Anyone use it for sets? Have 10 gallons of dry clean dirt & ordered some wax flakes yesterday. Hoping to make it with turkey roaster pan & fish cooker. Next two weeks are looking very wet so thought would give a try.
Waxed Dirt
- Thread starter tellico4x4
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Shanman
Well-Known Member
Works great, just don't burn it. Have mixed it with peat moss to help it go farther, worked well then too.
Dirt+peat moss+wax?
Shanman
Well-Known Member
No. Wax your dirt first and put back in storage containers, then play around with mixtures of waxed dirt and peat moss, see if you can come up with a mixture you like. We happened upon the mixture accidentally, had some waxed dirt left over and threw it in a 5gal bucket, then started adding peat. It turned out great and that's when we realized we could mix the two and make our dirt go farther. We were buying our waxed dirt already made and bagged.
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I'm new to trapping, but I managed to trap 2 coyotes (one on sunday, one on monday).
I ran out of dry dirt, so instead I just covered the traps with a couple flat leaves.
I was kind of shocked it worked.
Omega
Well-Known Member
So, for us non-trappers; Can you show or tell us what this is about? Does the dirt have to be dry to hide the trap, or to hide the scent of the trap?
Always nice to learn something new!
Shanman
Well-Known Member
Dry dirt doesn't absorb water and turn to mud, thus it can't freeze. Not hard to make and plenty of youtube videos on how to make it. Main thing is it needs to be bone dry when melting and mixing in wax. Do not get to hot if using a heat source such as a torch, you don't want it to have a burnt odor. Peat moss is great to use also, just make sure it's dry. Driest part of the summer is the best time to prep both.
Waxed dirt and/or pete moss can be used to cover the trap and won't hold water and freeze as easy.
deerdills
Well-Known Member
I am going to try cut up straw/grass to cover some of my traps, field edge sets. Seems cheaper than buying wax and less time consuming.
Also had wondered about sand as a bedding agent too
Trapper
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Look on page 5 on the trapping, I posted a link to a good set in the rain . The title was trapping in the rain , the set is a pipe dream set you use just dried grass to cover the set .
The purpose of waxed dirt is to prevent freezing. It also helps with a rain then dry out situation so your cover dirt doesnt turn into mud then concrete when it dries out.
I have been using peat moss instead of waxed dirt with good results. Wax dirt is probably better but peat moss is cheap and TSC or garden supply stores usually carry it and its like $12 for a bale which lasts me several seasons.
I have been using peat moss instead of waxed dirt with good results. Wax dirt is probably better but peat moss is cheap and TSC or garden supply stores usually carry it and its like $12 for a bale which lasts me several seasons.
wildlifefarmer
Well-Known Member
I sometimes use both waxed dirt n peat moss, but always peat. If weather is going downhill with freezing temperatures all day for several days waxed dirt is used just underneath and the outside of jaws peat is used lnside of the jaws packed and leveled with pan. Pan n jaws are then covered with 1/4 inch dry dirt then blended in. Works great here in mid Tennessee
Speedwell-Hunter
Well-Known Member
Yep, need it in east tn or sets get ruined
Made 8 gallons of it yesterday on gas grill. Used an aluminum turkey pan & did 1/2 gallon at a time. Took 4 hours. Going to use it on sets today. Anxious to see how it works.
Thanks for the advice. Inch of rain last night, with combo of waxed dirt & peat moss all 15 sets were dry today! Have to admit that I was skeptical 
. I'll make twice as much next year.
. I'll make twice as much next year.
