Good explanation and photo series James. I tried under all pads many moons ago. However with our winters of soaking rain.cold wind, snow, sleet and freezing rains you don't want anything under your pans.

I want to keep that under the pan area void except for some dry sifted peat moss that may filter under the pan at times. Pan covers are a better fit for me.

Thanks Scout, MChewk, & Mr. Jameson.

I used poly at first, but it's time consuming when you have to open a container, pull the right amount from the bag, and then form it to fit.

And of course it’s shredded when a catch is made and has to be picked up.

I’ve found this method to be much more efficient in every aspect.

Great idea James, I don't trap as much in a month as you do in a day but I have been back by places months later and had to pick up a wad of poly that had been buried.

TEJAS, does the foam have any odor. thank you

Great info Tejas ! I’m heading up to Walmart now.

Another thought for our southern boys that don't have to deal with a lot of freeze thaw conditions, and I've been using them for several years now with no issues. Most times reusable also.

Can get it at wally world, $2.47 here. Cut 3/8" slices with an old electric knife. Fits perfectly under a 550 pan.


Can get probably 85 or so for 2.50. I keep em in clean plastic jugs with some mesquite or cedar leaves in it




Hmm don't know why they're rotated,

BHT, if there is the coyotes don’t seem to have picked up on it.

Being porous I would think that the foam will pick up whatever smell is around it pretty quick.

Once it goes in the dirt or sand I bet it absorbs that smell.

The first couple of batches I made i threw in a few handfuls of dirt in the bag with them for good measure. After using for this long with no issues I don’t think that is necessary. I do wear gloves when making them as it is usually hot as Hades around here during the summer months.

BT, here they usually pull the poly apart in a thousand little pieces.

The last thing I want to do at a fresh catch circle is walk all over it picking up debris after every catch.

Most of the other materials used in this manner whether over or under the pan lend themselves to being shredded.

I try to keep in mind that any of this material left at or near the site takes focus away from the set from a visual and olfactory standpoint.

That chewed up debris can and will cause some avoidance as well as detract from the focal point of the set.

Does any of the T-Man Crew trapping cold and/or wet climates use fiberglass under the pan?

I would like to hear the pros and cons from folks that have given fiberglass a try.

I’ve heard it works extremely well.

I use fiberglass pipe wrap insulation under my sterlings in SD with either dry local dirt or coal shale. It doesn’t seem to freeze and I haven’t experienced any rodent issues/digging. I started using it after it was recommended by Glen Sr. himself. Figured if it worked for him it must be decent. I prefer screen on my Monty’s, Montana’s, and alphas.

It works okay until it gets really cold then like polly it doesn't. But as long as you don't have any sticking out from under the pan it works okay. Most use too much polly, it only takes a pinch.
Iv'e gone to nothing under the pan, I just file my notches short... But be careful 1/16th is about right. Works like a trigger on a fine rifle...

As stated by Trappergus , Short notched traps done right are one of the key components of ensuring a trap will fire when pressured upon. The more pan travel you have the more likely it is your trap may not fire when needed. Short throw dog and pan notches are just good insurance.

However I have seen where some guys can't work with traps like that due to their bull in a china shop trap handling system.

They just don't have the Midas touch and are just too rough when they need to be more aware. I have a friend like that. One year in Kansas he said some bad words almost daily. Since he was using all my equipment he wasn't familiar with a well tuned trap. LOL

That is something each individual has to work out themselves. You will have to see if it is a good fit for your way of bedding and handling that kind of tuned trap.

Do a decent job with your anti freeze system and you won't have many misses due to frozen down traps. My method of granulated salt in the bottom bed area and bed sides, a generous layered bed with dry sifted peat to bed in, some waxed dirt top cover to finish off does a good job overall in the worst conditions that I have trapped in.

Maybe dust or sift over the finished set with some local ground duff to blend if I feel the need.

