Greetings. Looking to do a poll of what your guys prefer using......pan cover or under pan fill. I have been using pipe insulation, poly fill, and in a pinch, grass, for my under pan fill. Thinking about dabbling in pan covers but i don't want to waste my time if they aren't worth it. I trap in Wisconsin, so snow, frost, and freezing rain is always around my sets. Any thoughts on trapper pan caps? I've also seen guys not use anything......i don't know if i trust that. What do you guys use and why?

Thank you.

I use wax paper a lot. pack rats are bad about pulling pulling fill out. they leave wax paper alone.

Straight sifted peat works here but not sure in the frozen tundra, Polyfill is what I normally use.

wax paper.cupcake wraps.coffee filters they all work. I have more trouble with rats an coons scratching the dirt off the pan an exposing whatever cover I have used (bright white) so I've been using more poly under the pan an have been happy with it

Wax paper under and over the trap has always worked for me

Good topic Gertrude. Is nightlatching a given these days?

Ployfill because it’s quick , cheap and gets the job done

Same here and we get plenty of freezing/thawing, freezing rain and snow.

Ive used poly under the pan and wax paper as a pan cover. Both work well but wax paper gives me fits on real windy days here in KS when setting. I have heard of poly collecting moisture and freezing hard in real cold Temps. I think alot has to do with what conditions your trapping in as to what works best for you.
Is that possum a pet?

sandwich baggies for pan cover

Waxed paper pan covers have been used since the start of trapping time I think!! I used them in 1970 and my conditions aren’t any different than yours I’d bet. Since then I’ve tried pipe insulation underalls, fiberfil, & peat. When I switched to using waxed sand I could see where there could be a problem with the heavy waxed sand pushing in/bagging under the edges of my pan especially if you pack it inside the jaws. I went so far as to bed a trap on plexiglas so I could see what was going on beneath the pan with the waxed sand. I found that depending on how much pressure was applied, yes, a person could get too much sand under the pan edges.

When I went from Jakes to strictly using NDZ traps the pan covering was an issue because of the pan design and I found with those traps, after much experimentation, trial & error that peat inside the jaws was my best overall answer followed by 1/16” packing foam sheets when winter/snow trapping. The foam would not buckle over the pan yet it would give support if using waxed sand inside the jaws and prevent the sand from bulging under the pan edges.

X2

Polyfil works well in the South....

I carry a roll of tp. It’s cheap and versatile. You can use it as a cover if it suits, you can wad it up and stuff it under the pan and in emergency situations you aren’t looking around for big leaves for when the emergency is over.

Fiberglass insulation under the pan

I like wax paper for pan covering.

This or wax paper

Works for me

I like fiberglass for toilet paper.

Anybody use latex pan covers? Pros and Cons.

Done lots different things over years. Pretty much using poly fill under pan now. Use peat moss or wax dirt depending on weather and ground. Usually have some wax paper with just Incase want pan cover.

Mac