I'm new to trapping and didn't prepare for winter. We normally have dry winters with some freezing temp's at night. The last two years I did not have to use anything to keep my traps working and have had only one trap freeze up on me and it was due to the location I set it.

I keep watching the weather and it looks like we might have some moisture this winter we certainly did in October.

Here's the question can I use straight wax for bedding? Hobby Lobby has 3lb bags of paraffin wax beads on sale for nine dollars. I realize this probably isn't the best idea but it's 4th and 10. I won't use this unless the weather dictates.

I think I would try peat moss or try drying dirt in the house till you need it. That would be a very expensive trapping season

Terrence j do you get any avoidance using peat moss? I was thinking about using it but I would hate to set all my traps and then have them not go near my sets.

I haven't up here when I used it but last season and this one I'll be using wax dirt that I made. I'm sure you could get some cover hulls much cheaper than the wax. As another option.

salt or propolynene glycol spray

Never salt unless you want to have sets tripped by deer and every other critter that happens by. Trust me, I know from personal experience.

Non iodized salt in layers works, if you don't get too much rain. Calcium cloride works the same but has larger granuales so it stands up to rain better. I use non iodized salt for years, deer can be a problem but non iodized doesn't seem as bad. But like said if you get alot of rain you'll need to rebed with salted dirt again. Make sure your traps are waxed to protect them from the salt.

ive had my best results with the blue drive way salt! I'm told it has calcium chloride in it. But honestly I don't know or care !Because it flat works

Go ahead and buy the wax from hobby shop and start gathering dry dirt or sand. You can find dry stuff under bridges and in old buildings and under rock ledges , just to name a few.

Now go in the kitchen and find your wife’s biggest and favorite roasting pan. If your gonna get in trouble you may as well get your money’s worth. Set the oven on the lowest setting , mix your wax at a rate of one pound per gallon of dirt or eight to ten oz. of wax to a gallon of sand. Put the roaster in the oven for four to five minutes and check to see if the wax has started to melt. Check the label on the wax to find the melting point, this is temp you are shooting for too hot could scorch the wax and ruin the whole works. As soon as the wax melts pull it out and keep it sturred until it cools. I put mine in a five gallon bucket with a lid for initial mixing and again for cooling.

Good luck,
Don

Tony it does have calcium chloride.

I use straight calcium chloride. Last year the dirt mounds were frozen from drizzle and freezing wind you could blow dust off of my sets.

I'm not gonna knock the wax dirt technique, ive never done it but I think I'll stick with calcium chloride because its super cheap and works better than I had expected it would.

You can get a 40-50# bag from a a local concrete company for almost nothing. It will last for a few years. Call around they will have it.

I would make waxed dirt before I bedded in straight wax... Use that 3 lbs of wax to treat 5 gallons of dirt or so and get way more material to work with for the same cost.

I did not plan on lining the entire bed with wax I was thinking of placing some under the jaws and use some dry dirt. I'm sorry I should have explained it better but I did learn something you provided me with lots of good ideas.

if that's all your doing use wax paper. But whats going to keep the dirt between your trap jaws from freezing? That's why waxed dirt is so valueable its like placing your trap in a freeze proof bubble! Encapsulate your trap in waxed dirt and your almost bullet proof. Salt then dry dirt and peat work to some degree but I wont trust it for over a 3 day wait. If you don't keep layering with salt you will end up with a frozen hockey puke with a anchor

As golf ball said buy a cheap aluminuim turkey roaster pan. They will hold almost 5 gallons of dry dirt. Heat oven to 170 or as low as your oven will go. Heat dirt then add wax. I used 4 cups=2lbs flake wax per roaster full. It gave the dirt a light waxing enough not to freeze during freeze thaw. But not enough for precipitation. Add 2 more cups wax if you want the best results. Once you get rolling you can do a considerable amount in a slow evening.It took me about 15 minutes per 5 gallon batch. Using 2 pans kept you busy. LOL you can do it during season cause if your sets are freezing your not spending late nites in the skinning shed

I used wax dirt for the first time last year wont be with out it. Heres a link to how I made mine I done it in my garage with a propane stove and spread it out on a metal card table
Roaster pan wax dirt

Waxed dirt is definitely worth the effort! And far superior to salt

I use waxed dirt but maybe try out the pipe dream set… utilizes different materials for bedding that might help this year.

Eagleye I'm glad you brought up the "pipe dream set" I want to try it but we normally have a fairly strong wind how do you keep the set covered? I read that it is covered with grass and I can't figure out how to, or what I could cover it with that would stay in place.

Koss I have had issues with the wind out here on the prairie so I use a modified version of Zaggers bedding method. Instead of vegetation and screen wire, I use landscape cloth and waxed dirt with grass clippings mixed in. Still cut the bed just big enough for my 650 , still pound out a spot for the spring levers but I cover with waxed dirt and grass clippings. I feel I can put this set anywhere and not worry about the wind , with the screen wire and clippings alone I’ve had issues in the past .

For me I would not use salt to bed my traps.I have in the past and had problems with deer work the set to get the salt.Now I use peat moss.I have use urea the one that is use for crops. but found in time it give off a smell and works on the trap in time just like salt dose. So I use peat moss and wax paper for pan cover and dry dirt over the peat moss or dry grass. Depend on the set I am setting.