Trapping in snow there 2 ways Danny's way or Beav's way
If do cover your trap in snow is temperature dependent, if a a warm air is coming Beav way works as well as anything. On a fresh snow over trap' s that already set theat pretty well freeze proof let it sit until it starts to melt want to put on a crust, clean off then. But snow already on the ground then setting trap Beav way shovel off make your set. Imo or what I do

It makes sense. It gives the animal more of an area to sniff out and become at ease with.

We just got a 1/2 of fresh powder on the sets here a couple days ago, nothing better than that. Easier to check them from a long ways away also. When we get to much snow on top the sets I have done like Beav has said. Get in tear it up with a little dirt thrown on the snow and remove the snow around the set for a ways. I then re bed the trap if it is necessary with waxed dirt. Got frozen ground now and the waxed dirt seems to be working so far.

I set in the snow and the biggest challenge is the changing temperature. It is what I consider an on-going battle.

If it is cold enough you can keep your set from freezing using snow alone and this with little to no problems. You simply need to cover up your trap with the top layer. This thin layer is what I consider dry snow. This top layer tends to prevent your set from freezing.

If you try to cover up your trap with snow below the top layer it contains more moisture and this will contribute to freezing.

Simply use a small broom and a dust pan to collect this snow. . You can also cover your pan with crumpled wax paper or thin plastic bag found in the produce section of your local grocery store.

During time frame ranging from January to February I use combination of peat moss and snow. In recent years I had more problems keeping snow on my traps. The peat moss will prevent the pan from being exposed as temperature rises.

However, I have to keep maintaining my sets and frozen traps are not uncommon under these winter conditions.

There are many good tips given by others and there is nothing wrong with trying different things. You simply need to find something that works for you.

Hope it helps.

We embedded our traps in dry dirt today and removed the snow from around the sets. It warmed up pretty good today but the soil is very sandy so it drains well. We managed to catch 3 today and are hopeful it will pick up from there . Thanks for all the advice that was given.

I just reset some traps today in the snow. I followed around and looked where the coyotes had blown out our dirtholes, from our earlier trapping. If you’ve ever seen what a coyote does to a dirthole that doesn’t have a trap in front of it in the snow it’s like a bomb went off.

Although I didn’t find too many places we left coyotes I did find a few. I just kick the snow off and make it look like they do. Like a bomb. I’m sure some coyotes will shy away but it looks pretty similar to what they do. I’m not there to get them all but I’m getting real close.

If you’re just using dry dirt that might work for a day or two. Until it gets above freezing and the snow melts. Then your dry dirt will act like a sponge and suck up all that moisture and freeze hard overnight. The freeze/thaw has to be one of the hardest parts about keeping footholds running in the Midwest.

I personally use table salt and peat for the greater majority of my sets. I doubt you have peat dried out so you might just have to use some driveway heat from the local Wally World and clean your traps well when you’re done. I did run a little bit of wax dirt today but without more moisture the dried peat will hold up to the freeze thaw quite well.

Bump

Learned a couple of things at Coyote Days this year. Pea gravel works great for bedding traps and coal shale dirt as well. The shale dirt will not freeze they said.
We use wax dirt mainly and have to trap in snow quite often.
Various types of pan covers are used as well.