David G Duncan
11-03-2006, 08:35 PM
HERE ARE THE BARE MINIMUMS TO GETTING STARTED TRAPPING FOX:
(Taken from a posting I made related to a question on how to get started trapping fox.)
I would recommend that you purchase a few 1.5 coilspring traps. Duke or Sleepy Creek are fairly inexpensive, well made traps.
These 1.5 coilspring traps are plenty big enough to catch and hold any Red or Grey Fox.
You can order the traps on-line from F&T Trading Post (an advertiser on this forum), along with these other basis items:
Double Stake Swivels
Rerod Stakes
Dirt Sifter
Fox Lure
There are a lot of other items that trappers end up using once they gain more experience. But the above are the absolute bare minimum that you will need to make a land set for to catch your fox.
Trap Preparation:
I use vinegar to wash the oil off new traps and them lay them outside for a few days to give them a little coating of rust.
Then you can deordorize the traps by boiling them in water with some bark from a soft maple. However, I really believe that any green bark from about any hardwood tree would also work. The seed pods from the shoemac brush will also work, if you can not get any green bark.
Once you have boiled the traps in this solution for 15 to 30 minutes they should be ready to remove and be hung up to dry outside.
Most trappers also treat their traps by dipping them into melted wax, but this is not necessary for a beginner.
Don't handle the clean traps with your bare hands and keep them in a clean container.
You should have attached your Double Stake Swivels to your trap chains before treating the traps. Also you can treat the rerod trap stakes in the same manner as you do your traps.
Making a Fox Dirthole Set:
Use a clean plastic bucket to carry your traps, stakes, small hachet, small garden trowel, clean canvas or rubber gloves and dirt sifter to the set location.
Also, you will need a roll of waxed paper. Cut a 3.5 inch long section off the end of the roll. This short roll of waxed paper will be used for you trap pan cover.
It will be a good idea to wear a pair of hip boots if you have them. Otherwise you can use a large garage bag to kneel on while you make the set.
Walk directly up to the spot where you are going to make the set. It is best if the location is out in the open, with at least 20 feet of clearing around the set location, so the fox can clearly see all around the set and be confident that no other animal is hiding to attack it.
Kneel down on the ground next to a small clump of grass or some other object to use as a backing, with your face toward the west or northwest prevailing wind direction (make sure the backing is not too large, so the fox can easily see over it).
Put on your clean gloves and use your small trowel to dig a hole at the edge of the backing at a 45 deg angle. Dig the hole as deep as your trowel will allow you to dig it.
Then, dig out an area directly in front of this hole, to a depth of about 3", making it just a little wider than the size of the 1.5 coilspring trap.
Set your trap and adjust the pan so it is level with the jaws.
Place the Double Stake Swivel on the end of the trap chain in the middle of the bottom of this depression and drive two rerods at a 45 deg. angle in a "X" to anchor the trap.
Place a little dirt over the stakes to make a level place for the trap and pack it down with your hands.
Position the trap, as close as possible, to edge of the dirthole you dug next to the backing. A fox will place its foot very near to the spot that he is smelling. When a dog will keep its feet back and lean forward to smell the hole. In this way is more likely that you will not accidently catch someones dog.
It is best to position the trap so the latching mechanism is at about the 2:00 o'clock position. This will minimize the chance of the fox stepping on the trap dog and getting its paw flipped out of the trap when it fires.
Lift the free jaw of the trap up, so it is straight up. Now carefully pack dirt all around the trap, being care that no dirt or stones gets under the pan.
Make sure the trap will not tip or rock by push on the springs. If it is tippy, then pack some dirt under the trap springs until the trap is rock solid. This is one of the most important aspect of making a fox set. If the trap is not rock solid and the fox steps on the jaw of the trap and it tips, then it will cause the fox to shy away from the set before it gets catch. Or can also cause a poor catch on the fox's paw can result in getting only a toe nail.
Now tear off about a 4" long piece of the waxed paper and wad it up in your hands. Then open it up. This will make the wax paper more pliable and less likely to make any noise.
Place this piece of waxed paper over the trap pan. Now lower the free jaw of the trap to hold the waxed paper in place.
