I have used hay sets before. And can’t say it’s my go to set. I have connected on them before, but mainly coon. I know ppl have a lot of different variations. But I have seen some videos to where the trap is not even bedded. Does anyone do it like that? Can’t imagine that would be very effective. I got a few places where digging a bed is very difficult right now. But how has everyone else’s luck been on them? Is there any tips on them?

I’ve been trying hay/straw sets this year because I really like the idea/versatility of them. I’ve done about 6 sets, each left for about 7-10 days, and like you, I’ve had minimal success - just 1 coon.

I’ve also seen the videos and articles saying you don’t need to bed your trap, which I don’t really understand. Seems lazy to me. At a minimum, even a very shallow bed that already exists on the ground to carve out a bit and the set the trap in seems valuable. I don’t see any downside to bedding the trap at least a little bit, with the exception of a bit of work. Just seems a bit lazy to me to not bed at all. I don’t think the bed has to be very deep since the trap will get covered in hay. Just enough to give the trap a concave surface to sit solidly in.

when i make hay sets its in Jan and Feb the hay i like to use is from are re-hab kennels clean out which is a mix of rabbits an coon
when im looking to place the set i try to find a brushy intersections and shy away from the wide open fields where i live if you set in the wide open you can have a couple feet of snow over your set in half a day
i like to use fresh rabbit and urine with straight gland i will try to dig somewhat of a hole or just pin the chopped up rabbit to the ground then cover with the hay(2ft high or less) i like to set 2 traps at each pile where
using a larger trap at these sets is a very good idea you should have at least one trap covering the down wind side
i chop out 2 beds just enough to keep the traps semi level with the ground and place dry hay in the beds to rest the traps on i use gutter spikes to pin the trap solid to the ground (this is refered to as power-bedding) once the trap is set i will use
one spike on each end of the base plate and tap in that in such away will pin the traps solid as they rest on the hay in the bed and for smaller traps you lift up the weak jaw and tap a spile down in flush so that the jaw rests on the
head of the nail making it rock solid as far as cover i like to use the smaller bits of hay chaff so when the traps fire the larger pieces wont get in the way the gland goes in near the rabbit and urine on top of the hay
if i have sometime i will try to take some pictures i hope this will help good luck the rest of the season

In my experience fox will hit a hay/straw set quick, sometimes the first night. Coyotes tend to hit them after they have been there a while at least in my area.

I agree that the traps should be bedded at least enough to stabilize it. Particularly for coyote.

I make mine close to how Bob described above but use fresh straw or Timothy hay. I may have to try the power bed method on the traps. The arm chair set works also but put a trap on the back side. I have had a lot of coyotes work the back side and never go into the front even with a perfect wind.

Funny this thread was made. I just made my first hay set and 3 days in had a coyote step less than an inch off my pan. I hit it with a little k9 urine to aggregate him and some lethal injection. I bedded my trap like I would any other set. Ground was frozen also, but the hay is more forgiving. Never use straw though as it is alot more stem and slick. Have seen pull outs before from it. Now, that pull out probably wasnt a great catch to begin with.

Great for fox, much better options for coyotes

I have caught coyote in hay sets when I use a big bait, like Bob does under the hay. I dig a trench in with a mattock and put a whole carcass in there, mink, muskrat, rabbit have worked for me. Then I cover with hardware cloth and pin that down, if you don't they will steal your bait and run off with it. I want them frustrated and feet moving.

My memory is not what it used to be but as a kid in the 60's I remember the original one (hay set) I read about used pork cracklings as the bait/drawing card scattered on the finished set. Never had access to that back then so I kind of played it off UNTIL,,,,,,,,, I stumbled on the "August Heller coyote set" from Dunbar Ne., which was a big beginning for kid with no tutors and little brain power (probably even less now). Anyway, after a few years of reading and watching demo's in the 70's, it dawned on me that his set was based on coyote/ fox observation not hearsay. The guys above (we all) have more access to info, gear and techniques that he didn't but he just settled his trap in wheat straw and caught fox and coyotes that nobody else did at that time. I stole his idea after I found it and someday will give a demo on it at a National gathering to give him the credit that he deserved before he died. Least I can do. ..................the mike

Wife would the Heller set be a flat set or baited it always amazes me the sets that can stay workn in deep snow because we get crushed here in Western New york

This one fell to a hay/straw set. I make an x with a quarter of a small bale. Baot gets buried on the center. One trap goes in each of the narrow parts of the X. I try to chip out enough of a bed to get the pan level with the ground. Bed on a little straw, use a screen cover, and grass clippings on that. A few pieces of straw over pan also. A dab of lure in the center of the X.

a member on here, HFT, is very successful up in Alaska with hay sets on canines. I don't think he piles it high, though. It is a visual attractor, with hay spread out several feet, and a backing, maybe a chunk of wood or dried out moose bone, and sometimes even a dirt hole, if digging is possible.
He also snares up any approaches.

Never tried this yet but I’d like to. Do you scatter the hay and then make an X with your boot to the snow, or do you lay the hay out in an X?

Shakey, I make the x with the hay right on the snow. I mound up the hay a bit in the center, to cover the bait. Then use my foot, rake or something like that to clear the trap area. I make a big mess out of it. Nothing subtle.

I used to do a V, but had a lot of coyotes approach from the back, so switched to an X.

I'll draw a diagram when I get a chance.

Copy. In your pic it’s a mess, but the fox obviously had something to do with that…lol.
We’re going to see if we can try it next weekend.

That's a coyote in his picture if iam looking at it correctly.

Yep, coyote. I've caught fox in them also.

Coyote it is.

Here's the sketch Shakey.

Fox or coyote, don't matter, except for scale. I put the bait in the center, lure just out from that. The downwind side will drift in over time, I usually clean it out veery three or four days.
When I do "clean" up the set from snow, I rake the areas out from the V's quite a ways. Eye appeal.
I also set the traps back from the bait a little farther than normal (dirt hole and flat set). More like 12 to 14 inches.

For you western trappers with high winds...Hay sets are not a good choice.

when were you using hay sets?
If you were trapping after Pa. Deer season, there is usually a lull in canine catching. Why? I don't have that answer. I talked with several good Pa. trappers after deer season; they all were scratching their heads wondering what's going on with little to no catches. Canines were not showing interest with any type of set.

A layer of hay under trap with small stone or stick(s) to prevent wobble is all that's needed when using dry, fluffy hay. A little covering of hay over trap is needed. The canine is lifting feet a bit higher because of fluffy hay. It hard for me to explain but I hope you understand.
Just not being lazy, don't want to dig frozen ground.

I prefer Timothy hay vs. straw. Timothy is finer, smaller diameter than straw.