# Trapping fox in the snow NEED TIPS PLEASE



## akmountainman (May 11, 2005)

*I'm a beginner at trapping. Started this past saturday and caught a grey on sunday (beginners luck). Now that I've caught something IM HOOKED!. Only i'm not so sure how to keep trapping in the snow. I'm using 1 3/4 coil-spring leg-holds. Any tips from you more experienced trappers would be welcome. Im currently using the walk through method and using calcium chloride to keep things from freezing. But it just seems that if I set a trap and then get 1-6in. of snow on it that it is not going to be effective.*


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## elvis (Sep 13, 2006)

so let me get this straight, you started trapping 2 days ago and caught a grey yesterday?? Now u have a question???

i should be asking you questions, been doing this for a few months now and nothing coming even close to my traps, lol

someone will chime in here and give you some help, while i go sit in the corner and cry from envy


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## hunt4life (Dec 22, 2006)

elvis said:


> so let me get this straight, you started trapping 2 days ago and caught a grey yesterday?? Now u have a question???
> 
> i should be asking you questions, been doing this for a few months now and nothing coming even close to my traps, lol
> 
> someone will chime in here and give you some help, while i go sit in the corner and cry from envy


:yikes: :lol: :lol: one hell of a way to start. Could see how you would get addicted like that.

I would try some dirtholes or scent posts. If you only get a couple inches your sets should be alright i would think. Where's the pics?


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

elvis said:


> so let me get this straight, you started trapping 2 days ago and caught a grey yesterday?? Now u have a question???
> 
> i should be asking you questions, been doing this for a few months now and nothing coming even close to my traps, lol
> 
> someone will chime in here and give you some help, while i go sit in the corner and cry from envy


I was going to say the same thing. I'm a newbie too and look forward to the answers.


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## akmountainman (May 11, 2005)

I will try to post some pics tommorow. But the animal wont look that great. He was pretty muddy and im still in the process of cleaning him. I only had my crappy cell camera when I checked the set. But I'll take new pics tommorow only they will be in my garage of a wet Grey fox. All I know is that that Tom Miranda knows his stuff. I red his fox trapping book 3 times and voila. I cant believe it took me this long to start trapping. Im 30yrs old and have done every type of hunting and fishing im Michigan. But I've never had a feeling like I did on sunday when I walked out to check my set and saw that I had actually caught something. I'm now a trapper for life!


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## mhodnettjr (Jan 30, 2005)

your traps will still work, bigger traps are better in the snow. If i was using your traps I would sweep off an area of snow and make sets in the bare spot. stronger smells are better for cold weather.

Mike


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## s&a smolen (Feb 20, 2005)

After many years of winter trapping, my favorite is peat moss and buckwheat hulls. I prefer peat, picked up a fox today under several inches of snow. Chop out a bed, put some buckewheat hulls or peat in the bottom, wax papaer over trap (crumbled up), sift peat over trap 1/2 inch or so, let it snow and if it stays cold this will stay working. If for fox, attractor close, you can also use walk throughs. I don't use anything corrosive near my traps. If I was going to use any anti freeze, it would be propylene glycol mixed with water. Hope this helps. I buy the peat moss in large quantities.

S.S.


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## Liv4Trappin (Feb 22, 2006)

s&a smolen said:


> After many years of winter trapping, my favorite is peat moss and buckwheat hulls. I prefer peat, picked up a fox today under several inches of snow. Chop out a bed, put some buckewheat hulls or peat in the bottom, wax papaer over trap (crumbled up), sift peat over trap 1/2 inch or so, let it snow and if it stays cold this will stay working. If for fox, attractor close, you can also use walk throughs. I don't use anything corrosive near my traps. If I was going to use any anti freeze, it would be propylene glycol mixed with water. Hope this helps. I buy the peat moss in large quantities.
> 
> S.S.


Do you leave the area messy, or do you try to hide your trap bed mess when making a set in the snow?Sometimes I try and sweep out my tracks just to see if this will help, but haven't really come to any conclusion yet.


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## s&a smolen (Feb 20, 2005)

I sweep the tracks close to the set, but remember, this is winter trapping so the weather is going to sweep alot of that for you, your going to get wind, snow, sleet. The main thing is just keeping that trap from freezing and being on location. If your working grey fox and you miss them try to use a platable bait, and I don't care what it is, and that fox will probably come back. Where as a lure stick, they may or may not come back as their curiosity has not been rewarded with anything beneficial. At least this has been my experience. I don't try to coyote trap fox, it just doesn't work for me. Hope this helps.

