I have traditionally used peat moss in the winter but obtained some waxed dirt this year to experiment with. My question is how deep do you cover your trap with waxed dirt? My current process is as follows. I dig the trap bed as close to trap size, bed the trap, add waxed paper pan cover, cover lightly with waxed dirt, slightly lift trap to allow dirt to seep under trap lightly which was suggested by someone on the forum, and then cover with about 1/2" of waxed dirt. I do like the way waxed dirt blends with the set area. It looks really natural compared to peat and beds much more solid. I had a couple sets where it looked like fox had walked right on the trap area without tripping the trap. I am using MB-550s. I was just curious if the thickness of the dirt may have affected trap tripping.

Should have nothing to do with it unless too much got under the pan

Nope. Your 1/2" is just fine. Lot of guys on here will use 3/4".

I'm no pro....but, I'd get the waxed dirt UNDER the trap and in the bed before the trap goes in to keep the trap from freezing to the ground. The waxed dirt should shed water. If it gets into the bed and your trap is sitting on regular dirt, it's likely to freeze down. Unless you aren't dealing with the cold.

I’m no expert on canines, but there is room between the pan of a 550 and the jaws where fox can conceivably miss putting enough pressure on the pan to trip the trap. I decided to work with peat moss well enough to make it my go-to covering and I saw this several times this year.

Another option you have is to use some sort of under-the-pan soft material, like thin Fiberglas insulation and cover the trap with waxed or dry dirt.

Or, using a glycol/water mix, spray it into the non-waxed under and cover dirt, and use a trapper’s cap that fits the 550. Canines don’t seem to fear the glycol-water mix and I use about 1/4 to 1/2 oz per set.

This is what I do to save on waxed dirt. I put a salt like antifreeze in bed of trap. I then put peat moss over antifreeze in bed, place my trap and pan cover, and a light layer of peat moss over trap and touch off with a 1/4" of waxed dirt. I have good success doing this.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting dirt under the trap. I will have to give your suggestions a whirl Teacher. Thanks.

Good idea silkyplainscoyot. i WILL TRY THAT ALSO.

Definitely put waxed dirt in bed under trap. I have good success with peat inside jaws and waxed dirt over all. Pollyfill goes under pan.

Slightly lifting it lets the waxed dirt flow to under the trap, thus getting waxed dirt into the trap bed...for you guys telling him to get dry dirt in the bed.

OP, you are doing everything right.

I gather the idea behind waxed dirt is to form a surface impermeable to water. It seems placing waxed dirt under your trap would form a liner that wouldn't allow water to filter down through. If it doesn't shed off the trap bed it has nowhere to go but to sit there and freeze. At least it seems that way.

I have never had a trap bedded in properly prepared waxed dirt/sand freeze down, even in wet years. Going cheap can cost you

I use waxed sand to bed my traps and cover with a thin layer of peat or nearby duff if I can find it. I occasionally fire a trap just to see how it's coping with the weather and I've been satisfied for the most part. I did miss a fisher earlier in the season to a frozen trap.

I haven't been overly concerned about traps freezing in because the trap beds I dig out are already as frozen as they're going to get barring a thaw. The traps go in cold as well so there's little issue.

I went ahead and tripped a few other sets just to see how they were and they were functioning properly. I did have a couple tripped by deer. That one particular set was in an area that was on the edge of a swamp where the soil would typically be wetter so maybe I didn't get enough waxed dirt below the trap. Gotta say I do like the waxed dirt except for the fact that it weighs so much.

What is that OP on my profile from?

Use it like dry dirt and dig a little bigger bed so the bottom of the trap is sitting in waxed dirt and there is non-waxed dirt touching the trap. Bed it just like dry dirt and you will be good. Water will run off of it. I had some a few years ago with 2' of water over them during a flood. The water dropped and it got down to about 10 degrees. I went to try to find my traps and found them in the waxed dirt the exact way I left them completely dry and ready to fire. I lifted them out and re-bedded them. I didn't need to do and I don't do it today after seeing that. They should set there ready to fire the whole season.

I’ve been using my version of Zaggers bedding method ( can’t seem to get along with the screen) with a funnel or cone shaped hole. Pound out a place for the spring leavers and wedge the trap jaws against the cone shaped wall of the trap bed. Just recently I’ve started filling the bed below the trap and the inside the jaws with peat. A little waxed dirt under the spring levers and on the edge of the jaws to keep them off the frozen dirt and finish with a light covering ( 1/2” ) of waxed dirt to keep the weather out .
It raining here now so we will see !

Easy way to say "original poster", or...to the person that started the thread.