Ok, whenever you purchase new items such as these what do you do with them? My question has to do with the fact that every single item has some form of factory oil or grease on them. So do you immediately upon unpacking them throw them in some Dawn dish detergent to clean them so that when you use any of it, it doesn't have that on it?

I ask because I bought some 20D Common Nails the other day to make some J hooks and when I handled them my hands were filthy. So I immediately washed them. Unfortunately I have not done anything of the sort with any of my other hardware. After prepping traps, sending them through the dishwasher, and adding new swivels, etc... I just went and added on my homemade disposable stakes and dipped them in FMJ without any sort of preparation to that anchor hardware.

What do you all do with that sort of equipment and did I make a mistake in my preparation of the finalized trap?

This is my first year doing all of this.

I'm a 2nd year rookie so... unless I was going for k9 or cats I wouldn't do anything with them. If water or coon trapping just go with it this year & treat em with ur traps next year.
If ur after k9 or cat I'd say clean & scent free.

I don't do anything with em.

Me neither. I even spray all the moving parts on live traps with WD40.

You're worrying too much....

The easiest way is to make your modifications all at the beginning before you clean the traps. If you have to put something in later I wouldn't worry about it, it'll get cleaned up nicely by the first catch and then you are at the same starting point for prepping before you set it again with all the hardware.

In other words, you'll be fine. Half an inch or more dirt covers a multitude of sins.

And that's what I really wanted to know. You hear "Scent Control" over and over again and then you ask yourself how far do we take it and where does it end.

Thanks for the replies guys.

You leave sent at a set just walk to it.As long the scent is not on where you set your trap you will be ok.You cover the trap in the trap bed and make sure it dose not move. That is the thing that get the trap to be dug up mainly.

I forgot one thing is when I use quick links for my snares.i do not do anything to them when they are new. I just use them.I still get coyotes.

Big1 - I degrease everything, not so much because I'm worried about the scent (although I am with wolves) but more because I really don't want to be covered in grease and be touching all my gear with greasy hands, gloves, etc.

Bigger and always greasy items like rolls of wire or new chain I always spray down with a degreaser (engine degreaser works great) put in a trashbag to soak, then pressure wash and let hang. Smaller parts I'm less worried about, although I have had good success putting a few scoops of dirt in the bottom of a bucket, adding parts and enough water to make a mud slurry to scrub them around in, then simply wash them off with the hose. Seems excessive, but it works and only takes a few minutes. I do all my wolf gear in the summer, then let it hang.

Also - I save a bucket of used trap dye water and drop lots of small stuff into it and let it cold soak for as long as needed. You can string a bunch of stuff onto a wire and drop it in, then just give it a rinse when you need it. Also works for pliers, hammers, etc.

I also pre-wax a lot of extra small stuff and chain, etc when I'm doing all the rest of my gear in the hot summer months so I have it ready when/if needed.

Thanks Jumper, that’s great information. Thank you for touching on the wire issue specially.