I have used waxed paper, coffee filters and some screen. It all works once you get your system down. The waxed paper and filters tend to sag down in between the jaws after some rain in a day or two. I don't feel that is a real problem visually as a deterent, just something I don't like to see on my patterns.

I also use fiberglass pipe insulation its already sized just cut it for length, and as I have shared before--- put the whole trap in a walmart sack, excess folded under trap AND waxed dirt as needed------ this not a heavy snow setup, but here in western KS we have lots of wind, freezing and thawing (not now!!!!) and this system works well in my conditions.

Thanks for the responses fellas!

I guess I am trying to find a better way to combat wet conditions and the drying effect more than freezing in.


When you mix rain with the sand I have to work with it will put most of the line out of commission.

The problem arises when the dirt begins to dry. It solidifies like concrete around the trap. When this happens it’s a TKO on a MB 550.

A day or more is lost waiting for the soil to dry out just enough to re-bed the entire line. Of course those rain days are major movement times for all coyotes.

It is tough to look at a string of sets that should have coyotes in them, but all you see are patterns full of tracks.


Here are a couple of photos from earlier in the thread to illustrate what happens after a rain/dry event.







There is a pad under the pan.



I'm looking for a system that will keep my traps functioning through any rain/dry event. In this soil I don’t know if that is even possible.

If you fellas have any ideas I am all ears on this problem. I know there are a lot of good trappers out there that are forced to deal with bad weather almost every day on the line.

Any suggestions or possible solutions to this issue would be greatly appreciated. I need to find a fix for this dilemma. It’s costing me coyotes.

Looks like you might need a over the Pan cover and a under the pan filler.

Looks like you are fighting something similar to our freeze/thaw cycle. i think a pan cover would do you better, helping to keep dirt frome directly getting in the springs and stuff. Not sure how your traps are set up, but fighting the freeze/thaw and snow trapping I want a powerful trap to come up through the crust better, if your traps aren't four coiled, I would try four coiling them. Frankly what I think would work best, but is a pain, is to import dirt. Pack a bucket of dry, non crusting dirt with you to bed the trap in, and just sift a thin layer of natural dirt over the top for blending. It's what I do up here with waxed dirt, same idea except yours wouldn't have to be waxed to prevent freezing. Steeltraps has a thread currently where he is hauling play sand he bought at the store with him to combat wet clay. I suspect that sand would work for you also.

I'm over in George west and would love to have that problem with my traps! It's dry as a popcorn fart here. Wouldn't complain at all to have to reset my line! LOL By the way great thread I have been following for a while and have picked up some great tips. While I'm not dealing with the red dirt like you I have more sand or loam. I started and am still experimenting with the black screen it's not wire it's more like plastic it's very nimble. I cut a piece that covers from jaw to jaw. I get it at Lowes. Seems to leave entire area under it free of debris. But it won't friggin rain for me to see how well it will work!

Thanks Albeja!

With it this dry, August is going to be a tough month to get through without some help from Mother Nature.

You’ll never hear me whine about rain and what it does for the antlers, just what it does to my traps.

It is super dry on us as well. We have not had any rain for a long time just like you folks.

I hope that changes soon for all the ranchers down South Texas way.

God willing, we will see early spring and summer rains in 2023 to help those older bucks realize their true potential.

Soil hardening is why I tend to not pack inside the jaws. I pack the outside in to firm up against the jaws and maybe push up some against the inside of the jaw but the center around the pan is left just sifted or lightly packed at most. Settling is an issue with that though.

I have mixed Vermiculite or Perlite with dirt for bedding the trap level then brush/dust over with the natural cover. I just use that mix for inside and outside the jaws. That prevents the sandy or gumbo from clumping hard like a pancake. It allows a better break up of the cover. I carried a small bucket to mix the local dirt/clay/sand at the site. I used it surgically for the trap bed area only. Didn't seem to have an odor issue or no more diggers then usual due to the foreign material..