Tried using calcium chloride around my sets. Not sure, but the anmimals seem to come within about ten feet of it, and then walk off the other direction.
Can anyone tell me if they might be shying away from the scent of it? I am looking at possibly mixing it with water, and simply spraying a top coat over the set.
Thanks,
Chris

it you are wanting to uses somthing from a spray bottle food grade glyocl mixed with water...I use uniodized salt you buy at the market...cost you abour 40 cents.K9"s don't seem to shy away from it...your traps must be waxed

THanks Bull
Yes, they are waxed. Food grade glycol? Where do you find it?
The uniodized salt as well, where to go? Walmart? What mixture do you use for the uniodized vs. water?
Thanks,
Chris

Garold Weiland caught thousands of foxes using Calcium Chloride in the '60s and '70s. He described mixing it with the dirt over and under the trap...not mixing it with water and spraying. It will rust the devil out of the traps if they are not waxed.

Some red fox and coyote just refuse to step on a trap bed layered with calcium chloride, trying to dig into the hole from the side or back. However, I've not seen evidence of them turning away from ten feet back because of set anti-freeze. That sort of refusal may be perhaps from excessive lure and bait odors, excessive human and foreign scent in the area or unnatural disturbances such as human tracks in the snow, etc.
I'm with bullneck on the glycol water mix sprayed on the sets as receiving fewer set avoidances. The glycol bullneck is referring to is the clear odorless product sold by most trapping supply stores. The non iodized salt is called Pickling Salt and is pure with no additives and found in most every grocery store. When using a salt product I prefer that over chloride.
Good luck! Ace
PS- the salt isn't mixed with water and sprayed on the set, it is just mixed or layered into dry sand.

i agree with Asa. calcium chloride belongs in tractor tires, to corroseive on metal.

Charles, what do you use for antifreeze then?/

regular table salt works fine

Thanks guys!! Great points. I am actually using my four wheeler to ride right up to the trap set(s). Maybe I should not be doing this? I thought it would be better than walking, and leaving my tracks. I use a small narrow plastic rake to get rid of the footprints in the snow.
HMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,,,,

regular table salt.

ASA,
Can you tell me the best way to go about avoiding the issue of avoidance because of the fact there are my four wheeler tracks nearby?
It's in a "somewhat" heavily wooded area w/alot of balsams. Can't really get a good look at it, altho I would be able to get possibly more takers than now, for sure.
Thanks,
Chris
P.S. The only snow I have cleared out for the set is appr. two foot circle, with the snow/dirt mix scooped out with the rake opposite the hole/dog location, thinking it might simply give them some eye appeal.

TTT

Great info !!!!!!

For what it's worth I have always used dry dirt at my sets until last year. I was consistantly making coyote and fox catches and than I started using non iodized salt and my catch rate dropped like a ton of bricks. The animals would step everywhere except on the dirt that was treated with the salt. Maybe I used to much per set or something. I know alot of guys use it with good success but it did not work for me.

Cody,
Can you share your technique with the peat moss? I have no dry dirt left, but "can" dig some up. That is, simply from the ground, guess it beats the alternative.
I have been thinking of using peat moss as follows--
Using the pan for the lowest part of the trap. But, make the peat come off the trap at a 45 degree angle up to the surface of the ground. Kind of a cone type application. Sift a bit of dirt on top of the peat, and , ??????????????????
Just curious to see if you have ever tried this method, and how you do it. Do you get much snow where you are?
Thanks,
Chris

Just put peat under and on top of your trap, and top dress it with dirt. If peat is too stemmy you might need to sift it.

Calcium chloride has the capability to absorb moisture from the humidity in the air aound it and then appear a a wet spor over the trap. I think animals may learn to avoid this. Perhaps dry dirt may be better.

I've seen the same thing over the years tried every kind of antifreeze method out there, calcium,salt,hulls,peat moss,glycol,styrafoam beads nothing compares to dry dirt or waxed dirt.....B.....

Anything other than dry dirt added to the trap bed, even though its odorless to us humans either adds an odor or makes for an unnatrual wet spot look and will from my experiences cause a lot of red fox and coyote to avoid stepping on that spot, working sets from the side or back or avoiding the set all together. I've never tried the waxed dirt but it certainly seems it would be on the top of the list as the lesser of evils. Glycerine mixed with water works pretty good for me though as long as the last final layer finishing the set is dry sand. I guess these avoidances tell us the importance in having a clean and deoderized trap too. Ace

Well, just got back from another mornings check. Nothing---
Tracks are crossing down wind of trapping area, but not seeming to come in to the scent.
Smaller tracks that "look" to be possum, but not sure if they are still out or not.

Cody,
Thanks so much for your reply!! I'll try it out in about half an hour. I've had it since last year all sealed up. It is like bone dry. I do realize it should be air dried like you said, but, given the circumstances, I am going to try it out.
Thanks so much,
I'll let you know the outcome.
Chris