i talked with a fellow trapper in my area this morning and he is having problems catching coyotes too. i asked if he waxed his traps and he did. he said last year he didnt wax, and he caught a bunch of coyotes. this year they walk around his sets and wont come in. Me on the other hand did not wax mine, but did dye them and i cant catch a thing with those. i've had coyotes walk right by the set and not even come into them.

guestion. do they need to be waxed?

some i wax some i don't and i catch fox depends on who you ask

No, they don't have to be waxed or dyed. But it should'nt effect your catch unless the wax was contaminated with an odor.

No they don't have to be waxed.How much lure are you putting at each set?

From your description and different experiences between the both of you, one may almost conclude that your partner's wax was contaminated, because of his success and ability to catch coyotes with unwaxed traps in the past.

In your case, there may be a high probability that if you are a relatively inexperienced coyote trapper, that you are using too much lure at your sets. Just a thought for your consideration if in fact you may think that might be true. You really do not need much lure this time of year at any canine set.

You asked, "Do they need to be waxed?" "Yes" for some trappers; and "No" for others! The Yes/No quotient comparison mentioned between you and your friend certainly makes one wonder about the math in that equation. What do you think?

I traditionally have dyed and waxed all of my coil springs and long springs for land and water sets for 55 years. That is what I was taught as a kid. It works, and I continue to use that combination out of habit. I personally cannot speak to using unwaxed canine traps from experience because I have never done it.

Your post very well may draw out opinions from those who do not use either conventional dyes, or wax, but use a commercial "dip" for canine traps instead.

Keep an open mind with the flood of responses this thread might awaken.

Jonathan

Get the vast majority of the rust off of them and spray paint them if you are asking my opinion. I have been doing this and haven't seen any marked difference in digups or canines avoiding my sets. Just as long as you let them dry a day or two in a well ventalated area.

Here's my take on it.. When you wax a trap properly (that is, bring the trap up to the same temp as the wax), you purge all the 'pores' on the metal of the trap and fill them in with unscented wax making the trap scent free.

Waxing also makes a trap operate more smoothly.

Both are benefits that I think are important. I'm sure you can catch critters without doing this, but I'll continue to wax my traps.

I wax all my canine traps also.

All the big number coyote men that I know wax their traps, often way more than once a year. Sure you can catch yotes without wax, but I bet you catch more with.

The use of wax or not using wax is not your problem with too many walk-bys. As has been stated already, using too much lure is probably the #1 culprit in set avoidance followed by excessive human scent and odd foreign odors tracked off one footwear, human tracks left in sand or snow, etc, unnatural appearing sets or a combination of all four together being too suspicious for a naturally wary coyote.
As for the wax, I prefer to wax traps as it keeps them from rusting for a longer period, makes traps easier to clean up after a catch and makes them spring quicker. It has nothing to do with set acceptance or avoidance. I have harvested thousands of coyotes with waxed traps and thousands with just dyed traps and could never see any difference in acceptance,, avoidance or digging at the trap. Ace

well i put maybe a teaspoon full of bait in the hole with maybe a glob of lure the size of a big pea. i have flat sets out that look awesome to me, and i have dirthole sets out.
i have dyed and waxed traps also for years. this year i didnt wax, only dyed them. let them hang in a tree for 4 days and than put them in gallon ziplocks with some peatmoss in it. everything should be perfect. i wear hip boots, kneel on a pad and set my bucket on canvas. i can catch everything but a coyote. i'll keep pluggin away for another 10 days till gun season gets close. maybe i'll get lucky and have a stupid one walk by and fall in my trap.

any other ideas?

You may have answered your own question. You said that gun season was on. I've noticed a decreased catch rate on coyotes when deer season is open.

One more thing comes to mind, coyotes generally can not be crouded. Sets when possible should be made where a coyote can see clearly around in every direction for a reasonable distance and feel confident nothing is going to trick or jump him before lowering their guard to commit to a set and examine a hole. I have seen trappers go from zero catches to impressive catches on this one small detail alone. Ace

I wax all my coilsprings. I agree that it makes them spring faster, cleanup better after a catch, and don't rust during use as fast. I have tried just dying them with logwood dye, but notice that they develop surface rust just hanging in the fur shed......

Most of the big number coyote men i know DON'T wax traps. Wax or don't wax don't mean squat, what does matter though is, did he use dirty wax?

A skunked up trap will ruin a whole batch of wax, been there, done that! I quit waxing 20 years ago or more. If the wax he dipped with was clean he's doing something else to cause them to avoid the set, over luring probably.

Id tell him to just leave the sets be and stay as far away as possible from them when checking, if things don't change in a week then his traps have something on them the coyotes don't like.

Wax is a sponge for forein odors by the way, it picks up anything that touch's it, why I don't fool with it anymore.

Me thinks wax messes up a lot of trappers, particularly the new guys, particularly with coyotes.

With that said I wax my traps about every other year cause its dry here. But the wax is clean and I make darn sure that the wax is scraped off the dog and notch and that trap is not going to fire unless there is at least 3 lbs of pressure directly on the pan.

Waxing gives some guys the impression that you are trying for a lightning fast trap on a hair trigger and that is not the case at all. Waxing keeps the thing working in a wet year, maybe salt here and there, maybe some mud or snow.

These walk bys you are describing is not from hair triggers however. And you don't have coyotes digging them up cause of skunk wax or honey wax. Probably something else completely unrelated to the wax like backing too high or location not open enough or lure gone bad.

I suggest moving those dirt holes to an open spot, very small backing, six inches high, pour an ounce or two of stinky fish oil down that hole, and sharpen the knife.

Good luck.

