Makes a pretty good rain gauge



This was a standard dirthole remake from Sunday, it was muddy so I dug it out to make a step down. Regretting that now

Looks like a set for cats ...... Catfish

Makes a good ice cube tray hear.

You laugh but i once had rain over night like that in a step down dirthole, water had drained mostly by the time i checked the trap exposing the entire trap, think trap on bare ground, no covering, to muddy to fix, came back the next day and there was a red fox in that trap.

Interesting

Collecting water!

The lure and bait is on the trap now, they are great in dry weather though.

Yes they Rrrrr!!!

Every set has its advantages and its disadvantages. Trapping is about learning what situations maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages. Precipitation is a disadvantage to step downs for sure.

That and having to excavate to the bedrock to make the set. If I was making step down dirtholes every day I would pull a mini excavator behind the truck

Had a set look just like this one morning and just left it because it was still raining some. Next morning, had a coyote bouncing.

We’ll see what tomorrow holds!

Try to build them into a slope so the water runs away from the trench

Don't have too much of that problem here but frozen hard ground really discourages them here also.

To avoid that, I started putting sets where the circles are drawn. I place the sets then dig the trench and put in the dirthole higher than the bottom of the trench/step down and drill it parallel with the ground if that makes since. Yeah it may be overkill but I get paid per critter, lol. Anyways, no matter if it rains or not, if they show up to even get a drink I’ll get them.

They are good at keeping cows out.

Well, the step down is still underwater this morning. Maybe I'll get a muskrat in it later this week

Good thing I have regular dirt holes and flat sets to produce this morning after the rain. Third black one this season!

It has it's disadvantages I agree but overall, I feel it is worth the extra effort. Once the coyote, wolf, fox, etc steps on the pan it is caught.

I started out setting my traps in the trench but it seems like I always had a track about right where you're left circle is- I leave a slightly depressed spot on the left mound and I believe I have a higher catch percentage as a result.

Eagleye, I started doing this after catching a bobcat and then remade the set as it was. A coyote came through and circled, but wouldn’t commit. I went back and added a set on either side like what’s in the pics and got her 4 days later when it came back through. Again according to the camera, she didn’t fully commit, but stepped exactly where I wanted her to when circling. Since then I’ve just started putting 2 like in the pics and it’s worked for me. With the “mounds” on either side of the trench you can really guide where you want them to step a lot easier because they’re more focused on the hole itself.