Waxed dirt.

Been using waxed dirt for some time with some success. I do find though that the dirt usually doesn't freeze but, after a while I find that the moisture that repels from the waxed dirt freezes on the trap causing the waxed dirt to freeze to the trap. Mainly underneath. What can I do to remedy this. I also want to try cover hulls. Anybody else use this?

Properly prepared waxed dirt will not freeze to a trap.

Try this...
Bed the trap without the waxed dirt.

Pour the waxed dirt over the trap, and level it off.

Grab the spring levers, and slightly pick up the trap, allowing a small layer of waxed dirt to flow under and around the trap.

Push and rotate the trap back down into the bed, putting your weight into it.

Finish bedding and covering with waxed dirt. A final sifting of natural cover (1/8" in freezing conditions) over the bed won't hurt anything.

You bed a trap using waxed dirt, like this, and you will NEVER have a problem here in MN with freezing, moisture, or ANY condition. Hope this helps.

Hers what I do. Dig out the trap bed, pour waxed dirt into it, I then bed the trap in the waxed dirt put my waxed paper over the pan and under the jaws. Finally I put waxed dirt over the trap and level it off. If we get some wet weather with a covering of wet snow I go back and take the snow off. Every so often I lift a trap up and the waxed dirt is coating the coils and the bottom side of the trap including the jaws. The trap still fires but I still scrap off the dirt and need to bed trap and cover. Before cat season starts here I would like the confidence to used the waxed dirt or should I use the purchased cover hulls I have?.? Thanks yukonal for your info. I think it is just a confidence issue I have with waxed dirt.

Stick with the waxed dirt, and have patience. Don't be afraid to use some blocking. Waxed dirt can be loose, and you want them to step exactly on the pan.

This is what works for me. I have alot of confidence in this method, as I have whittled it down to this over the years...trapping in freezing/frozen conditions after deer season has ended. You know what I mean.

Waxed dirt under/over, peat between jaws. Packed solid with existing dirt around trap to stabilize

Great description Yuk.

Add enough wax so when cooled it sticks together and is packable helps a bunch also.

The oil from your chain saw bar is what might be scaring them away.

Backroads the problem is not the waxed dirt , the problem is the waxed paper . Throw it away and switch to coffee filters, land scape fabric , screen wire or anything else that breaths. The way you describe your situation is exactly what will happen when you use any pan cover that does not breath. Moisture rises from the ground and is trapped under the waxed paper . It will then freeze to the steel and eventually freeze dirt, waxed dirt, peat ,or any other bedding material to the trap.

I have used both the waxed dirt & the hulls. With either, the most important thing is making the bed just the size of the trap. With waxed dirt you can get a solid bedding. Not so much with the hulls. If using both I would bed the trap in the waxed dirt & cover with the hulls. Either way always sift Surrounding dirt over set to blend in

I believe Golf ball got it right, this will also happen
using fold top sandwich bags, I started using landscape
fabric.

Less we forget that frost often comes from beneath the trap, as well as above.

Protecting the trap from beneath in many areas is just as important

But here's one for ya'.. .

How many have suspended the trap off of the ground, yet below ground level ?

Can't be done ? Don't bet on that !

Isn’t that the Zagger method? I’ve pulled many of my traps with water underneath but the trap was above the water.