You guys setting footholds still how do you dig your dirt holes? I tried a search to see if anyone had commented on drilling with dirt augers in frozen ground but couldn’t find it. I wanted to add one of those to use my chordless drill but if they don’t cut frozen dirt wouldn’t do me much good since most of my trapping is after freeze up.

I use a 4" gas power auger from Harbor Fright

Masonry bit in a drill.

I use punch holes.

I know not the question but why not use flat sets when froze up??

Don't you still need to make a hole to bed the trap?

I use a madax or axe or good hammer with a blade .
So yes you do but there various degrees of frozen.

I have had zero luck with the augers,,either in a 20V hammer drill or rotaryhammer.A 1" masonry bit always works and can wallow out a little bigger hole.The rotary hammer with 1.5" chisel will knock out a bed,quickly,regardless how hard the ground is frozen.The good thing is,it doesn't throw chips in your face and all over,like a hammer does.The chips just slide off the chisel's blade.You can also predrill holes for stakes when the ground is super hard.

I have a bulb auger and it won't touch frozen ground. I think I'm going to try masonry bit when ground freezes again.

8lb splitting maul for the trap bed, earth anchors just pound through. For my dirt holes I have a berkshire driver that I use to put in some starter holes in a compass pattern + 1 in the center. Then my 2" auger on the drill works good.

I have a 2-1/2" auger from Tom Stalker, Stalker Fabrications. Use my 18V cordless. Two weeks ago the ground was froze here about 2-3" down. It took a little while, but it would auger through to the gumbo underneath.

I have the 2" or( 2 1/2 ?) and 3" augers from Tom Stalker . They work fantastic in unfrozen ground but they do not work in frozen ground . I just about burned up a Dewalt 20V trying .

I have pretty much tried it all and try to make all my holes and trap beds before freeze up. On new sets that I had on planned on I use a splitting maul not fun, heavy but it does work. Not had much luck with other tools and like I stated have tried most of them mentioned.

I’ve had the best luck using an 1 1/4 wood spiral auger bit in a plain old 20 V Dewalt drill when the ground is frozen like it is now. Makes an ok sized hole and only problem is when I hit a rock, hit it a couple times with a flat file and good to go. Would be nice to have a little bigger hole, but cuts the frozen ground better than anything else I’ve tried

I use a 3/4 spade bit that is 18 inches long for my anchors. i then use 1 1/4 spade bit for bait holes. so far so good as long as my batteries stay warm.

i use the same setup as didit

a Stihl BT45 with a 3in custom carbide auger. I have video and where to order part posted on the Iowa Trappers Talk site

I also use the same setup as didit. works very well.

Good sharp pulaski and if it is real hard frozen sand I use a 1'' wood chisel and hammer.

And I bet Zagger is sitting reading all these replies and just smiling as his coyote number for the season just keeps creeping up.