# Are my traps frozen in? (Pics)



## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

Pretty excited to see the coyotes are working my sets, and appears I missed by mere inches on this set...










But these two sets, I am thinking they should have hit the pan.



















I am wondering if this track is a yote or domestic dog??




























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## iLiveInTrees (Jun 29, 2010)

Looks like a coyote to me...

...I had the same thing happen to me over the weekend. All of my pans are finely tuned, I barely can sprinkle dirt on them without them wanting to fire, and a coyote stepped right on top of one and it didnt fire.

I tested it with a stick, and that trap couldnt have caught the dumbest coyote in the world, hit the pan and it took about 2 seconds before the jaws were able to break free from the frozen dirt, and that was after only one night of being out, and it's been colder this week.

I actually just hit up FnT Post last night to get some wax for dirt, and I'm gonna give that a try.....very frustrating!


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## daoejo22 (May 7, 2009)

Looks like the 3rd pic, your trap is frozen in. Atleast where I would have trap set. The tracks look like yote to me, long and narrow, Dogs are usually shorter and wide.


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

I forgot to mention in my rush out the door to get to work that we used peat moss that seemed very dry to bed the traps in and we have not had any wet conditions. The traps were covered in only peat moss as well.
We didn't use anything to cover the pans. Maybe some peat moss got under the pan??


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Now is the time of year to get some of mother natures freeze proof dirt.

I have been seeing lots of ant hills over here in the pan handle of Montcalm county that makes a great trap bedding in freezing weather. No matter how much rain or snow gets on the ant hills they can not freeze due to the waxy nature the ants depart on the dirt.

With the little amount of snow that is on the ground over here the hill stick out like a sore thumb. They are those 2 foot or so mounds you see sticking up in the grass. The ones in grassy areas make better bedding. 

Simply take the frozen top off the mound and take the dry stuff from under neath being carefull not to go too deep and get into the actual nest.


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## lang49 (Aug 1, 2005)

Domestic dog in pics 4 & 5; way too big to be coyote.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

I do tend to agree with Lang that the tracks in photos 4 & 5 are a little too large to be a coyote. The paws of a coyote are surprisingly small for their size.

The first photo, IMO, has a lot of the charactertistics of being a grey fox.

Like Multibread indicated the use of material from an ant hill mound makes excellent bedding for winter canine trapping. So if you are lucky enough to have a mound on your trapline, just take a large plastic bag and fill it with this duff after removing the top frozen layer.

I would put a hand full of the material under the trap and then sift some of it over my wax paper covered trap. You need to sift the material, because these mighty ants can stack up some fairly large sticks. (especially if the mound in found in a pine tree plantation)

Looks like you are about to catch some canines, so be patient. If you feel the traps are frozen in, then definitely go ahead and remake the sets.


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

waxed dirt is the only way to go in this weather, in my opinion.


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

anyone else just seeing the red x's?


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## Moose57 (Sep 7, 2009)

varminthunter said:


> anyone else just seeing the red x's?


Red Xs here too...


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## bowhuntr81 (Sep 13, 2007)

Great article in this months Fur-Fish-Game, pg. 32, about using Perlite. Apparently it is not harmful to the traps and it is environmentally safe per the article. Sounds like something you could pick up at any home improvement/hardware store, writer says it was $12 dollars for a 4 cubic foot bale. I havent looked into buying any yet, but it looks like a white powder so it would blend very well with the snow and is odorless. Seems to be a good alternative for freeze proof trapping. Just passing it along! Good luck!


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Moose,

The photos were there earlier today.

Apparently they got removed from the M-S photo gallery for some reason.

Maybe Timberdoodle removed them for some reason.

FLASH UPDATE!!!! The photos are back!

It is a mystery to me, but somehow the world is back to normal. 

The photos are on a site called Tapa, so it must have been a problem at that site.


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

Its a mystery to me as well... I never removed the pics....? 

Thanks for all the replies! Now that the traps have been investigated, will they come back to check them again? Or are they not going to work the sets anymore?

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## Joe R. (Jan 9, 2002)

You should've had a coyote in the second and third pics. First pic they weren't on the pan. I'm thinking the that something got under the pan or the jaws somehow froze to the edge of the trap bed.

