Trapping coyotes in below 0 temps and snow

What's everyone's favorite way to set a freeze proof set? And what set do you use the most in cold temps?


This is what I've been trying I'm using dirt holes i dig trap bed like normal i use peat moss under the trap.Then I placed the trap inside of a ziploc bag that's exactly the same size of the trap Place trap in trap bed and cover with waxed dirt. Bedding the trap can be tricky but I bed it as best as I can then then sprinkle snow back over the set not enough to crust just enough to cover.

Snares.

Simplify things and just use dry peat. Waxed dirt is great but its expensive, time consuming to make and heavy if youre walking much. Oh and it doesnt bed a trap well just like peat. Just seems overcomplicated in my opinion. Use them ziplocs for sammiches!

The only reason I use the ziploc is because I have freezing and thawing conditions It could be -5° one day and 40° in just a few days. I always seem to have problems with moisture and traps getting froze down. Should I not sprinkle snow back over my set?

Patrapper is giving you some good advice D123. Remember a couple of things, peat allows moisture to run through it without absorbing whereas waxed dirt or sand allows the moisture to run off. When you say your traps are freezing down with peat tells me water is getting around or underneath your waxed dirt covering. With the peat underneath you are not giving the water a place to go except to fill your trap bed and cause your trap to freeze to the bottom of the bed. Using cable stakes will help with the draining of the water because of the driver hole in the bottom of the bed allows the water to drain away from the bed and peat.

In MI I absolutely love to trap in the snow and I do usually have plenty of weather changes from rain & snow to contend with but I’ve found it’s better to go with the flow and use the KISS principle rather than fight the adverse conditions.

Thanks alot guys for the info I'll be giving that a try! Like i said still new to this late winter trapping.

I am usually using snares by then. But if there isn't much snow I have my dirt holes still working. Dig your trap beds before freeze up and your holes. I use waxed dirt and others are right it is hard to bed traps but can be done.

Waxed dirt or sand, and waxed traps here. Best defense against moisture and freezing ive found that keeps them operation to zero.
Hack out beds and dig dirtholes any where you possibly think you might need a set. Much easier to do this before freezr up than trying to hack one out in rock solid frozen ground. I do carry an old railroad pick and that cuts a decent trap bed in frozen dirt.
Ive tried just about every dry material around. Peat, dry dirt, coal shale, grass clippings dried,, dry bean chaff, you name it. Eventually they all fail with a frost or freeze thaw when temps go well south of freezing here then warm back up by day. Waxed dirt or waxed sand hands down is by far best thing ive used in 40+ years at it. I go heavy on the wax too. I love winter trapping but I always put up a generous supply like 50 or more gallons of waxed dirt or sand...its a real lifesaver on the winter coyote line.
Jim

Buy Stan Forsythes video Footholds in the Snow

I run a very short trapline. I dig or pound out the the bed for the trap, put the trap in and sprinkle salt over the trap. Then pound the sides of the bed in toward the trap until its rock solid and sprinkle more salt over it. Cover with peat. By watching the forecast and living in the lake effect area of Western NY, I allow natural snow to cover the whole thing. Cold dry snow up to 6' and the set continues to work. All traps when pulled get's the salt washed off then hung in a dry building until treated again with wax. Not perfect but has as a rule been its been working for me since I started trapping in the 1970's. Nothing about winter trapping is easy but I love it.
The first photo was taken on a morning that was approaching 20 below zero but the traps worked flawlessly

Tried peat, didn’t work for me. Waxed dirt works though. I’ve also kept sets running by bedding my traps with the Zagger method and waxed dirt. My theory is the big bowl under the trap helps close those jaws that might be frozen to soil. I used my waxed dirt to fill any gap in my trap bed and cover my screens with that or clippings depending on the set. Snares are easier and much more efficient. But it is a lot of fun running footholds in the snow.

Use waxed sand instead of dirt. The sand beds great and packs good. It is heavy if you have to carry. A rotary hammer drill with a chisel bit is a life saver in frozen ground. No frozen chips flying, really stings on a cold face. Put the snow in your sifter and sift standing up, so it just dusts the set. Waxed sand is about as good as it gets

Thanks for all of the advice! I plan to make some wax dirt or sand and use pete moss.

