Where I live now and trap is sandy and very dry. 2 degrees this morning and there is no freezing on my sets which was nice to find for sure. Anyways I have noticed that getting my traps bedded firmly to my liking are not as easy as other locations for sure. I have tried quite a few different things with some success and some not so successful. First of all the sand is fine enough a good share of it goes through my screen pan covers. doesn't cause an issue yet so i am rolling with it for now. Traps are functioning and working. Not a lot gets through but it certainly does allow it to just roll right on by lol.

The sand itself as dry as it is of course doesn't pack around the jaws one bit to help in making the bed tighter. The best success I am having is using 6" or 8" spike nails and power bedding the trap. I have never done this before and just had some spikes hanging out in my barn and seen it on youtube and thought i would give it a try. Works great at bedding but has it pitfalls. Some of my traps (Bridger #2 offset) have a space between the spring and the frame the spike fits perfectly and holds the trap tight. Others don't and I have to use two spikes and put one on the side of the frame and the other on the spring pin opposite the frame spike to hold it down. Kind of wedging it in there. This works but is kinda clumsy for me anyways. I am curious if there any folks who maybe weld a washer on the frame with a spike hole to power bed their traps? Or any other sand trappers with some different ideas for me to try.

If the pan cover thing becomes an issue I can go back to filter covers with no issue i just really like the ease of the pre cut pan covers i got. Bedding wise i am just starting here and experimenting with what works. Some areas have partial dirt soil so it packs but in the open ground I am really going to base my coyote line on it is dead dry sand.

Anchoring wise i have zero issues. I bought a couple dozen of the wolf fang #2 chain 22" earth anchors and they work spectacular. Most will likely just get a zip tie at the end of the season and left for summer to pull or left in place to reuse next year. They are rock solid. Under the sand is a fairly thick clay layer and once the anchor is through that it is locked in dead. Just added this for insight not an issue but figured some might add anchor info as well.

And yes the catch card below is right two rabbits in the same trap 24 hours apart. That is a story waiting to be told itself. Just give me a day to finish the story lol.

Have you tried digging the beds deeper? The deeper into the sand you go, the firmer it gets.

I have some sand bars that I trap probably not as dry as what your dealing with. I'll make my bowl a little deep and take my fist and pack the bottom. Put my trap in the bed and twist it back and forth. When I do this the sand will work it way up over the baseplate frame, just got to stop short to leave enough room for pan to trip. I use wax paper for a pan cover sift sand over every thing then take my broom and expose just the pan so I don't trip it while packing everything down. I'm guessing the jaws and levers are covered by at least a 1/2 inch of sand or a touch more and the pan maybe 1/8. It not perfect but works. One of my favorites sets in the sand is to find a big piece of drift wood to anchor to. I'll scoop or auger out a deep hole under the log I'll dig a extra deep trap bed leading to it. Best description is to think of it as a step down sand hole.
Hope it help
Justin

Also, only dig the bed only big enough to fit the trap

thumb diameter sticks UNDER each jaw and lever have helped me a few times