# How to remain scent free?



## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

How do you guys make your sets human odor free? Will latex gloves work for my hands? Or are the better alternatives? I've tried those big rubber gloves but I can't feel what I am doing when using those. Esspecially in the colder weather and the gloves stiffen up a little. I wear hip high waders when walking and making my sets, is this sufficent? Would like to get as prepared as possible before the 15th opener? I am mainly targeting Fox and Coyote as I have already caught plenty of rats, ****, possum, and skunks.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Oddly enough my Dad uses brown jersey gloves (cotton) when making sets and has had great sucess with them. One would think that the human scent would make it's way through them. I have also seen trappers use leather gloves, but I prefer rubber elbow length myself. When it gets colder I will use a wool insert with the rubber glove. I don't think that the sense of touch is all that important when making sets. May be wrong though. Once I thought I was wrong....but I was mistaken!


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## Mitchell Ulrich (Sep 10, 2007)

As time goes on you'll get a better feel for what is OK, and whats NOT ok.

Latex will help, but I dont feel are a must. They will keep odors off YOUR hands later which is always a good thing. Especially if your stopping at the gas station to get a pop. Brown Jerseys with a short, shot of fox urine is all that I ever used.

The dogs are going to smell the steel in the ground. No matter what ya' do, there is going to be a lingering scent, thats why a cover scent or bait hole is always a good option. 

The best thing for you to do right now is practice punching in a hole or making a set as fast as you can while keeping the trap walls firm and straight.

This isn't a Gardening Show, it a trap set! Dont fuss or dick around the area admiring your handy work. Get it in and then get out.
The longer it takes you to do this, the more scent your leaving behind.

When you can make a set and be gone in about 2 minuets, your catch rate should go up. 

Hope that helps.

Mitch


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

I have also watched videos of ppl putting in yote sets in bare hands and having one waiting for them in the morning..


I dont know tho because i am what is called an armchair trapper lmao. Im just starting out but i been studying up on it for the last 3 years..


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## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

Wizard3686 said:


> I have also watched videos of ppl putting in yote sets in bare hands and having one waiting for them in the morning..
> 
> I dont know tho because i am what is called an armchair trapper lmao. Im just starting out but i been studying up on it for the last 3 years..


 
I'm with you wizzard. I have been working on my land sets the last two years and this is my third and I really want it to start payin off.


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

i always just use those latex gloves... i use a different pair that i set with then i use a different pair or no pair when i put down the bait or lure... depending on what im putting down and how i am doing it.... i might try to find a thin pair of rubber gloves so i dont have to keep buying latex gloves but that is what i do... and using the hip boots is a great idea... i was doing that also and having good luck.... everybody does everything different and im glad it works for those people who use jersey gloves and leather gloves... im just not sure i want to do it that way but im a scent freak due to whitetail hunting....

I hope land trapping pays off for you this year... i think im headed to the water


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## THUMBTRAPPER (Nov 17, 2006)

This is what I do...For gloves i use the short chemical resistant gloves...I get them from tractor supply. I have also used the latex glove before but i like the thick ones better. I also wear hip boots so I can neal at my set. If I am not wearing my hip boot i use a nealing pad and rubber boots. Never neal at a set without anything covering...Your knees are stinky so dont neal at the set. 
One thing that i think is also important is to keep all you lures away from your traps and pan covers! If lure or pee get on the pan cover or traps you will get a digger working your sets. I also agree with the above post...Dont sit around the set for a long time. Get in and get out...Keep you canine tools away from your other tools...just my 2 cents worth... Good luck!


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## Joe R. (Jan 9, 2002)

If you haven't had any success on canines in the last couple of years I'm guessing location is more of a problem then scent. When I go after them I just wear jersey or leather gloves. If it is wet out I'll use some wrist high rubber gloves to keep my hands dry. Just practice on making sets as quickly as you can on location and you should be succesful.

