would like to know how others treat thier traps. dip/die/wax/paint etc. what time of year do you do it. what type of dip works best for you. I trap typically trap land but last year got in to setting the water. I'd like to find the best method for treating traps that I can use on land and in the water.

Dye and wax, never tried dips. I waxed my dp's last year, saved some rust and cleaned up nicely.

I dye and wax my canine traps....cable restraints get dipped in formula 1...last year i used oak leaves i raked up from around camp....worked well...just messy....going to try logwood this year....actually workibg on mine now...boiling off the wax and gave my heavily used ones a vinegar soak and pressure wash...the ones that werent used im boiling the wax off and lettting them rust and re-dying...then waxing them all and storing till next year...

Not sure what i will do with body grips if i set a water line next year....doesnt seem to matter much for them...

What is the vinegar used for? Ive only been trapping a few years so I'm fairly new. I have some luck with catching canines but I get a ton of dig up's. Are the dig up's from the traps not sent free or it is because they aren't bed well enough? I'm extreamly cautious with scent. Just want to make sure I'm doing everything right from the start this yr.

vinegar will remove rust from traps when soaked for day.
If you're getting dig-ups your traps might need to be bedded better. make sure you really pack soil around levers and jaws. Also be careful you're not dripping baits juice on trap bed when placing bait in dirtholes. I trained some newbies and noticed this...

Ya i soak mine in vinegar (can add watter..i usually do 2 or 3 gal to a 5 gal bucket..fill with traps and water)...i let soak a few days or a week...then take em to the car wash and presaure wash/degrease/pressure wash rinse...all the old dye etc will come off...and if rusted they will clean up too....


Dig ups could be from stinky traps...but its usually a bedding issue...get em good and solid..you should be able to press a finger down hard anywhere and everywhere and have nothing at all move or life up...only thing that should move is the pan..and for best results it should only move a fraction of an inch before it fires....

Like was said keep beds clean...i make an effort not to pass bait lure or urine over my trap bed....that way if a drop does drop its not in the trap bed...

just wondering how u guys getting off old wax??? i have to boil them 2 or 3 times to get it off. iv tried that waxbgone from f&t it worked but still had to sift the wax off the top. any secrets tricks to get it done the first time.
i boil them in a 30 gallon steel drum so i can fit 3 doz traps in there at one time. yes it takes awile to boil but stays hot longer should i go to a smaller container and less traps at one time?

Bring them to a hard boil and let it boil a little while....then shut her down and let sit till cool...wax and such mess will be ontop...skim it off and then put a hose in the pot and over flow it to get the rest of the scum out of the pot...if you pull your traps through the wax and scum it sticks right back to the steel....


Some guys overflow the pot while hot...ive found letting the old wax harden ontop to works better for me...then overflow it...

Mostly I just boil them, and then skim or float the wax off. For a quicker job I sell a Dip Remover that works quickly on heavy wax.

Bring some gunked up traps to the PTA convention and I will show you how it works.
I plan on being in the tailgate area.

Thanks everyone... where is the convention this year?