With your dirt sifter carefully sift dirt over the trap, stopping a couple of times to carefully use your trowel to level the sifted dirt, that piles up on the pan. Continue sifting dirt until you have about 1/2 inch of dirt over the pan.
Make sure that you end up with a slight depression in the dirt directly over the center of the trap pan. Carefully blend the area around the trap to make it as level and as natural looking as possible.
Now, place a small amount of Fox Lure in the bottom of the dirthole. You can use a small piece of a weed stem or small twig dipped into the lure bottle to get enough lure or scent on it, then stick it in the bottom of the hole. It is a good idea to toss a very small amount of dirt into the hole to slightly cover the lure stick.
Stand up and place all your equipment in your bucket and while wearing your gloves back away brushing any of your foot marks out with your hands.
It should take you only a few minutes to complete this set, once you have gained some experience.
Don't place you Fox Lure in your bucket and keep it away from your equipment and traps at all times.
The above is a basis description of how to make a very effect fox set. Obviously there are a lot of other details and variations that experienced trappers bring into play, when they make a set.
But you can feel confident, that if you have a fox that visits the area near this set, that will catch him, assuming you carefully follow these steps and that the night time temperature remains aboue 25 deg. so the ground does not freeze solid and make prevent your trap from firing.
When checking your set, don't go any closer than necessary to make sure it is in working order. After 4 or 5 days, if you have not made a catch, it is a good idea to add some more lure, especially if it has rained. Or some trappers will use fox urine in a spray bottle to spray some fox urine into the dirthole, to freshen up the set.
Be patient, it might take over a week before you finally get your fox!
Good Luck with your Fox Trapping Adventure!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Bundle_of_Red_Fox.jpg
A nice bundle of 32 Red Fox that sold for $85 apiece back in 1979.
This information is from Trapperman.com and is an excellent description of how to make a basic "Dirt Hole Set".
Dirt Hole Set
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The basic dirt hole is nothing more than a hole made in the ground with a trap positioned in front of
the hole to catch the animal as it investigates the hole. A dirthole set is meant to replicate where an
animal such as a fox or coyote has cached some food to eat later, and these natural dirtholes can be
all shapes and sizes. To be effective, the dirt hole set should be made where the animal will likely
travel close by. A good location can usually be determined by the presence of sign such as tracks
and especially droppings. The best made dirt hole set will catch nothing if its in a location where the
animal will not be able to detect its presence. Once a good location is found, find a spot that is fairly
void of long grasses and high weeds. The hole for the set is usually made in front of some kind of an
object. This object could be a prominent tuft of taller grass, a stone about the size of a pint or quart
jar, a low stump, an overturned clump of sod, or some other natural object. This object that the
hole is to be dug in front of, such as a prominent tuft of grass that is taller than the surrounding
vegetation is referred to as backing. The backing keeps the animal from approaching the set from
the rear. Using a trowel, dig a hole at about a sixty degree angle back under this backing. The dirt
removed from the hole is placed in a sifter. The hole can be around three inches in diameter and at
least six inches deep.
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh1.jpg
In front of this dug hole dig a bowl-shaped trap bed about 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep and only slightly
larger around than the trap. The dirt from this excavation is placed into the sifter. Leave about an
inch of loose dirt in the bottom of the bowl-shaped trap bed. Make sure the bottom of the trap bed
is rounded so the trap springs, and any attaching hardware will have a place in the bed, and this will
make it easier to make the trap rock solid and not move when an animal steps on a jaw or lever.
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh2.jpg
The trap is staked either in the lowest center of the trap bed or at the inside edge of the
excavation. Its a good idea not to wire the trap to a stake, but rather use the opening on a universal
swivel, large washer, expanded link of welded machine trap chain or some other attaching hardware.
Too often when the traps are wired to a stake, the wire will break from the animal working the chain
back and forth. The trap is set and placed in the prepared trap bed. Place trap near hole, but not
hanging over hole. Put downward pressure on the trap to nestle it into the loose dirt. With a finger,
push down on the spring levers and jaws checking to see if the trap is solid. In most instances the
trap is not solid. You may have to use dirt from the sifter and pack it around and under the spring
levers and jaws to get the trap solid. Do not cover the trap until you are posititve the trap is solid in
its bed. Use the trowel to take dirt from the sifter and place this dirt around the outside edge of the
trap. Use the trowel to pack inside the trap jaws, and press this dirt down with your trowel. After
the dirt is packed outside and inside the trap, all that is now exposed of the trap is the edge of the
jaws, the pan and the dog. A piece of wax paper about the size of the inside of the trap can be used
to cover the pan so that dirt will not get under the pan, which would cause the trap not to fire.
