general purpose trap bedding question

[shb]

I experienced two instances of traps being exposed by scratching this week. One was a coyote, he scratched down to and completely exposed the pan without getting caught. The other was a racoon who seems to have just scratched down until he saw the corner of the jaw and then left.  My first guess is that I didn't pack the dirt over and around my traps well enough.

My question: Is one supposed to pack the crap out of the dirt inside and outside of the jaws? Even if this makes it look like it would make it harder for the trap to fire.  

And, where did I see an ad for an aluminum trappers cap for No. 2 bridgers?

Thanks in advance.
hope every one is haveing as much fun as me

[KYtrapper17]

I always pack the dirt down around the trap without hitting the pan. A trappers cap really helps out here. You want the dirt as firm as possible and a small kill area. Because when the critter feels the soft dirt under his foot you want the trap on the foot. Otherwise it could result in digging.

[Wackyquacker]

I wonder did you happen to test your trap and see if it rocked After the digging?  Smells on traps are also a major cause of digging.  Sometimes you will get a trap exposed for no apparent reason.  In these situations you need to consider blending and reducing the disturbance around the set.  

As for packing, if you are using pan covers of any sort you will have a problem packing inside the jaws.  On the #2 Bridgers a screen pan cover may help you take more coyotes in that the jaw area is large enough to allow the critter to step inside but not hit the pan.  It seems that the #2 Bridgers are just about at this size limit.  

With smaller traps, using a plug under the pan instead of a pan cover will enable you to pack dirt inside and out side of the jaws.  I do not find a need for a trappers cap to complete this operation.  However, I adjust my traps to between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs which is probably to high for your coon.

Hope this is of some help.

[shb]

Im pretty sure it wasn't rocking and I went to great measures to keep the traps odor free. So, do the traps fire just fine if you pack the dirt tight all the way up to the pan?

[Wackyquacker]

Your traps will fire IF you don't have them blocked with dirt etc under them and if they don't freeze.

You know try as we may sometimes we contaminate the traps during and after we lure.  For example, I use white cotton gloves to do all trap placement. I remove the gloves when handling lure.  If I forget I just change out gloves and wash the dirty ones when I get home.

Sometimes you just have curious, or spoky or shy  critters that mess around when they approach sets.  Maybe its the loose dirt of the bed or them smells coming from a hole or a bleached bonw what ever.  If they come back you can catch them.  Often a set near by lured with something very different or simple, like a bit of urine will take them (I speaking for the coyotes now).

[trappnman]

could be a zillion reasons why they got dug.  WQ says it most of it- but soft dirt, different colored dirt, too small a pattern, animal felt trap under foot are just a couple more.

Also- it is very rare for a coon to scratch, dig to expose a corner of a trap. Very rare. A coon wil ltotally uncover a trap , often overturning it and setting it aside unfired. Coon dig for food, canines dig at the trap usually from curiosity.

[RdFx]

Right on WQ and Steve..... The proffessors of the canine world keep us on our toes. :grin:

[Thumper]

I agree with Trappman, a coon will seldom, if ever, expose a trap. That's how you can tell who busted you. K-9's will expose you and coons will dig and trip the set. It's the mechanism of their paws. A coons paws have a much higher dexterity and can grasp, clentch, much like a monkey or human. K-9's are like dogs and cats, and will scratch. I learned the hard way, most (successful) trappers will agree. We can't emphasize enough the importance of bedding a trap well. Smell and sight of a set is of unmost priority. I use a cap, either commercial or you can make one out of same size PVC pipe as your pan. Some trappers use insulation under the pan, I use batting. This is cheap, won't hold water or smell. Your wife may have some in her sewing room. I find this works better than insulation. I also bed HARD inside and around the jaws. The only thing that should move around the set is the pan. Also, don't be afraid of putting too much debris on to cover and blend the set. All the critters you are after have mass. Curious squirrels, rabbits, can walk on a set and not trip it. Might actually add to the alure. I've missed plenty of predators from making a set too light, but never from too heavy. There are a lot of educated fox and coyotes out there! 10 good sets will far out perform 100 poorly constructed ones. Good luck and keep trying.

 

[jim-NE]

coons will expose traps, if they move at all in a trap bed, in my experience. I trap coons almost 100% exclusively at land sets. flipped out traps but not fired, partially exposed, etc. are all factors if the trap moves, I believe. coons are extremely curious and will check out the trap if it moves or doesn't feel right under their feet.
skunks will dig out the edge of the pan or jaw also, just part of their uncanny ability to discover little hollows underground while looking for grubs.
I have had much more success on dryland coons when I really take the time to bed things nice and tightly.

[shb]

There's still the question of the trappers cap for no. 2 bridgers.  I can't remember which magazine I saw the ad. in.  Can anyone suggest which catalog or co. might carry them?

thanks guys.

[adkguide]

Epler Fur Co. carries the Bridger Trapper's caps.

[Wackyquacker]

I don't use these things...but Montgomery Fur in Ogden is the Manufacture/importer of the Bridger Trap maybe they have them...see T&P for Add

[shb]

Thanks guys, we had a solid rain last week that packed all my loose dirt pretty good.  We caught our first two coyotes on their next pass through the area after the rain.  

Trappnman, you will be interested to know that both were at sets that had been lured with the catchayotee.

And seven skunks so far. I didn't know there were so many of them around. We've had no luck killing them with .22 solids through the lungs, they still spray.  Can a person boil the skunk smell off of a trap?

[Bogmaster]

use .22 shorts in the heart /lungs for no smell. Long rifle and longs just keep on their merry journey --and turn a dead skunk into a sprayer.Shorts go in do the job and stay there. Tom