[anytimearcher]

i am a beginner targeting specifically coyotes. Last year was my first year trapping, and i started durinig the last 2 weeks of the season. I made a dirthole set and a flat set and within 5 days i picked up a 40lb female on the flat set. This year, i started getting traps in the ground right after regular firearms season for deer. From then til now, i have hooked up, and lost 4 coyotes. I have been bedding my bridger #3 4x4's rock solid, and then roughly 1/2" of cover in peat moss, then blending in with surrounding area as i am using mainly flat and scent post sets. Is the peat moss on top too loamy causing a pull back reaction? Is my pan tension too light? I want to say roughly 2 lbs of pressure.. any help is appreciated.

 

[Forestman3]

Has their been catch circles?Are you sure that its coyotes you had ahold of?

 

[anytimearcher]

yes 100% sure. full catch circles full of coyote tracks on three of them , and the other one had coyote tracks circling the set then went in and sprung the trap, and only short coyote leg hair was left on the jaws. I think he pulled his leg back quickly and i just pinched his leg. Trap was not moved.

 

[walkercoonhunter]

is it possible you have weak springs on those traps? 2 lbs tension should be plenty for a good pad catch..when i set i actually bare my pan from the peat moss and do a very light native soil top dress to cover the pan up...im thinking that if a coyote steps on the pan then he should be there waiting for you in those traps...

if it was me i would look at the springs of the traps that you had catch circles at with a escapee....much blood on the trap when you showed up????????

is it possible you caught a coon and it got out and the coyotes spent time there after the coon got out which is why your seeing all the tracks around????????

 

[anytimearcher]

i think im going to try to raise the pan tension up a hair and use a more solid cover over the pan alone like you said. All of the coyote tracks showed signs of struggle like their feet sliding in the mud as they are going in a circle, and tracks all over the circle facing directly away from the trap, with dirt and mud kicked up from their tracks.

 

[anytimearcher]

Last year i bought 6 traps and boiled the heck out of them, dyed and waxed them. they spent alot of time in boiling water, and the 12 traps i bought this year, i just scrubbed oil off with hot water and soap, then waxed. The springs of the original 6 traps are considerably weaker than the newer traps, i can tell just by setting them, and yes i lost 3 of the yotes with my older traps..

 

[bobcat]

got lots of swivels? how long are your chains?

 

[walkercoonhunter]

while Bridger is a well made trap thier springs leave alot to be desired...i have noticed that bridgers lose 30% or so of thier spring strength after the first year...you may want to try to get some music wire springs and change them all..

remember your trap wax dont have to be almost to the point of smoking to get the job done...if you wax in the warm temps all you have to do is let that wax liquify completely and thats really all the hotter you need it...just be sure to let your trap in the wax until your steel reaches the same temp as the wax and you will be golden....i dont care what anyone says if you have your wax at 200+ degrees and your letting your trap in there its going to weaken those springs thats under tension in some sort of manner....

 

[charman03]

weak springs or maybe someone beat you to the yote and dispacthed and took them.

 

[anytimearcher]

i am using stock chains that come with the bridger traps, and the first thing i do when i buy them is cut a link of chain out in the middle and put an mb crunch proof swivel in place.

 

[anytimearcher]

on 3 of my older traps i replaced the springs with music wire springs just the other day, havent hooked up with anything in them yet.. we shall see.

 

[anytimearcher]

here are some pics from this morning of tracks from the 2 coyotes i had caught 2 nights ago.. notice the blood and limp. talk about frustrating

http://s994.beta.photobucket.com/user/bucktrap/library/

 

[anytimearcher]

here are some pictures of the catch circles and tracks. The big rock in the catch circle was laid out differently and lured with gland lure, and i put some fresh droppings from another area in between that rock, and the small tuft of grass 9" offset to the pan from the grass and the rock, and the droppings were at roughly 12"
in between the two

 

[anytimearcher]

i think theres a couple coyotes here left to be caught.
.

 

[Lugnut]

while Bridger is a well made trap thier springs leave alot to be desired...i have noticed that bridgers lose 30% or so of thier spring strength after the first year...you may want to try to get some music wire springs and change them all..

I noticed the same thing on all my Bridger # 2's, the springs lose strength very quickly.

 

[Woods-N-Waters]

definitly smells of lost spring tension

 

[foxtrapperwoman]

Traps should be simmered not boiled and need only be simmered for 30 mins- an hour or so for the dye to attach ( logwood). And waxing should take 5 mins in the melted wax, which is also set on simmer once melted. I use a double boiler for the waxing as a safety precaution.

You can also try upping pan tension some to try to better get a good pad catch. But check those springs first.

 

[anytimearcher]

Yeah I learned more about dying and waxing traps after about the second week of dealing with everything. From now on im not even dying brand new traps and after a couple years once they get a good coat of rust from being in the ground then ill dye them with oak leaves and pine needles mixed. I use a small drum for my wax and simmer it on a Coleman camp stove. Works great

 

[Forestman3]

When you say you use a small drum for your wax does that mean you have your wax in a metal drum that can rust?

 

[anytimearcher]

When you say you use a small drum for your wax does that mean you have your wax in a metal drum that can rust?

No it's a galvenized pale made for holding welding rods. come on I'm not that careless lol Apparently i'm having no issues getting coyotes to commit to my sets due to smell or any other suspicion, the problem is holding them.