How do you guys keep swivels working in sets in tall grass ?
Thinking of weed eating set sites before season .
This is Bluestem about 2' tall .
Thoughts?

What are you trapping?

Yotes . This is mainly in big pastues that are ungrazed. They travel the fences. The grass cover is tall and fairly uniform and clogs up traps swivels in a hurry.

Sterling nail swivels don't clog up as easy,weed whacking a 15-20' area will help if you keep them big area you shouldn't have any many walk byes right away.Smaller area will cause more time for them to feel comfortable working your set.

That's what I wondered about, if a cleared area would cause avoidance.

Couple things.

Long chains, 3+ ft are a lot less likely to get clogged as they aren't going to grab the grass.

Unless there's something that really demands a set in that stuff I would look for a naturally clear spot inside that mess or go to the outside of it and catch them entering or exiting it.

Also, if you can snare that sounds like a perfect area for snares.

Love to . I'm in Oklahoma, can't use them .

I use stock MB550’s and never ever had an issue and trap lots of broomsedge areas.
The ONLY thing that tangles anything up is possums. I think it’s because they are so low to the deck and don’t really fight but just go in circles.
Coyotes, fox, bobcats, coons, and even ferals don’t create any issues with clogging the swivels.
I haven’t caught a coyote on drags but several bobcats and I use stock 550’s to 1.5ft of chain, then a swivel to 3ft, then another swivel, to 5.5ft then another swivel connecting the drag. Never had issues there either. Even caught a few coons on them, so far nothing has made more that barely the length of the chain.

Edited to mention we have a 24hr check law. Maybe something extended and there might be an issue. I’d bet mine are in the trap at the most 12hrs and probably less than that.

Its possible. Depends on the pressures they have been exposed too!

Can you mow?

A nice path through tall grass becomes a travel route.

Even better if you can get a tiller through there.

Do it.
Weed whack area and weed whack trails (like an x or +) to cleared area.

When fox prices were better for early pelts I snared a bunch over the years in bike tracks thru the beaver meadows.
Just an anchor pole and a kill stick off to the side and its adeadly set.
Great for multiple catches if you set multiple snares on the trail.
Only good for a short time though in early season cause after the first wet snow the swale grass is all flattened down.

Good spot for a heavy drag.

Good ideas ,
Thanks guys

I wouldn’t worry to much about it if you’re on a 24 hour check.

I’ll be honest, if you’re on a daily check or 24 hr check, I think you’ll find that even clogged up swivels still spin.

Are there cow trails?

Well, Boone beat me to it.

What's nice about mowing/weed whacking now is the grass will be nice and dried out so you blend in and use for trap covering.
I trap quite a bit of the same weedy/ grassy ground...longer chain helps but I add extra swivels...24 hr ck here too.
A strategy I used was start off with long chain traps make some catches and then re set catch circle...ie torn up areas with shorter chained multiple traps.
Wanna Be and others hit it on the head....here the dang 'possums tangle up quick and can test ANY swivel for inefficiencies. GRRRRR
A guy MIGHT want to combo trap a bit ...place out a couple baited body gripping boxes out to reduce the possums and skunks FIRST.