Joe


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

From my experience it seems that it doesn't have a lot to do whether or not you wear rubber, leather, some kind of jersey glove, or bare-handed. It has to do with whether or not you are prone to sweating and how much or hard you sweat. Sweat transfers *body oils* and that is where I've figured the problem lies because moisture dries but oils remain and I'm a "sweater". There are some folks though that seem to never break a sweat, those are the folks that seem prone to being able to consistently produce good catches of canines bare-handed.

In the cool fall weather or even quite cold weather with high humidity, I can sweat-soak cloth gloves through very quickly. The same with leather gloves but it takes a number of sets longer. From many years I like to wear wool sweaters on the trap line but I've found I need to be careful of my sleeves touching surrounding vegetation while making canine sets.

You know, we spend a lot of time and money buying traps, dye, and wax then we spend a lot of time degreasing the traps, dying them, and then waxing them in order to catch canines. Why would we *not* *want to take every reasonable precaution *when making sets *not to contaminate* the traps we've just invested a bunch of money and time into, besides contaminating the surrounding vegetation?

My suggestion to you and others wondering about what type of gloves to wear is to try different ones and pay very close attention to canine reactions around your sets. I did and learned and that's called experience!

As I stated, these are my experiences and observations, others my have had different experiences and ideas or similar but it all called experience.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Chris,

As always our fine trappers on this forum have giving you some really good pointers on how to keep your human scent to a minimum at your canine sets.

Like you, I started out using rubber gloves for scent control way back fifty years ago, when I first started trapping fox. But it was not long before I switched to just plain white cotton gloves. I would purchased four dozen at a time, so I would always have a clean pair close at hand.

When running my long canine trap lines I would make numerous new fresh sets with the same pair of gloves, only switching to a clean pair when they would become damp, muddy and uncomfortable.

Wearing clean hip boots and keeping the time spent making the canine sets to a minimum were the other two main precautions I employed in keep my sets as natural smelling as possible.

Let's face it, unless we get suited up in a space suit, we are going to be leaving a scent trail that any canine can detect (skin cells, loose hair falling, etc.) . The fox and coyote we are trapping here in populated Michigan are very familiar with the scent of man and I don't believe they become overly alarmed to find human scent, unless it is too over powering in one spot.

Making proper sets in good locations and giving them time to work is by far bigger factors in becoming effective at canine trapping.

So, in my opinion, setting traps bare handed would be the best way to go. Because personally, I can definitely make a set faster, without wearing clumsy rubber gloves. (Latex gloves make my hands sweat too much and this perspiration surely leaks out around the top of the gloves.)

But I don't set bare handed because I don't like getting my hands all muddy. So I wear the cotton gloves mainly to keep my hands clean and minimize the amount of odor I might transfer to a clean trap.

Then, once I have the trap bedded and concealed, I remove the cotton gloves to handle my bottles of scents and lures bare handed. In this way I don't get any lure or scent on the cotton gloves.

Finally, I put the cotton gloves back on and brush out an marks or foot prints I made when I was knelling to make the set.

Over the years this method as served me well. But you will need to develop a system that makes sense to you.

The two minute rule to make a canine set would be a good one to follow and probably will produce the best results.

Continued Good Luck on your Trapline!


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## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

Thanks for all the pointers guys. I will be sure let you all know how the season goes.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Joe R. said:


> If it is wet out I'll use some pink wrist high rubber gloves to keep my hands dry.


:lol::lol:


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> :lol::lol:


Hey, I had a good friend's wife a couple of years ago that wanted to learn how to trap rats from her small lake. Well, really it was her husband because he was trying to get her to stop shooting the rats with her 20ga as they swam past their elevated deck. Anyway, she wore her bright pink dish washing gloves(they came up to her elbows) to check traps and take out the rats.

I nicknamed her "Pinky" because she was such a sight to see wading along in twilight with those sort of neon pink gloves just glowing to all get out! :lol::lol:

She couldn't break the habit of shotgunning'em though!


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