Explain trap contamination to me

Is it as big of deal as some make it to be? Of course if you smeared lure on the pan, that’d probably cause some problems. Some guys use different gloves for luring vs setting/bedding. Some guys go barehanded for the whole thing. Some wont set a “dirty trap”, one thats made a catch, in a fresh set. Then again, some squirt coyote urine all over the dirt covering a trap in a fresh set. Some think the trap wax holds odors causing diggers. Others dont seem to worry much at all.
Whats your take on it?

All animals have noses, some keener than others. All can smell you have been in the area. Animals encounter humans and our environment on a regular basis. You're not going to hide from them. That says, I'm not going to deliberately do anything to encourage them to find my trap with their nose rather than stepping into it unsuspectingly.

Keep all smells where they belong thats all.
Especially dont contaminate traps or snares with smells that dont belong,lure and bait or animal smells being the worst.
Dont worry about your own scent-the animals know you are around,and may associate your presence with food which is good.
I never handle snares and bait at the same visit.

A critter's nose tells him not only that you were there but how long you've been gone. You cant fool their nose.

When trapping, especially k9s, make an effort to keep lure and bait odor from your traps and tools.

As for human odor, I wear gloves to protect my hands from the elements and knee pads to cushion & save my knees.

I don't do the two pair of gloves thing, but am careful when handling lure and bait.

Although I take precautions, in the end I don't think it really matters as much as trappers make it out to be. Maybe dealing with specific or educated animals in certain areas. The reason I say this is because I've seen people who are really sloppy take a lot of coyotes. I've seen them use the same setting bag for new sets and remakes. Use their trowel to dip out bait and put in hole. Then use that same trowel to dig a new trap bed. Wear the same gloves they've handled skunks and lures with to put in a fresh set. Perhaps their may be some variables that come into play where you may not get away with those habits but for the most part I think you'd be fine.

I watched a DVD and Ol slim carried all his lure bottles In his sifter.
But If I run out of clean traps I will carry some catch circle dirt and use that dirty trap In a new set and just top dress that new set with catch circle dirt. Know every thing smells the same.

Along those lined, i watched andy weisers video and had never saw someone saturate their trap covering in urine. Ive since seen the propylene glycol/pee mix for the same. Whats the thoughts regarding not using a dirty trap with fresh dirt? Is it a smell other than urine on that trap thats made a catch that worries you? Im not arguing-im wondering.

That dirty trap In a clean trap bed In my opinion will get you some digging at that trap.. Especially when you are making a trap sized pattern. I like a large pattern so I'm not pin pointing my trap location.

Putting lure or urine on the traps location Is just asking for trouble In my opinion. You want that critters focus on your dirt hole or what ever your using at a flat set for eye appeal not where your trap Is buried.

The older I get the less I worry about scent

They can smell you are there and can smell the trap. Clean or dirty, they will smell something is different. But remember trapping is a game of numbers and odds. The odds are staked against us when it comes to disturbances and smells. Anything you can do, even if cleaner traps only increase your odds by 1%, to increases your chances will pay off in the end. You have to weigh out for yourself what’s worth it.

I trap grey fox and cats on public land. So for me, trap numbers increase my catch numbers more than scent control. So for me to change out gloves for riding around, then trap setting, then lure placement, isn’t worth it because it slows me down more than it helps me. Same with laying out a tarp to kneel on while making sets. I need to get in, make as many sets as I can, catch numbers, then move to the next area if I want numbers. I have endless amounts of land to trap with a limited season.

If I was trapping coyotes and red fox on private land where I am limited on land (which means limited on animals), it’s worth it to change gloves, use kneeling mats, and being careful to keep my trap clean. I would be trapping on limited amount of land, for animals that are very well know for digging up traps. In that example the amount of sets I should place is limited to the amount of land I have permission so taking my time for scent is more important.

Just have to look at your target species and style of trapping to determine what is best for your line.

The old timers saturated everything with urine and caught plenty. I don't think good pee contaminates anything.
I'm dead set against getting lure on the trap though.
Some gray fox will dig at anything that smells different.
I've had them dig for peat or musty smelling hulls.

I'm probably one of the pickiest when it comes to scent control 2 pairs of gloves keep everything separated. I even get mad if I grab my hammer bare handed because I know that my clean gloves are going to touch it next. It's just confidence thing for me it's the way I was taught. I dye and wax my traps every time they come out of the ground. But my pot is big enough to do 2 dozen at a time. If they are new traps I boil in clean water then I just wax and worry about dying next time around. When something goes wrong at a set I don't have to wonder if it was my scent or contaminated traps.

I wear gloves when making the set and baiting. Mainly to protect my hands and keep smells off my hands. I also wear chaps that are only used when setting. They stay in garage, never in the house. Chaps are used to protect my pants.

I've seen several demos where the trapper sprays the trap covering with urine. Must be a western thing. Even saw a guy who taught the wolf trapping course use and recommend the dried, flake urine sold as deer repellent, just shook it over his set like a salt shaker from chest high. I even bought some of that stuff myself and tried it on a few sets. Didn't care for it myself.

I don't spray urine on my trap myself, but guys who do still manage to catch a bunch of game.