Also...if ground is frozen rock solid sometimes its all you can do to get the trap bedded and anchor drove in. You can skip the dirthole and get creative with bait sets.
Around here in bean fields I just kick the chaff into a pile and put bait under it and bed trap on bait side.
In corn fields I can bed the trap near a couple stalks and bend the stalk over to point at the trap. Take a knife and scoop out that soft spongy core material from end of the stalk and put bait or lure in that end pointing at the trap.
Can also put bait under a log, or stack a couple cow pies up and bait in between or under bottom one.
I do like rebar better in hard frozen ground. A big hammer and you can drive it right in but also when pulling it comes out way easier than earth anchors from the rock hard frozen ground. I cross stake with two rebsr stakes in case a thaw comes will still hold well.
Late season and extreme cold i do have good luck with bait and a good loud call lure, also some coyote or fox pee. Both work well on coyotes.
Also...once everything freezes solid here there seems to be new travel ways for coyotes. Little weedy or brushy creeks where water is frozen solid become highways and the snow on them is all pock marked with coyote and fox tracks. Hack out some coyote pocket sets along the edges and scatter the loose dirt right out across the ice in front of the holes. Has a ton of eye appeal. Some bait and bedded trap and this is a killer late season set for me. Like a coon pocket on steroids and frozen conditions.
Jim

For that time of year, I prefer using a call, a decoy, and a rifle.

Whatever you set, drill a pilot hole for the stake. Your wrists, elbows, and shoulders will ache much less.

Toss the peat, use waxed sand and flat sets. No low spot over the pan for water to set and freeze. In fact I make it higher than the surrounding ground level. Blend with a dust of snow then let the weather do the rest. Snow is one reason we developed the Alpha #3. I get good pad catches with up to 6 inches of snow covering the trap. Winter snow conditions is when good urine really shines in conjunction with other sets at the same location. North facing locations that have shade so the snow stays powder are golden. South facing stay in dirt as long as possible. Just sweep them off with a broom after snow accumulates.
Snow trapping is an art in itself, if it stays cold you can bed and cover with just snow. Cheap thin bags work well. But a waxed trap with polly under the pan does too.. Seldom has a real good blind set vid on his U tube, all ya need is a track... Its a killer .

X2

I did some of this last season. Deeper snow trapping. And loved it. U don't have of experience in trapping. But I learned that if you think outside of box. And experiment. It can pay off in a very big way. My snow sets were very productive for me. Caught a variety of pelts from skunk to coon to fox to coyote. I use to hate seeing big snows and it shut down my line. Now I can't wait for them. Outside the box thinking developed the pipe set. And look how productive that became. Thats the joy in trapping. So many options, methods, etc.

I'm so glad your back Seldom my friend. Your knowledge is priceless, make um think!

You're very, very welcome Gary!
From what I'm hearing through the fur buyer grapevine about MI coyotes, instead of setting 11/1 like normal, I'm setting 12/1. I've been talking about it for the past several years and this looks like a good year for me to make the change. I'm hoping for good snow for sure!

Dumb question. What is 11/1 and 12/1?

11/1 means November 1st and 12/1 is December 1st.

Thanks. Like I said my bad. Appreciate your videos.

Heavy coyotes is all they want semi and coarse are going to be severely docked is the word I got.

Local buyer told me there was little to no interest in midwestern yotes.

I've got 8 of those no value WI coyotes In the shed. But they are fun to catch.

Yep. Beav they still need killin.

I spoke with my buyer he said , " hit the coyotes hard in December and January, I'd rather have a March coyote than October" .... I'm waiting too if I can stand it LOL..

Peat moss is and organic sponge. peat bog is saturated. toss the peat moss for sure.

I spoke with my buyer he said , " hit the coyotes hard in December and January, I'd rather have a March coyote than October" .... I'm waiting too if I can stand it LOL.. [/quote]

Our buyers want earlier coyotes for the good guard hairs, by Dec they are not as valuable over here. By March not worth much at all.

Wax dirt, dry dirt and glycol all get used when it's cold and snowy.

A friend of mine uses a lot of cover hulls. I'm going to try some this year. I also plan to use waxed sand. I've had good luck with zagger's method too. The moisture wicking up from below the trap is what always gets me with peat.