Joe


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

Guess I need to find a new instructor then...... :lol:

Kidding of course! I doubt i'd find anyone else willing to put up with me! Lol


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## Moose57 (Sep 7, 2009)

Ahhh yes I see them now... Thanks Dave...


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

timberdoodle528 said:


> Guess I need to find a new instructor then...... :lol:
> 
> Kidding of course! I doubt i'd find anyone else willing to put up with me! Lol


Nope, you've got a great instructor.

Now that you're getting broke-in to the world of canine trapping there are a couple of words of wisdom I'd like to pass on.

1. There is no such thing as a problem, there are only puzzles of assorted sizes.

2. Understand *WHY* an animal does what it does and you'll find yourself winning the battles if not the war!

So with that said, ask yourself, "WHY did the canine choose to step where it did in and around each set?" This is a very important question to ask yourself and the answer is key to your future success. 

Oh sure, there can be a multitude of puzzles- jaws & levers freezing down, something under the pan, to close to the hole or to far back, don't like peat, didn't like the stuff down the hole, etc..... but don't get caught up into 2nd guessing yourself by changing this or changing that until you've thought beyond the obvious observations.

If the traps functioned, WHY did the canines step where they did regardless of anything else???? They're telling you but it's difficult for many to hear because we as humans get hung up trying to put the coyotes into our frame of mind or our terms of logic when we need to be in theirs!!!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Did you put peat down in the bed before you put the trap in? Moist loose dirt can freeze to the jaws or levers if you don't. I usually put a skiff of native dirt on top of the peat so it doesn't blow away and spread a couple handfulls of peat around the set so that different smell isn't located in one spot.


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

Seldom: thanks for the words of wisdom. Joe speaks highly of you and has told me before "pay attention to what Seldom has to say on here" 

Well the traps aren't froze in... Joe got a mouth full of peat moss checking one of them. LOL. After revealing the pans...they missed them, but as close as you can miss one without catching them.
The step down dirt hole is still a bit of a mystery... that one wasn't froze in, and should have probably fired. Im excited though, getting close!! Can't wait to check them tomorrow morning!

Freepop, yup- peat on top and below the traps.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Joe got a mouthful of Pete??? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 

That's really the only way to tell Meg and sometimes everyone still slips up on some. Just another reason to have more than 1 or 2 sets at a location.

Edit: Forgot to mention, that in my experience, peat under the pan will cause no problem. Pest will compress enough for the trap to fire providing the pan doesn't have to move far. Knowing that Joe was there I know that pan doesn't have to move far but I thought it worth mentioning for others' reading.

Sorry Joe, is was a good pitch and I couldn't resist :evil:


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

Oh man John, I just about died laughing... only problem is, Joe's still here and he reminded me of a not so flattering picture he has of me while setting traps on Saturday he could post. Sooo.... stop that! It wasn't funny. ( :lol: )

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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

My one joke on Joe for the year, now I'll retire till next year  

I'll have to bribe Joe for the pic as I know a couple of his weaknesses


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## noshow (Sep 24, 2010)

lang49 said:


> Domestic dog in pics 4 & 5; way too big to be coyote.



Coyote for sure! Trapped a lot of years and they are big coyote tracks!


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Fox on the first pics, coyote on the last couple. Domestic dog tracks are more rounded. Traps for sure froze in.


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

I've never tried ant hill dirt or Pete but what I have used with flawless results is dry dirt that I gather from either under the back porch or under my stored 14 ft boat. Both areas are not exposed to rain and the drt there is very dry. Any areas like that, crawl spaces under the house etc, can be a great source of supply. The only time I ever had any problems was if there was a significant thaw and re-freeze.


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## iLiveInTrees (Jun 29, 2010)

Gathered some anthill dirt last night actually in preperation for this weekends canine trapping (if the weather cooperates) Never tried this before, but was amazed at how non-frozen (for lack of better words) it was. I feel like I can catch a few dogs now!


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## Mitchell Ulrich (Sep 10, 2007)

*"We didn't use anything to cover the pans."

*Always use a pan cover, it eliminates a lot of potential problems.
Rotted stump or "punk" also works good for trap bedding in the winter.


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