Has anyone ever used this set for fox and had good results? Does anybody have any tips to make the set better?

LMCooner

This has been a very effective red fox set for me, when I have used it, especially in the winter months. There are variations of this set in the archives (at least there use to be as I recall.) Learn how to make it, and once you do that, you will be the only one who can make it better.

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan!!

my dad caught his only fox with a hay bail set, i assume its the same thing as your hay set, the funny thing is he waited till after season to tell me about it, or i might have pics

W-19, The full bail is one version -never tried that. I only used about ten inches of the crimpings from a bale and made a scattered imperfect "circle" out of it, about 4 feet in diameter, and set three traps - one in the middle of it, and two on the perimeter. I used it only a few times in the dead of a severe Wisconsin winter while trapping red fox.

Jonathan

I used it this past year. I had feathers scattered around the hay. I used maybe about a half a bail per set (There wasn't any snow on the ground so I figured I would use a bigger stack of hay to make it stand out more). Both sets were all torn up, but I guess I didn't do a good job with trap placement. I plan on using it again this year.

i'm kinda new to trappin does anyone have any pics of this set so i can add to my sets this year. i've heard a lot of good things about it.

Scstar, I think your problem may have been that you used too much hay with 1/2 of a bale in your situation( maybe not) - really do not need that much to create a curiosity feature for red fox or coyotes if you are on location - even without snow on the ground as I did. Although, I have seen somewhere that one trapper used two, or more full bales, in some configuration, plus he used scattered, fluffed hay in conjunction with it. I do not recall his trap placement, luring technique, or details.

Your trap and lure placement may have been awkward at the set, even if your traps were well bedded. Canines can be real funny at times when they find something new in their travels. Their approach to the hay set may have been other-direct, because of lure placement, the type of lure used, swayed possibly by poor technique. Only a guess, with my limited experience.

I am far, far from being a seasoned expert with this set. Hopefully, there are seasoned forum members who can contribute much more than I have been able to - they did before on this site prior to the major spasm last December. Just loaning my minimal experiences in the nod.

Jonathan

Jonathan,
Thanks for the input. I do have a tendency to put too much stuff on top of my traps to try and hide them. I guess it's all part of the learning process. All of the hay that I used was loose so that probably didn't help any either.

Paul,
It looks like that fox is on concrete

wow, not at all what i was tought, good set though

Paul,
Where is the trap set in relation to the hay pile?

the way it was shown to me is, in the very flat open country we have here in illinois, carry a bail out into the middle of a flat area where the bail will offer the best vantage point in the area, then place a trap thats on a drag in a small pocket, 1 on either end of the bail, then cover the traps with loose hay, no bait or lure, but a little ways away make another set, say a dirthole set, which you can bait or sent, theory is the stupid ones go to the dirthole, and the wary ones hop onto the bail to oversee the area first

Guys FTA (Furtakers of America) has a article I wrote describing this set Favorite Sets By Top Trappers 3...check it out..good cause.

the set that a fellow long time trapper shared with me is quite similar, but with a few changes. i use hay or straw bales. coyote and especially fox like to use bales or anything they find for a higher look since they are so small. find a local pet store and collect used mice shavings that will be saturated in mouse urine. two or three weeks before season opens, place these shavings under the bale, along with genaric bird seed or cracked corn. this will attract and hold mice, therefore it will attract coyote/fox. animals will most likely "round" the bale, so place your trap bedded just like a dirt hole, but hide it a little better with watever is at the set location.(if its in a bean field, lightly cover the bedded trap with bean shaff, etc.) i have caught many fox this way, and have seen where some will sit on the bale, so if you want to get tricky put a coilspring on the center of the bale, but use an extra long stake. i think the trick to this is the mice that the bale will hold throughout the season.

Never heard that idea, but I bet it would work.

i use it almost more than dirt holes. really easy to maintain, and prolly better for a beginer

the pic with the fox was taken near a quarry , all stone, no dirt holes in that area....Caught about 12 off of the set in two weeks.


both traps on one stake in the middle of the hay , set traps opposite of each other at the far ends.Fox like to pounce on the hay to push there prey out so normally you have a very good hold on the animal .

do u put any bait in the hay?

o and will the set work for yotes?

i do not use bait with my bale sets. the bale itselt will have mice living in it if you put it out 2 weeks before season opens(no trap of course) and use birdseed. no bait or lure is needed, perhaps a drop of fox urine, at most

ive only caught foxes, but yes it would

ok thanx

yes it will catch yotes , fox , and ofcourse possums... alittle lure in the middle of the hay is always a plus

Excellent information provided by those of you more experienced with this set. My knowledge base has been significantly expanded. Thanks for sharing the photos and techniques.

Jonathan