So how do you keep the chain from falling down into the hole you pounded in the ground? Like if you want to keep the stake in but pull your trap temporarily?

Can you put a stick through the top link to bridge the hole? Or twist on a piece of wire to pull the chain back out of the hole?

Probably so. I was thinking of adding flagging so I can find it when everything looks the same

The ground is frozen so it should not be an issue
If you think it will fall down the hole you can use your trapping hammer and pound some dirt against the stake chain

double stake rebar. just pull the stakes

Take a picture of the set from a location you can duplicate
No flagging needed

Tie a Giant Eagle bag to it?

Scouting this old snow might be a plus.
Pretend you are deer hunting.

Move to Georgia.

We dont have to deal with frozen ground much.

Not sure exactly what your trying to do. When I had steel stakes frozen in to hard to pull. In places I had to remove before spring field work started. I would pull the trap and place a board or chunk of wood big enough it wouldn't move. Then go back early spri g before field work started pull those stakes.
Cables stake that I could leave for the next season. My cables all have 6 inches of chain below trap. I tied flagging in the chain and leave them in place. Most of the ones I leave in place are out of the way place es easily returned to.

Mac

Ashley, The little surveyor flags work great. I used them on my beaver line due to the fluctuations in the water levels. Eric

Like said if you can place stick thru the link and it won’t fall in and also on returning to it use gps on your phone and drop a pin and it will lead you right back to the location