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Waxed dirt question #8544473
01/14/26 01:14 PM
01/14/26 01:14 PM
Joined: Nov 2023
West central Missouri
R
Raghorn67 Offline OP
trapper
Raghorn67  Offline OP
trapper
R

Joined: Nov 2023
West central Missouri
I have always used paraffin wax to make my waxed dirt.

My question is this. Does anyone use the soy wax for making waxed dirt ?

If anyone does use it, do you notice any differences between it and paraffin wax ?

Does it have any smell after it has cooled and absorbed into the dirt ?

I'm asking because I can get soy wax in town from the gal that owns the candle shop.

Yes I'm being a tight arse and not wanting to pay a bunch of shipping if I can get something that works equally well for a 10 minute drive to town.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8544491
01/14/26 02:01 PM
01/14/26 02:01 PM
Joined: Jan 2024
NY
Belo Offline
trapper
Belo  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2024
NY
Can't imagine it's not worth a shot. For what it's worth, cheapest I've found wax is the beaded stuff at Hobby Lobby. It's usually on sale and it's already "shredded" so I think it's a no brainer vs stuff you'd buy online.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8544499
01/14/26 02:23 PM
01/14/26 02:23 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Peoria County Illinois
Larry Baer Offline
trapper
Larry Baer  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2011
Peoria County Illinois
I got some from Gerald Schmitt - it came in cardboard barrels. It was cheap even with the shipping - comes in beads and melts well


Just passin through
Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8544813
01/14/26 08:35 PM
01/14/26 08:35 PM
Joined: Dec 2016
Jackson Co, KS
N
NEYotetrapper Offline
trapper
NEYotetrapper  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2016
Jackson Co, KS
Ok I will probably take an on-line beating for this, but oh well. You guys give coyotes way too much credit in terms of why they avoid your sets or dig your sets, etcc. If a coyote ran away from, dug up, whatever negative response you want to have them exhibit add that here they would starve to death. There are more people on this Earth than there have ever been. Coyotes smell people and their stuff all day, every day. Guys used to say in the Wilderness the coyote has never smelled a human, well guess what 99.999999% of us are NOT trapping coyotes in the Wilderness. Coyote populations are likely at all-time highs since this country was settled. If you are concerned about how the wax smells leave your waxed dirt outside uncovered where it can absorb "natural" odors. Do you think the smell of wax that has absorbed whatever it is touching once it is in the ground or melted into soil is more offensive than the human scent you leave behind? Because no matter what you do you are leaving human scent behind when you set that trap.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: NEYotetrapper] #8544852
01/14/26 09:11 PM
01/14/26 09:11 PM
Joined: Nov 2023
West central Missouri
R
Raghorn67 Offline OP
trapper
Raghorn67  Offline OP
trapper
R

Joined: Nov 2023
West central Missouri
Originally Posted by NEYotetrapper
Ok I will probably take an on-line beating for this, but oh well. You guys give coyotes way too much credit in terms of why they avoid your sets or dig your sets, etcc. If a coyote ran away from, dug up, whatever negative response you want to have them exhibit add that here they would starve to death. There are more people on this Earth than there have ever been. Coyotes smell people and their stuff all day, every day. Guys used to say in the Wilderness the coyote has never smelled a human, well guess what 99.999999% of us are NOT trapping coyotes in the Wilderness. Coyote populations are likely at all-time highs since this country was settled. If you are concerned about how the wax smells leave your waxed dirt outside uncovered where it can absorb "natural" odors. Do you think the smell of wax that has absorbed whatever it is touching once it is in the ground or melted into soil is more offensive than the human scent you leave behind? Because no matter what you do you are leaving human scent behind when you set that trap.



I agree with you 100% about coyotes smelling humans.

I've never used soy wax before. Didn't know if it had different characteristics where it didn't have the same waterproofing qualities as paraffin, had a different odor that animals would avoid or dig up. Figured I would ask the experts.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8544994
01/15/26 05:40 AM
01/15/26 05:40 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Carroll County Va
R
red webb Offline
trapper
red webb  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2008
Carroll County Va
Don't use soy wax for making wax dirt. Got a smell that the animal want to dig and eat .

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8545020
01/15/26 06:44 AM
01/15/26 06:44 AM
Joined: Jan 2012
Ohio
OhioBoy Offline
trapper
OhioBoy  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2012
Ohio
I've often wondered if human scent left behind was such a big deal then why does everyone kneel in front of the trap where the yote is going to approach from and 100% be sniffing at instead of kneeling behind and reaching over say the backing to set the trap for an unscented approach. Lots of yotes get caught though so I guess that's a good example of over thinking it. Depending on how wise the yote is to trapping I imagine comes into play too. Contaminated traps being dug up is a thing, not imaginary though right? Same with when were trying to figure out why one just wont commit to a set. Tracks up to and leaving. That happens too. There is a lot to it. Just b/c a yote is used to smelling humans and isn't in the complete wilderness doesn't mean that they are all willing to accept a foul smelling trap hidden beneath loose dirt. Its not that they are scared of the human scent, its that the human scent tells them its there for further inspection. I don't know its not 100% either way, so there really isn't a 100% answer one way or the other either, but the situation seems more complex than just writing it off.

Problem is someone could go prove us wrong by catching a young yote with a stinky setup.

On the other hand someone else could also go show us their educated yote dig up a trap.

So the battle continues.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8545022
01/15/26 06:45 AM
01/15/26 06:45 AM
Joined: Jan 2012
Ohio
OhioBoy Offline
trapper
OhioBoy  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2012
Ohio
For what its worth Ive heard them say mice like that car insulation stuff chew it and bed in it b/c its soy base.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: Raghorn67] #8545057
01/15/26 07:54 AM
01/15/26 07:54 AM
Joined: Jan 2018
Henry Co, IL
3
3togo Offline
trapper
3togo  Offline
trapper
3

Joined: Jan 2018
Henry Co, IL
Mice also like vehicle wiring insulation for the same reason, soy based.

Re: Waxed dirt question [Re: NEYotetrapper] #8545764
Yesterday at 09:01 AM
Yesterday at 09:01 AM
Joined: Jan 2024
NY
Belo Offline
trapper
Belo  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2024
NY
Originally Posted by NEYotetrapper
Ok I will probably take an on-line beating for this, but oh well. You guys give coyotes way too much credit in terms of why they avoid your sets or dig your sets, etcc. If a coyote ran away from, dug up, whatever negative response you want to have them exhibit add that here they would starve to death. There are more people on this Earth than there have ever been. Coyotes smell people and their stuff all day, every day. Guys used to say in the Wilderness the coyote has never smelled a human, well guess what 99.999999% of us are NOT trapping coyotes in the Wilderness. Coyote populations are likely at all-time highs since this country was settled. If you are concerned about how the wax smells leave your waxed dirt outside uncovered where it can absorb "natural" odors. Do you think the smell of wax that has absorbed whatever it is touching once it is in the ground or melted into soil is more offensive than the human scent you leave behind? Because no matter what you do you are leaving human scent behind when you set that trap.


I think OP had a good cheap source for the wax and was wondering about its performance, not that he was seeking it out specifically. Your points are all good though.

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