefer walnuts and sumac- I've never boiled either, but have cold soaked with both- it does a good job- but to me was a PIA. A tip, esp sumac- put it into a old nylon keeps the mess down

[flathead40]

I don't get the chalky coating boiling like I do. The mess to me is really minor. When I pull the traps out of the boil I just swoosh (technical term I know) them around a little. Most or all the pieces come off. If there are any left that bother me I just pick it off before I wax but really isn't much of an issue. It's one of the few jobs I kind of enjoy doing anyhow. I like the smell of it and the anticipation I guess. Plus I have both walnuts and sumac out back, so that's also part of it. It's usually a pleasant process.

[Griz]

Mar 24, 2018 8:27:42 GMT -6 trappnman said:

I've never boiled either, but have cold soaked with both- it does a good job- but to me was a PIA...

I too cold soak with walnut hulls. They work good, and I have to pick the walnuts up off of the sidewalk anyway, so I might as well use them. After the traps soak, I wax them to lubricate and protect the trap. Any walnut odor is natural to the area where I trap and helps cover other odors.

[braveheart]

I use to use the walnut and sumac tops. It looked ok but not a very durable coating. I got some traps with 5-6 coyotes coating still hanging tuff. I got one I left coated in mud want to see the out come. The real stuff is hard to come by I had to order hundred fifty pounds to get the price even reasonable. Now since everyone has used it I get 200 lbs a year . The freight shipment is the killer.

[bulldozerjoe]

Sumac here in old leggings