Heard about this a while back. Can't remember where. Some cattle guys would take their old hay bales the cows won't eat , because of mold ,mice or whatever, take them out with the tractor to a pasture or wherever they wanted to trap, usually so.thwere pretty close to where they would be already doing other stuff.Dump a sack or deer corn or old feed of some sort on the ground and drop the bale on top of it and just leave it alone. Apparently after a week or so mice and the like would find it and after a while the whole thing just becomes a mouse breeding ground . And predators would start coming to mouse and round and these guys should just set the trails coming too and from the bales. Would cathing coyotes , fox ,coon. Apparently these would last a year or two depending. Seems like a smart thing to do . Especially if you already have the stuff there . Kinda similar to johnny thorps stone road kill bait stations.

Got a few old hay bales at the farm the cows wont touch. Thinking. About doing this and putting some cameras up one it. Anyone be interested in seeing say mabye a month worth of this ?

I’d be interested in seeing what you get… you’d likely be the first jamaican to do it

Around here we have large piles of stones that have been picked out of the fields
I dump corn and dogfood into them, it works for making a mouse utopia
And it draws predators
I tried what your talking about but I really didn't like cleaning up the mess before spring planting

LOL.

Yeah wolfie, I'd be interested in seeing your results to this too!

Interesting. I have an open gate between a wheat field and pasture next to a spot where I line up round bales. I trap the opening and it consistently produces coyotes and cats. Makes sense.

Please let us know how it works.

Just trap where the farmers stack the bales.

Yeah ma-an......in de cool waters of Jamaca.

Give it a shot. You need to throw the old bales somewhere anyway. Throw your left over Halloween pumpkins under there for the critters.

Well how are the deer supposed to get at em like that, Rob?

Used what Stanely Hawbaker , called the manure set.
A bag of horse manure , piled up so it stood out along the edge of any hay field, or low grass.
It was a sight attractant , plus a smelling post, as fox would pee on it.
Set a couple dirt hole sets close by , 8-10 yards.
Many doubles on that set.
Problem was every hunter or trespasser, could also see it from a distance.

It worked great, just it stood out too much during the fur boom , couldn't keep a catch or traps , they were gone while you were at work or sleeping.
Now that fur is worthless, it's a good set. But there's others that are better.
What you're planning is a mouse hotel , yes it will work .
Just be careful of birds of prey.

X2

Old brush piles are good too. I like to wait for cold enough weather coons skunks and possums are not a big deal.

I did a hay set last year with straw. I made a U shaped mound with some bait and coyote gland lure on some sheep's wool under the center of the pile. I set a double longsprng on the inside of the U and one on the outside in the center. Did not bed them at all. I shook straw over them and that was it. It sat a while and then caught a big male coyote.

Here is the thread I did with mine last year with some pics.

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/8040186/1

The catch

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/8062643

Honestly not a great idea here lol. Most people keep their bales pretty close to there actual houses down here instead of out far away

Well this really wouldn't be a hay set. To be honest I never really understood hay sets , not saying they don't work , just don't understand like...the mechanics behind them I guess. Anyhow now this is more of a location building thing

Interesting during trapping season there usually a muddy mess under them down here

… reading comprehension is not the best with some at times

W’Dawg.. forgive them for they know not what they read

Love,

Savell

Hay, straw, grass, leaves, doesn't matter. Eye appeal, bait whether attracted with grain or placed. Same set, the pile gets their attention and the bait makes them get in the pile. JMHO