Homemade dirt sifters.

[Carlos]

I woke at 0300, couldn't go back to sleep, stayed in bed until 0400, and then got up and put a couple of these together. The screen is from an old gutter-guard.
I'm trying to catch the coyotes that took my wifes cat last week.

One problem I'm having, with all the rain, is dirt washing under the pans. What's the best way to prevent this, or should I just trip the sets, and reset after it stops raining?
I'll hang up and listen, GO VOLS!!

 

[Remington700]

Do you have wax paper over the pans? Then a little Pete moss followed up with some dirt? Might help the situation. Although as wet as it is where I am. Might be better to wait for dryer weather.

 

[TN Song Dog]

Poly fill under the pan will work. Then fill with Pete moss and top dress with dirt.

 

[Carlos]

Do you have wax paper over the pans? Then a little Pete moss followed up with some dirt? Might help the situation. Although as wet as it is where I am. Might be better to wait for dryer weather.

I just used a large leaf to keep it away from the pan while covering.
With the mud being as soft and saturated as it is, maybe the trap will fire anyways?

On my way home from work, I was trying to decide what to bait them with. I pulled in the driveway, and there was a rabbit that had been hit, right by my mailbox. I just used the front legs, pressed down into the hole.

 

[wildlifefarmer]

Poly fill under the pan will work. Then fill with Pete moss and top dress with dirt.

This method has worked very well for me over the years. Add just a hand full of waxed dirt around the jaws of trap and you don't have to worry about them freezing up unless you have an inch of ice ontop of the ground.

 

[hammer33]

All great replies. My standard set is to put polyfill under the pan then sift an even layer of peatmoss over the trap, then sift dry dirt over the whole thing and blend in. Ill scatter a hand full of peatmoss around the set to confuse the skunks/coons/possums into NOT digging up my trap.
For some reason if you don't scatter some peatmoss around, I guess they smell it and dig up your trap looking for grubs, or just to investigate that small area of different smell.

 

[Trapper]

You can use coffee filters also then a little bit of peat moss then finish off with dirt . You can always find dry dirt under rocks, logs or a bridge.I tried the Polly for a few years, I didn't really like it always had a lot of dig outs . I use the pipe dream set now a lot quicker and will withstand a lot of rain and will still work when everything else is flooded out .

 

[Carlos]

Well shucks, I caught 2 squirrels yesterday, and the Coyotes had eaten them from the traps. I'm thinking about sitting out there this evening with my rifle, depending on the wind.

 

[Planking]

Polyfill and peat moss is what I use also. I put a little chunk of something in front of the trap for them to step over right into the pan that is offset a little from the hole. I've also noticed more digouts with the polyfill but I think it's worth it. If you aren't already using coyote urine as a backer give it a try. The only thing I ever catch is coyotes and bobcats.

 

[TN Song Dog]

Little more pan tension might help avoid the squirrels or other lighter weight critters

 

[hammer33]

Yes! More pan tension. Not only will it eliminate the squirrels, it will give you a better catch on your yotes. I used to think a hair trigger was the way to go. Caught possums, skunks etc.... and had a LOT of missed catches. Upped the pan tension and now I rarely get a toe catch on yotes and almost never get possums in my yote sets.

 

[Monk74]

I've been primarily using hay sets instead of peat moss and wax dirt. With a little tweaking, had my best year yet.