First off, let me put it out there I'm a rookie trapper. But got a couple questions here...
1- Why do we dye our coyote traps if we are going to cover them in dirt?
2- After season how are you cleaning up your traps and getting the wax off?

Thanks for helping out a new trapper, I've got some more questions to throw at you later.

1. Some dye some don't. I perfer to put a lite rust on the trap then dye, just my perference.

2. I boil the wax off, you will need to ladel off the wax from the surface of the water prior to removing the traps from the water or you'll just coat them again with wax.

Yes I like to dip mine! Coyotes have such a good sense of smell they can smell trap buried under dirt!

Thanks, sounds simple enough!

I dye & wax my canine traps every year.

All others are dipped as needed.

dye is a personal preference and makes them look nice, but all you need is a coat of uncontaminated wax and you will be fine.

I dye and dip to protect my investment (need my traps to last as many years as possible) not to keep a critter from smelling trap. That is impossible and unnecessary as critters smell people everyday...farmers, loggers, hunters, etc.

With that said.........you do not want to trap with a ball of rust,,which is what you will have after using trap in wet soils. Experienced K9's may detect these heavily rusted traps and try to scratch at 'em as the oxidation produces a unique odor.

Another reason to dye or at least wax or dip traps is to maintain trap speed. Keeps moving trap parts working fast. A rusty trap is usually a slower trap.Dyeing and waxing traps is like double protection from the elements.

If you in trap in more arid climates....you can probably keep your traps in good working conditions with wax or dip only. No real need to have a black trap for covering with dirt.

I just wax

I tryed just wax years ago and my traps kep getting dug up . So I went back to what works . Don't ask me why

Why other folks dye I can't say, I dye because the tannins in the dye chemically react with any surface rust present at the time of dying and forms a compound that adds a measure of corrosion protection. This is verified when I burn the wax off the end of the dog and the pan notch. The wax is gone but the dye remains yet they don't rust!

As far as post-season cleaning I've done/do it two ways depending on if it's mid-season or post. Mid-season I spray wash then very, very well than wax. Post-season I may boil them in plain water(nothing added) and than wax. I figure I'm pretty anal about having clean, uncontaminated traps but also commonsensical. I've always figured that if I had dug-up traps due to them being a contaminated rather than wanting to work my scents (attractants), than the scents aren't worth spit!!!! This has never been an issue for me.

lye and dye the dirty 1's. for k-9s. lye, dye and wax watertraps.

Who's to say just because you set the trap with dirt covering that it will stay that way. I've had many things from coons to wind partially uncover my traps. Seems to me a dyed trap partially exposed would have better odds of connecting. I think the dying process cleans the traps some as well.

~ADC~

the logwood dye has tannins in it, as Seldom said this adds an extra layer of protection from rusting before you wax them

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm just wondering, I believe you. I've got me some logwood dye and wax ready to roll!

Will logwood dye work if done as a cold solution and simply soaked for a couple of weeks, or is it the heat that actually activates the tannins?

Same question of soaking in oak leaves: does the tannin only work if heated?

Nope, tannins are tannins, so In my opinion it just works slower when cold. Heat just speeds up the process with the ions moving and exchanging at a faster rate.

How "rust resistant" would you guys rate the tannins alone compared to Speed Dip?

I think speed dip does a better job protecting traps from rust than does logwood. I just wax now. No dye.

I agree, but will not use petro dips on land traps. Can't get that smelly, gummy mess to completely dry even when thinned more than directions say. Hadn't used any in a few years. Use F1 on all traps now.

I've never used Speed Dip but I figure it's supposed to be considered a "complete" coating as is F-1, whereas I don't consider dying to be a "complete" coating. A "complete" coating with dye would include waxing in my opinion. As has been explained, dying using tannins changes the rust to a different compound which offers a degree of corrosion resistance. Wax seals the deal! Literally!!

One year I did only wax a batch of new traps and didn't use any dye. When I burnt off the end of the dog and the pan notch I got rusting in those areas during use. As I stated previously, using dye I don't get that rusting in the burnt-off areas.

Back in the late 60's and well into the 70's when there was only reds to trap in my area, I only used dyed traps(sumac+logwood) without wax and I did very, very well and no, even in wet ground my traps didn't turn into balls of rust. That was than and now is now with far more coyote than fox and as I said eariler, I dye and wax.