How do you clean traps that have caught skunks? I was going to hot water pressure wash and re wax them is that fine?

Peroxide and baking soda bath after a good scrubbing to remove all scented dirt and gunk.
If you wax before you properly descent the trap
You’ll get more diggers and have ruined your wax
JMO

Ok I will try that thanks

Thankfully I’ve only had one trap “skunked” and just said the heck with it and reset it.
Next check was a possum, reset it.
Next check was another possum, reset it.
Two checks later was a fox, reset it.
Three checks later was a bobcat.
Finally it looked like a bomb had went off and pulled the trap and soaked in a running creek for a week or so.
My question is why?? That smell seemed to attract the critters. I know it goes against everything we read and advice given, but why the catches.
Original set was a scent post set, set Zagger style for a bobcat that was walking that little trail (only tracks I saw at the time.) I eventually got the cat, but that skunk scent seemed to draw them in. Guess it could have been the entire area was “skunked” so they didn’t isolate the trap itself and just got caught checking the whole set.

I boil them in lye that works for me, not much lives through that stuff.

That's a good idea.

If the area smells like skunk, why not reset it like Wanna Be did. After all the trap smells just like it's surroundings. Once the seasons done you can hang it outside for awhile or wash it with peroxide, or soak in a creek.

Those get reset at the time. They get power washed in the spring and then retreated.

I have tried lots of different things to clean them but most of the time when I think they are clean they still smell skunky when I spring them. I have some from this year that I am going to try taking them apart and give them a good wire brush cleaning in the spring.

That doesn't work.

That doesn't get the skunk odor off, either.


If you don't mind re-treating a trap with skunk smell still on it...ok. Then you'll contaminate the whole bunch.

You have to do a lot more than just pressure wash, or hang outside for awhile. I've tried it all. You have to neutralize, degrease, pressure wash...then do it all over again and again...until the smell is finally gone. Only then, can you put it in with the rest, and prepare for setting time.

A few months buried in cat litter doesn't hurt, either.