When using wax paper to cover the trap pan, its a good idea to crumple it up and then flatten
it out. This will help keep the paper from making noise when a canine steps on it
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh3.jpg
Picture of partially bedded trap
Now using the sifter, sift dirt over the trap until the sifted dirt is up level with the surrounding ground
outside of the trap bed. Use the trowel to gently scrape the loose dirt from the trap pan. This will
cause the lowest part of the dirt pattern to be just over the trap pan. Once again, pack the sifted dirt
around the outside and inside the trap jaws. Packing the dirt gives the pattern a smooth look. To
make it look more natural, sift a little more dirt (a half to one inch of dirt) over the trap to cover this
smoothness. This last sifting will cover the trap pan, and the smoothness has disappeared. The
lowest part of the dirt pattern will now be over the trap pan. (Fox and coyote prefer to step on the
lower places.)
Picture of completed set
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh6.jpg
Now apply the lure to the hole. It's best to apply the lure to a lure holder as placing it on the ground
will cause it to lose its odor much faster. Pieces of corn cob, small chunk of weathered wood,
sheeps wool, or anything to keep the lure off the ground in the hole will work. I would recommend
a curiosity type lure, gland lure, food lure and/or a bait. If using the gland or curiosity lure, a squirt
of urine on the backing will enhance the effectiveness of the set. This is the basic dirt hole. There is a
lot more that can be said about the dirt hole and there is a lot that is to be learned about the dirt hole
beyond this basic set.
Animals used for:
Fox - Both red and grey fox are taken regularly in this set. Use a lure such as a gland or curiosity
lure in the hole. Bait can also be used.
Coyotes - This set works on coyotes too. Lure the same as for fox. Because the coyote is a much
larger and stronger animal than the fox, use a double staking method for securing the trap.
Bobcats - This set will take bobcats too, but its a good idea to hang a bird wing where legal or even
lengths of cassette tape from a nearby tree limb. The motion of the wing or tape in the air will get the
attention of the cat. Bobcats have a very keen eyesight, but not so good at smelling compared to
canines. By getting the bobcats attention with the visual attractor, you can get the bobcat to get
within smelling range of your set.
(Taken from a posting I made related to a question on how to get started trapping fox.)
I would recommend that you purchase a few 1.5 coilspring traps. Duke or Sleepy Creek are fairly inexpensive, well made traps.
These 1.5 coilspring traps are plenty big enough to catch and hold any Red or Grey Fox.
You can order the traps on-line from F&T Trading Post (an advertiser on this forum), along with these other basis items:
Double Stake Swivels
Rerod Stakes
Dirt Sifter
Fox Lure
There are a lot of other items that trappers end up using once they gain more experience. But the above are the absolute bare minimum that you will need to make a land set for to catch your fox.
Trap Preparation:
I use vinegar to wash the oil off new traps and them lay them outside for a few days to give them a little coating of rust.
Then you can deordorize the traps by boiling them in water with some bark from a soft maple. However, I really believe that any green bark from about any hardwood tree would also work. The seed pods from the shoemac brush will also work, if you can not get any green bark.
Once you have boiled the traps in this solution for 15 to 30 minutes they should be ready to remove and be hung up to dry outside.
Most trappers also treat their traps by dipping them into melted wax, but this is not necessary for a beginner.
Don't handle the clean traps with your bare hands and keep them in a clean container.
You should have attached your Double Stake Swivels to your trap chains before treating the traps. Also you can treat the rerod trap stakes in the same manner as you do your traps.
Making a Fox Dirthole Set:
Use a clean plastic bucket to carry your traps, stakes, small hachet, small garden trowel, clean canvas or rubber gloves and dirt sifter to the set location.
Also, you will need a roll of waxed paper. Cut a 3.5 inch long section off the end of the roll. This short roll of waxed paper will be used for you trap pan cover.