I am not a big numbers man but I have caught more coyotes than everyone else in my county, put together. I am in VA. I don't wax, (entirely personal descision).

If I baited and lured with your recipe, I would expect a coyote catch by late december, and thats only if I didn't catch fifteen other critters first. Given your location I would say wait until a nice cold night, you will do OK. In the future, ease up on the quantity of bait and lure, the luremakers reccomendations are put on the bottle by luremakers, get it? Get some possums, and you will learn how much lure to put out, real quick.

fish oil??? i do have my sets in the corners of cut down corn fields where the farmer must have put in rye or some sort of grass. the backing in using on one is a rock the size of a cantalope, the others im using a small peice of wood or just a chunk of high grass in the field. couple sets i have just off the 2-track on tree lines/ cut down crops fields. it is strange to me i could catch a bunch of fox when i was younger, now that i have time to catch a coyote i seemed to be failing something terrible. i even had a talk with Asa at the convention about how big to make the dirtholes. im trying small holes, orange size holes, this combo that combo. im just jinked at catching one darn coyote.
one thing i havent tried was fishoil... you wouldnt be foolin an ole fooler would ya? :o)

like my social studies teacher says(hes a real jerk) you dont have to do anything, but there may, or may not be consequences if you dont do it, i hope this helps

How warm has it been up there? How much moisture? If it has been warm, your lure might be a little loud and it needs time for the set to cool down so to speak. If it has been moist out, then it could be scent problem. Is there any chance of cross contamination of your clothing/gear? Are you setting where the animal is coming in downwind? Just throwing out some thoughts.

J Trapper wrote...
If the wax he dipped with was clean he's doing something else to cause them to avoid the set, over luring probably.
Id tell him to just leave the sets be and stay as far away as possible from them when checking, if things don't change in a week then his traps have something on them the coyotes don't like.

Good advice, stay away from those sets, no adding or changing lure or bait, no fussing, just stay away. I'll bet you'll nail some coyotes within a few days. Good luck! Ace

i have not got close to any of them, trying to check them with bino's. one i did have to walk within about 20 yrds to check. i thought someone might have took it. but have not gotten any closer than that since i set them. i'll stick it out another few more days with them, and if nothing, try something else. like bowling or golf, or sewing, maybe even walking the neighbors dogs or some other profession that doesnt INVOLVE COYOTES!!!! :o)

Ok, I might agree w/ checking from a distance, but when you've got coon, irresponsible pet owners, and a ton of grinners how long before you go and take a good look to make sure your not checking set off traps every morning. What about checking them from a truck? (just driving by)

Hey wiggler, you must have got closer than 20 yards some time to see evidence that coyotes are walking right by your sets. Ace

no asa one of my sets is within 30 yards of the dirt road i drive down. and where the tractors come out of the field it is all sand. thats were the tracks were so i know he walked with a few yards of my set. my set was up-wind of that opening. i try and always count on that northwest wind we have here. so i set most of my set either straight west or northwest of where they are walking , so i know they will smell the set.

tobias, i get close enough i can tell if anything is wrong with the set or not, i just don't walk right UP to the set and then stare at it for a period of time as ive seen some guys do.

Lots of my sets are checked from the window of the truck though, just drive on by them without having to get out.

Wiggler, don't give up. Coyotes have gave all of us who have chased after them fits in our lives, things will start to click for you when you least expect it.

J Trapper is right again, just hang in there Wiggler and you'll soon start producing. I've met you in person and know your an intelligent guy and obviously you have put forth a lot of study and effort at doing things right. I've seen a lot of half measures that still produced some coyotes so I don't believe you are the exception. Good luck! Ace

thanks you guys. i wont give up until deer season gets here in 10 days or so. i still have a bunch of coons i need to clean out so hopefully i will connect this year on one of those "dogs". no mink yet, just coons and grinners.

waxing helps keep the trap from rusting more. I clean, clean, dye and wax my canine traps. But thats just my way and it works for me.

ok just so you guys dont think im a total wee-todd, here is the morning catch.


funny thing about the fox was it was dead when i got to it. after skinning it, i found out it had been killed bye a coyote or another fox. bite marks all over its back and head.
but at least i know i can still catch fox and coon. i had 5 set on a little 60 square yard pond, and caught 4 coons there. i think i caught the whole family. couple of'em were really big!

Coyotes bad about killing fox in traps, least yours wasn't tore to smitherine's like mine usually are. Remake set where you caught that red should have a coyote in it within a few days if not tomorrow, maybe you'll catch the guilty party.

Asa, this has to be a new record for you agreeing with me, lol.

Like was said , wait them out . Yotes are not like fox as they cover a lot larger area . It will sometimes take them a week to wonder by again . Less lure is a better approach then more . They will sometimes work a set a month or more after I pull them here .

I have used traps waxed and dyed , waxed only , dyed only and cold dipped . All will work once the right combonation of factors click AND the coyote is of a mind to work the set . Sometimes they have something already in mind when they are traveling by your set .

Drifter

J Trapper writes...
Asa, this has to be a new record for you agreeing with me, lol.

Oh J, I'm just buttering up for a loan to help pay that fuel oil bill, LOL! Ace

Could just as well have been someones hound. I had a grey fox killed by a friends hound, he fessed up to it a few days later...LOL.

well.. maybe i'll get the fun of releasing someones hound that killed my fox. but there was coyote tracks in the sand trap right next to my fox. (im trapping a golf course, this fox was caught near the fairway on hole #4, right between 2 sand traps). the little woman and i golfed a few holes today and she dropped me off to remake my set and she went on golfing. ahhh what a life this retired ole boy has... :o) life is good

Wish i could help Asa but you know im a over worked under paid gov. employee, lol.