How many of you make hay sets on ice? This is pretty much how I do things on ice. In this case the pond I'm on is loaded with rat huts, and the coyotes are constantly running around checking them out.

https://youtu.be/HQi_hxVua6A

You'll never catch anything. You touched the traps barehanded! just messing. Looks good, pretty much how I do it on the few hay sets I put out.

Did you have any luck with that set?

Question because I was looking a just this on my line today. So how does a yote work that set? Do they just dive Right in and start digging around?

Thanks

lol yeah I take my time switching gloves when the temps are warmer than 0. Anything below that I'm just in a hurry to get done lol




So far nothing has went back out onto the pond since a fresh snow about a week ago. They seem to run the cattail on the edges where I'll be hanging a lot of snares here this weekend, but they will eventually hit the pond again to check out the rat huts, and when they do, that's when that set will hit. I'll post a pic or video of a catch when it happens though.



It depends on the area, and the animal really. If they are standing out alone I've had them take their times working the edges trying to figure it out, but on a pond like this one that is loaded with rat huts, often times I'm not sure they think anything different and just start looking for the food. Now what I should have done here was ad a trap out the backside as well for those who will come in from the back. I'll likely do that this weekend.

how do you keep the loose hay from blowing away on an open frozen pond like that? just curious, maybe a little snow on the hay?

Huh, funny. About the time you posted this I was watching you make hays sets on ice. The big question is since I'm trapping in Alabama why do I need to do this! Wish we had some snow here, it's just hard water right now.

Up here the deer would be all over that hayset.

I don't use urine Les, and don't have the deer issue. No the wolves is a whole 'nother story. They cannot pass them up. Worse yet, I like #3 coils or #4 SC DLS in the hay/snow combo, and they hold the big buggers far to well.

I tend to have more deer issues in the fields than on ice. If deer do become an issue I'll switch to straw. They seem to not like it as much. As far as blowing away, at least in the area I'm currently set in, it's lower down and protected by small hills and trees, so I don't get much for strong wind down there.

Actually they work in regular green fields as well. Just something that stands out and the yotes/fox know mice love those piles of hay or straw.

I am curious. If you have a lot of coyotes on the ponds working rat houses, why not set for them with a hole and shelf, or draw down some of the house material and set at the base?

Osky

Minnesota were not allowed to damage the huts in any way other than to pop a hole to set inside of, then cover back up and protect the actual hut. I just prefer to set a little ways away from them just in case. I don't want a yote wrecking the hut when caught in my trap.

Just noticed you're from MN... what part of the state?

I've caught yotes in hay sets on land so when I saw this thread yesterday I thought mmmmmm what the heck I went and made a hay set on a frozen pond by me that' has a lot of yote tracks on it.

If I catch one I'll post a pic.

I think hay sets would work fine on frozen pond and lakes. However, if I can stay off the ice I will, caught this coyote this morning in a hay set
50 yards from Lake Huron. He actually decided to stick one front foot in both 550's so he was not going anywhere.

38 miles south of the border Effie area.
I have not trapped rats in 50 years and have not kept up on regs. My apologies.

Osky

No worries, I don't see many people from MN so I normally assume most don't know about the huts here. I don't mess with rats right now either. Too busy chasing coyotes for the farmers to have time for the rats. Hopefully soon!
38 miles from the border... Lucky! We've been looking at land way up North to get out of where were at, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

One thing I've noticed about canines, they will pee on most every rat house they come close to. We aren't supposed to cut into rat houses, but I think you could just put a trap on top of a rat house and freeze a rat carcass into the ice, bet it would be a killer set.

I agree this would make an excellent set but unless you used a drag chances are the hut would be destroyed and that is a big no-no here. Just today checked out a large hut that the coyotes had dug out. Don't know if they got anything out of it but the hut was empty and frozen solid. Would love to make a set on top like you suggested but no easy way to anchor the trap and the area is void of trees and brush so a bit reluctant to use a drag.

Maybe drill down and freeze the chain into the ice?

Osky