It will be a good idea to wear a pair of hip boots if you have them. Otherwise you can use a large garage bag to kneel on while you make the set.
Walk directly up to the spot where you are going to make the set. It is best if the location is out in the open, with at least 20 feet of clearing around the set location, so the fox can clearly see all around the set and be confident that no other animal is hiding to attack it.
Kneel down on the ground next to a small clump of grass or some other object to use as a backing, with your face toward the west or northwest prevailing wind direction (make sure the backing is not too large, so the fox can easily see over it).
Put on your clean gloves and use your small trowel to dig a hole at the edge of the backing at a 45 deg angle. Dig the hole as deep as your trowel will allow you to dig it.
Then, dig out an area directly in front of this hole, to a depth of about 3", making it just a little wider than the size of the 1.5 coilspring trap.
Set your trap and adjust the pan so it is level with the jaws.
Place the Double Stake Swivel on the end of the trap chain in the middle of the bottom of this depression and drive two rerods at a 45 deg. angle in a "X" to anchor the trap.
Place a little dirt over the stakes to make a level place for the trap and pack it down with your hands.
Position the trap, as close as possible, to edge of the dirthole you dug next to the backing. A fox will place its foot very near to the spot that he is smelling. When a dog will keep its feet back and lean forward to smell the hole. In this way is more likely that you will not accidently catch someones dog.
It is best to position the trap so the latching mechanism is at about the 2:00 o'clock position. This will minimize the chance of the fox stepping on the trap dog and getting its paw flipped out of the trap when it fires.
Lift the free jaw of the trap up, so it is straight up. Now carefully pack dirt all around the trap, being care that no dirt or stones gets under the pan.
Make sure the trap will not tip or rock by push on the springs. If it is tippy, then pack some dirt under the trap springs until the trap is rock solid. This is one of the most important aspect of making a fox set. If the trap is not rock solid and the fox steps on the jaw of the trap and it tips, then it will cause the fox to shy away from the set before it gets catch. Or can also cause a poor catch on the fox's paw can result in getting only a toe nail.
Now tear off about a 4" long piece of the waxed paper and wad it up in your hands. Then open it up. This will make the wax paper more pliable and less likely to make any noise.
Place this piece of waxed paper over the trap pan. Now lower the free jaw of the trap to hold the waxed paper in place.
With your dirt sifter carefully sift dirt over the trap, stopping a couple of times to carefully use your trowel to level the sifted dirt, that piles up on the pan. Continue sifting dirt until you have about 1/2 inch of dirt over the pan.
Make sure that you end up with a slight depression in the dirt directly over the center of the trap pan. Carefully blend the area around the trap to make it as level and as natural looking as possible.
Now, place a small amount of Fox Lure in the bottom of the dirthole. You can use a small piece of a weed stem or small twig dipped into the lure bottle to get enough lure or scent on it, then stick it in the bottom of the hole. It is a good idea to toss a very small amount of dirt into the hole to slightly cover the lure stick.
Stand up and place all your equipment in your bucket and while wearing your gloves back away brushing any of your foot marks out with your hands.
It should take you only a few minutes to complete this set, once you have gained some experience.
Don't place you Fox Lure in your bucket and keep it away from your equipment and traps at all times.
The above is a basis description of how to make a very effect fox set. Obviously there are a lot of other details and variations that experienced trappers bring into play, when they make a set.
But you can feel confident, that if you have a fox that visits the area near this set, that will catch him, assuming you carefully follow these steps and that the night time temperature remains aboue 25 deg. so the ground does not freeze solid and make prevent your trap from firing.
When checking your set, don't go any closer than necessary to make sure it is in working order. After 4 or 5 days, if you have not made a catch, it is a good idea to add some more lure, especially if it has rained. Or some trappers will use fox urine in a spray bottle to spray some fox urine into the dirthole, to freshen up the set.
Be patient, it might take over a week before you finally get your fox!
Good Luck with your Fox Trapping Adventure!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Bundle_of_Red_Fox.jpg
A nice bundle of 32 Red Fox that sold for $85 apiece back in 1979.
This information is from Trapperman.com and is an excellent description of how to make a basic "Dirt Hole Set".