S.S.


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## One Eye (Sep 10, 2000)

akmountainman said:


> I will try to post some pics tommorow. But the animal wont look that great. He was pretty muddy and im still in the process of cleaning him. I only had my crappy cell camera when I checked the set. But I'll take new pics tommorow only they will be in my garage of a wet Grey fox. All I know is that that Tom Miranda knows his stuff. I red his fox trapping book 3 times and voila. I cant believe it took me this long to start trapping. Im 30yrs old and have done every type of hunting and fishing im Michigan. But I've never had a feeling like I did on sunday when I walked out to check my set and saw that I had actually caught something. I'm now a trapper for life!


Heck, I am 40 and have been wanting to try this trapping. I am going to get off my butt and put together the necesary equipment as soon as possible. Thanks to all of you for being willing to help us rookies.

Congrats on the grey fox!

Dan


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## BMoney (Feb 8, 2006)

Well,

For the anti-frezzing you have a couple of options. In snow styrafoam beads(the small ones) can be used and go preety well with the snow. Lay about a inch down set the trap on top and cover completly buckwheat hulls require the same method. However your going to have trouble making the trap solid so to help use dowel rods (metal or wood and if you use metal boild to get the scent and oil off). Cut them 6'' long and while your trap is in the bed put one on either side of the dog and one at 6 0'clock from the dog on the loose jaw. Take the trap out and drive them in till they would be flush with the top of the jaws and put the trap back in and now it should be solid.
Another thing to do is if the snow is not the frozen hard type i wouldnt dig a bed just set in the snow, by that i mean use the snow as your trap bed and just cover your trap with snow.
One more thing is if you have a hill side with no snow make a set there, but if you dont have that option there are a couple sets that work good in the snow. One is the scent post set. In winter fire blacked sticks work well for scent post because they are so noticable. The other set is you fake a catch circle. Stand in your location and make a 6' circle moving the snow out of it now make a hole type set or a flat set and in the cleared of circle sprikle urine all over the circle.
Last tip is the colder it gets the less scent travels so up the amount of lure/bait you use and use lure/bait that have the strongest odors. A matrix lure for k-9's is great and for land **** a bait that is fishy and smells terrible is a good choice.
If any of this doesnt make scence say so and ill see if i can clarify.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

s&a smolen said:


> it would be propylene glycol mixed with water.
> S.S.



Do you mix this 50/50? 
I tried straight Pro Glycol thru 3 sprayers last night and it just plugged them up.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

akmountainman,

Congratulations on your first Grey Fox and welcome to trapping!

Trapping fox in the snow is a lot of fun, but also can be challenging.

I prefer to use some bone dry anthill material to bed my traps this time of the year. Be sure to sift the material that you place over the trap, if you don't it can cause a problem by getting catch between the trap jaws and preventing them from closing properly.

As long as the temperature stay below freezing your traps will keep working.

With your 1.75 coilsprings, it would be best not to cover them too much, but let the snow do most of the work. If the snow gets too deep, then a #3 coilspring could be the only solution.

Continued Good Luck on your Trapline!


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## jharris (Jan 23, 2006)

There is a good book called Winter Fox trapping in snow... I think that it is by Dobbins? Can't remember. I have a friend who is borrowing it right now. A lot of good ideas. What kind of snow? What kind of transportation do you use? Sometimes you can use your snow machine and set right off of a tow behind or the machine, drive over your footprints with the machine, etc. The type of snow that I set in is pretty dry and as long as I don't pack the snow in around my trap, I don't have any freeze. I don't do it, but I have heard of guys who cut a whole in the snow and then shave a snow cap to place over it that will break when a fox steps on it. This is only my second year, but I basically only trap in the snow... it comes in November and leaves around May.


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## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

Congrats on that grey. I have been trying for the last couple months to get a red or yote with no luck. I just picked up Tom Miranda's Fox trapping and his coyote trapping books this last weekend. His book, I felt was very informative. I made some of his sets a couple days ago. Nothing yet but the traps had about an inch of crusted snow overtop of them. So I cleaned them all up tonight and we'll see what happens in the morning.


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## 1-CHANCE (Feb 1, 2003)

I purchased a few of Tom Miranda's videos and I believe its FUR-FISH-GAME Professional predator trapping vol. II Tom goes into great detail at the very beginning about how he traps in the freezing weather and snow. Very informative IMO.


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## akmountainman (May 11, 2005)

I want to post some pics of my fox. can anyone tell me how to do it?


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