I hear about it from time to time but never really got the full gist of it the “yas and nays” of using the stuff. I found what looks like some but it’s on a creek with a gumbo bottom to it so I have some reservations and questions about using it. Don’t want to put dirt that turns to gumbo on my sets but good dirts a little hard to come by at this time.

Billy traps was a big fan of it when he was living in SD a few years ago sounded like he had a dependable source of it that was his go to for yotes. I found a wall of what I think is it on my cat line today that I never noticed before. Most trips along this creek you’re watching your steps in that slippery mess. Looks like the overhanging bank is protecting it from getting wet so if it’s useable I’d like to give it a go. No idea if it’s a little or a lot of it some flakes look bigger than the sifter hole but it should break up with a little finger rubbing on the screen.

So for a few questions:

Do I use it as is or wax the stuff?

The bigger flakes should break up when the trap is fired, right?

Is the powder form of it a positive or a negative when water is applied to it?Wax dirt hold water on the fine powder I avoid using the dust dirt.

Sift it on the spot or haul it out and use it all no sifting then?

Any help on the use of this would be helpful.

Thanks

Sand and Cattle salt 10 to 1 ratio, put trap in ultra cheap baggies, never worry again

There are sources where you can buy it by the tonage. Carry in a 5 gallon pail to your set locations and use for bedding and blending. It's not as bulletproof as waxed dirt but can definitely get the job done just by itself.

Sounds like a lot of work gathering enough up for a season but then again so is making wax dirt. Gather some up and make a set in your yard. Plastic strap the jaws and springs down so the trap won't go off if one of your dogs steps on it. just keep an eye on it for a few days. maybe squirt some water on it also. That will let you know one way or the other. OR do what MT2 said.

I would take some coal shale home and experiment with it to see how it pulverizes, reacts to water and effects your traps. I would even wet some and try freezing it.

Keith

That just looks like regular shale to me.



I go through 300+ gallons of coal shale annually.

It’s good stuff.

I’ve got some wax left over that I can work with. I’ll see how it sifts out and go from there not even sure how much of the flake stuff I can even get out of it to know if it’s even worth while.

Grade A premium.

Sweet looking.

Can't help much for what you are asking for but up my hill II have large spots where I have coal shale. It is very fine and black as the ace of spades. It basically is sand from large veins of coal and underground cavities of coal deposits. I don't have any pictures of it but if and and when I get back there I will take some pictures. The turkeys and pheasants I think like to dust in it because I have seen where something has made impressions in it. The stuff never freezes and it just like sand.

So, what I'm describing is that what you are referring too???

Top pic Boone thinks it’s just shale and it’s not black so I’d say he’s right about it.

Boone what's your source?

boone tell us more about it??, is it waterproof? do you bed traps in it and cover? and blend?

I have seen it used, I not used it personally. That Ive seen was certainly black at least as Boones and then some.

Osky

I see some shale along the Missouri breaks but never enough to harvest enough to be worth while. I might mess with a bit of that shale and see if it has any positive usage or if it just crumbles away or makes gumbo. I like chunky dirt for the drainage. I’m hoping the sun opens up my last dirt spot that I got some good dirt from. One ice storm or sleet eats up a lot of good dirt.

Made these sets 11 days ago when it was about 50 degrees.

That night they got somewhere around 1/2” of rain on them. The next day the high was 13. Temps been steadily dropping since than. It was -20 this morning.

Good stuff.

If you get it when it’s absolutely bone dry it’s very hydrophobic. It’s lighter than sand and most dirt. And it’s cheap and easy (for me) to procure. I can dig and pre-sift about 100 gallons an hour so a years supply can be had in an afternoon easily.

Only down fall to it is it needs to be top dressed/blended. But than most things will need to be to be truly blended.

If I’m REALLY prepared and expecting real crap conditions, I’ll bed in coal shale than have 2-3 different colors of waxed sand ready for blending.

Nice work Boone and nice looking coyotes.

That's what I thought too! Coal shale is black, like coal. That should work OK tho.