Waxing Water Traps ?

Recently a student of mine received some beaver-sized foothold traps that were waxed.
Now it's my thought that waxing a trap you set in water, is not the best idea, as it makes it slippery on a 'leathery' foot, like a raccoon or in this case, a beaver or otter.
A few of the traps ( MB 750's ) were offset, which again makes me think that a waxed trap in water, may just be a wrong move, but then this is just my opinion, especially on an offset trap. Laminate the jaws, which while displacing the power, may make a waxed trap, easier to power out of as a thinner jaw would dig in more.
While I like lamination and have waxed many a trap, that combination with offset jaws, isn't something I personally would do for a beaver trap.

Your thoughts.

( The other traps were, I believe Duke # 5 CS , NOT offset )

I personally hate waxed traps. Just had alot of bad experiences with them when I first started out and just don't see how it's worth the hassle. Very very few things I do in the KISS mentality but coating traps is one.
Strip ,paint dip and that's it.

I would not bother

I still speed dip water traps. With coons it dont seem to matter much. first catch they get it all shiny clean anyway. may take two or three catchs on drowners but nothing stays on real good. i think dipping does help with rust between seasons and its fast and easy

Agree with Wolfdog.

If your trap is that weak that a thin layer of wax is gonna cause a pull out you need new springs.
For mink, waxing is a good thing.
Paint is fine too, though.
But yeah, one coon and the wax is gone.

I wax all my snares and traps,including 330's.
They deserve protection from the elements just like any other trap.

I painted mine this year, no wax, but it's the first time I tried it, so I have not formed an opinion yet.
But I also only have a couple dozen, and some of them are muskrat traps that I have no plans on using any time soon. I just wanted them protected for storage.

Last night I was skimming through an old Raymond Thompson trapping book. He said he treated his traps with a mix of skunk and lynx oil. Which I found interesting. I think the book was written around 1920 if I remember right.

I paint and wax all my water traps
I guess I'm doing it wrong.

Not necessarily, just wanted to see people's views on the subject.

Just because I do something, doesn't make it right. . .just right for me.

I don’t wax water traps, to me it makes them a bit to sensitive and unpredictable. To each their own, but I just paint mine.

Dip for me. I don't wax any traps, even coyote traps.

I always wax all my beaver footholds, not my bodygrips though. Of course I run closed jawed and usually teethed footholds for beaver and otter. Waxing makes them faster, smoother, and protects them from the elements. I realize there are states that require it, but otherwise I would never run offsets for beaver or otter.

I wax em all. For beavs, I run Kendalls No BS beav trap with only 2 coils, waxed, and have never had one at the bottom of the drowner without a beaver in it.

I’ve done all methods over the years and can’t say I’m absolute on any one. I guess that’s why they make chocolate and vanilla and different brands of trapping lure. 😊

I dip in formula one.

X2

I waxed my Duke 5 LS. Can't set em by hand over my knee without them being waxed. But all my other beaver traps (coilsprings)..I did not.

I dipped the coilsprings in brown Formula One but I can't afford that stuff now.....so I'm going back to logwood dye and wax the coilsprings too.

If I dye them they get waxed
If I paint them, no wax

Just wax conibears and foot traps. Only trap water. Got it in my head that catch percentage declines when traps start rusting.

When I wax my conis I only wax the "spring side" and spring. Not the actual killing jaws. Some old school longliners did the same thing with there coils springs. Just waxing the jaws up too the levers.

I do the same with my 330s. It makes them lightening fast.

I was told by my mentor not to wax water traps because it makes them too sensitive, so I haven't tried it yet and I hadn't even dyed a trap until this year, so it's all a new learning experience for me.

X2

I don't know whether waxing my water traps is right or wrong. I was taught to wax, and it works for me, so I'll keep doing it.