Dyeing but not waxing?

[coyotero]

Are any of you just lye,dye and not waxing your canine traps?Got in a good discussion with a couple of good coyote trappers about this on Saturday.They said they don't wax anymore as they end up with the wax getting contaminated with odors during the course of the season.It seems to me I burned my wax one fall when getting ready to fox trap and didn't wax one season.I can't remember the results and I've got everything packed up to move over to our farm house and can't find my records.I don't offhand think it changed my fox catch.Both of the coyote trappers are waxed dirt users.

[Asa Lenon]

I prefer to wax my traps, have been doing it for 50 years. I've never had any problem with contamination as I pack my freshly dyed and waxed traps in tubs with cedar boughs or sweet ferns which are both native and natural to my trapping region.  Waxing is sort of like oiling good machinery, it makes the traps function quickly to their full capacity.  Waxing also makes for an easy clean up of the trap after a catch and helps prevent rust for extended periods. I've trapped both ways, with and without wax and believe the advantages of waxing outweigh any possible disadvantages. Ace :-)

[Wackyquacker]

For what its worth, (I dip, both traps and Cope)  I know a number of the trappers in these parts just dye there traps.  Some through in native vegitation (sage leafs) when they boil their traps, I presume to de scent.  In any case they catch plenty of coyotes.  The old Gov. man said the best way to keep a trap clean was to keep a coyote in it.  
I often wondered about wax and the higher temps of the desert area.  Probaly not much of an issue for fur but control work in the summer seems to be another case.

[jim-NE]

I've done both ways (dyed-no wax, and dyed with wax) and had good results both ways. I also like dipping my traps...especially when I'm limited on area that I can fire up a hot grill or charcoal fire for boiling.
I think wax has its benefits in speed, waterproofiing, etc. but isn't always a necessary step.

[RdFx]

Ive got canines in , dipped traps, dyed traps, dyed & waxed traps, also traps that were just thrown in creek ( creek came from tannic acid waters from cedar swamp).  They all work and it would depend on how you trapped with them  concerning how you handled them after whatever treating and your trap set methods and luring techniques.  I prefer boiling traps and then waxing as traps become a fast tuned piece of equipment if set up properly.

[Asa Lenon]

Wacky writes...
I often wondered about wax and the higher temps of the desert area. Probaly not much of an issue for fur but control work in the summer seems to be another case

I know it probably doesn't get as hot here as a Summer desert but I did wax traps for hot Summer usage during 25 years of bounty trapping.  It would get 90 degrees or so in the hot sand of our blueberry plains and I always waxed traps without a problem.  Ace

[coyotero]

I sometimes wonder what I do out of tradition or ritual in trapping versus what I really need to do to take the animals.The 2 guys I had the discussion with are both waxed dirt users.They contend that the wax dirt protects their unwaxed trap.

[Wackyquacker]

Yeh but its a dry heat  :-D

[RdFx]

Sheesh Wacky you been sniffen that sweet skunk i gave ya ??  Wait till you try the skunk oil!!!!!!!!!