Wax dirt for coyotes

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SkullValleyHunter

New member
Iv made some wax dirt. I handled the dirt before and after with my hands. My question is, is that ok ? Do i need to worry about a coyote smelling me or other un natural things in or on the wax dirt ??? Anyone had lots of experience with wax dirt or trapping yotes?? I know they are very hard to catch! I had one come to one of my sets last year. I could see he came to the set, smelled where I had been kneeling while making the set, then walked off. I could see all the tracks because of the fresh snow that had fallen that morning.
 
A refusal to work the set could be scent,visual or feel(if the coyote steps partially on the trap and the trap moves). Waxed dirt is used to prevent freezing of the trap covering. Proper pan tension, bedding the trap solid, location of the set, direction or orientation for wind is more important than than the scent you leave behind. You are not fooling the coyote, it will know a human has been at the set and your travel path. Also past experiences(learned behavior) play a part in refusal. That why pups are easier to catch. Kneel on a pad or mat and use gloves to make the set(if it gives you confidence) just be very aware NOT to transfer any bait or lure to the trap(or the coyote may scratch/dig up the trap).
 
Many trappers do not use gloves when setting traps, so I would not worry too much about the scent in the dirt. As spotstalkshoot said there are many things that will cause refusal to work a set. Sometimes they are just not interested in "flavor" of your bait or lure that you are using. Are your traps degreased and clean? Maybe some visual item to peak their interest like a turd, burnt wood or clump of something with urine?
 
Waxed dirt almost always stands out without blending. Use the dirt at the set location whenever possible, only wet or freeze thaw conditions require waxed dirt. Make sure when using waxed dirt that it is under the trap also, careful bedding(packing dirt) for solid ZERO trap movement. And trap pan tension dialed in. Not all wax is "coyote" friendly.
 
Nothing is set in stone. In really dry conditions you can get away with a lot more than you can in damp condition.

I used waxed traps and calcium chloride, ant hill dirt works good. I trapped MN and WI and had a set of clean setting cloves. I tried a setting mat but found wearing hip boots worked better for kneeling and setting a trap
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I’d be more concerned if the wax had an odor than you having an odor.
I trap in SWGA in 90 degree temps and 70% humidity. I sweat, lol. In fact I’ve about cleaned off the pan with sweat dripping on it when setting, lol. I still catch.
Get proficient at setting and just make the set and leave. When checking don’t spend time poking around. Don’t touch the set again until you catch or it’s time to pull. Don’t rebait or add lure to a set. Leave it be. Heck I had a set I thought I’d pulled and was making my last check and pulling as I went and rounded the corner and there was a coyote bouncing on the edge. That set had sat for almost 4 weeks through almost 5” of rain during that time. It was a flat set with just the tip of a Q-tip dipped in lure.
 
Plenty of times here in MN , 1/2-1" of rain, next day temps down to single digits. You are touching all the sets after that weather change, pulling or not. I to often wear hip boots. Fun, fun chipping out enough frozen dirt to bed a coyote trap. Sometimes it just way less time to make hay bale sets.
 
Haha, I deal with that during the Summer months…with clay! I’ll have to chip out a bed and when I do I’ll line it with regular dirt or peat because after it rains and heats again it’ll be cemented in if you don’t. Learned that the hard way when I had a camera on a set and I got pics of a coyote dancing on the set and not getting caught!! Come to find out, the pan was depressed, the jaws were just cemented in place. I literally had to use a large long flathead screw driver to chisel it out. Of course the second I broke that “seal” it popped right up!
 


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