Ok, I don’t know what’s going on but I’m having a rash of snapped traps (550s) and near misses. In the last 5 days, I bet I’ve had at least 6 snapped traps and 3 times k9s have stepped in the dirt pattern but on a jaw instead of on the pan.
I suspect the snapped traps in haysets, and probably the dirt holes too are from deer as there are no catch circles and no human tracks. The only one that REALLY perplexes me is I had a 550, still sitting in the bed and covered in dirt, fired. Like it went off by itself. No way that happened but I don’t know any other explanation that makes sense.
Apparently I’m getting better at choosing locations because I’ve never had this much activity but, I’m still not connecting when animals are clearly visiting my sets. I’m putting a minimum of 2 scents at each set and that’s just at urine posts where I put urine and gland lure. Everything else has at least 3, and as many as 5 scents. Holes are deep so they can’t access the lure or bait, I use sheep wool on the bait holes but, I usually leave the lure holes clear. Not using a ton of lure, just take a little stick or blade of grass and get a little glob on it and put it in the hole. I’m using like a double tablespoon of bait I’d say. Just a fair squirt of urine on post sets, if I use urine at a dirt hole / post hole / trench set it’s usually just a few drops or small squirt. I reapply urine after a rain but otherwise I don’t re-lure /bait. Should be plenty of different smells there to get them to work the set. Somethings got to pique their interest.
Sets are solid. I make the trap bed as small as possible to lock in the trap, I line the bed with buckwheat hulls or peat moss, then bed the trap, apply anti-freeze to any dirt I use to pack it in, then cover the trap with buckwheat hulls or peat moss until only the pan is showing, smooth everything out and pack it and then top off with a thin layer of waxed dirt to act as a water shield.
Anything I’m blatantly doing wrong? How often are you guys seeing misses like this?
I suspect the snapped traps in haysets, and probably the dirt holes too are from deer as there are no catch circles and no human tracks. The only one that REALLY perplexes me is I had a 550, still sitting in the bed and covered in dirt, fired. Like it went off by itself. No way that happened but I don’t know any other explanation that makes sense.
Apparently I’m getting better at choosing locations because I’ve never had this much activity but, I’m still not connecting when animals are clearly visiting my sets. I’m putting a minimum of 2 scents at each set and that’s just at urine posts where I put urine and gland lure. Everything else has at least 3, and as many as 5 scents. Holes are deep so they can’t access the lure or bait, I use sheep wool on the bait holes but, I usually leave the lure holes clear. Not using a ton of lure, just take a little stick or blade of grass and get a little glob on it and put it in the hole. I’m using like a double tablespoon of bait I’d say. Just a fair squirt of urine on post sets, if I use urine at a dirt hole / post hole / trench set it’s usually just a few drops or small squirt. I reapply urine after a rain but otherwise I don’t re-lure /bait. Should be plenty of different smells there to get them to work the set. Somethings got to pique their interest.
Sets are solid. I make the trap bed as small as possible to lock in the trap, I line the bed with buckwheat hulls or peat moss, then bed the trap, apply anti-freeze to any dirt I use to pack it in, then cover the trap with buckwheat hulls or peat moss until only the pan is showing, smooth everything out and pack it and then top off with a thin layer of waxed dirt to act as a water shield.
Anything I’m blatantly doing wrong? How often are you guys seeing misses like this?