Dirt Hole Set
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The basic dirt hole is nothing more than a hole made in the ground with a trap positioned in front of
the hole to catch the animal as it investigates the hole. A dirthole set is meant to replicate where an
animal such as a fox or coyote has cached some food to eat later, and these natural dirtholes can be
all shapes and sizes. To be effective, the dirt hole set should be made where the animal will likely
travel close by. A good location can usually be determined by the presence of sign such as tracks
and especially droppings. The best made dirt hole set will catch nothing if its in a location where the
animal will not be able to detect its presence. Once a good location is found, find a spot that is fairly
void of long grasses and high weeds. The hole for the set is usually made in front of some kind of an
object. This object could be a prominent tuft of taller grass, a stone about the size of a pint or quart
jar, a low stump, an overturned clump of sod, or some other natural object. This object that the
hole is to be dug in front of, such as a prominent tuft of grass that is taller than the surrounding
vegetation is referred to as backing. The backing keeps the animal from approaching the set from
the rear. Using a trowel, dig a hole at about a sixty degree angle back under this backing. The dirt
removed from the hole is placed in a sifter. The hole can be around three inches in diameter and at
least six inches deep.
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh1.jpg
In front of this dug hole dig a bowl-shaped trap bed about 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep and only slightly
larger around than the trap. The dirt from this excavation is placed into the sifter. Leave about an
inch of loose dirt in the bottom of the bowl-shaped trap bed. Make sure the bottom of the trap bed
is rounded so the trap springs, and any attaching hardware will have a place in the bed, and this will
make it easier to make the trap rock solid and not move when an animal steps on a jaw or lever.
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh2.jpg
The trap is staked either in the lowest center of the trap bed or at the inside edge of the
excavation. Its a good idea not to wire the trap to a stake, but rather use the opening on a universal
swivel, large washer, expanded link of welded machine trap chain or some other attaching hardware.
Too often when the traps are wired to a stake, the wire will break from the animal working the chain
back and forth. The trap is set and placed in the prepared trap bed. Place trap near hole, but not
hanging over hole. Put downward pressure on the trap to nestle it into the loose dirt. With a finger,
push down on the spring levers and jaws checking to see if the trap is solid. In most instances the
trap is not solid. You may have to use dirt from the sifter and pack it around and under the spring
levers and jaws to get the trap solid. Do not cover the trap until you are posititve the trap is solid in
its bed. Use the trowel to take dirt from the sifter and place this dirt around the outside edge of the
trap. Use the trowel to pack inside the trap jaws, and press this dirt down with your trowel. After
the dirt is packed outside and inside the trap, all that is now exposed of the trap is the edge of the
jaws, the pan and the dog. A piece of wax paper about the size of the inside of the trap can be used
to cover the pan so that dirt will not get under the pan, which would cause the trap not to fire.
When using wax paper to cover the trap pan, its a good idea to crumple it up and then flatten
it out. This will help keep the paper from making noise when a canine steps on it
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh3.jpg
Picture of partially bedded trap
Now using the sifter, sift dirt over the trap until the sifted dirt is up level with the surrounding ground
outside of the trap bed. Use the trowel to gently scrape the loose dirt from the trap pan. This will
cause the lowest part of the dirt pattern to be just over the trap pan. Once again, pack the sifted dirt
around the outside and inside the trap jaws. Packing the dirt gives the pattern a smooth look. To
make it look more natural, sift a little more dirt (a half to one inch of dirt) over the trap to cover this
smoothness. This last sifting will cover the trap pan, and the smoothness has disappeared. The
lowest part of the dirt pattern will now be over the trap pan. (Fox and coyote prefer to step on the
lower places.)
Picture of completed set
http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/dh6.jpg
Now apply the lure to the hole. It's best to apply the lure to a lure holder as placing it on the ground
will cause it to lose its odor much faster. Pieces of corn cob, small chunk of weathered wood,
sheeps wool, or anything to keep the lure off the ground in the hole will work. I would recommend
a curiosity type lure, gland lure, food lure and/or a bait. If using the gland or curiosity lure, a squirt
of urine on the backing will enhance the effectiveness of the set. This is the basic dirt hole. There is a
lot more that can be said about the dirt hole and there is a lot that is to be learned about the dirt hole
beyond this basic set.
Animals used for:
Fox - Both red and grey fox are taken regularly in this set. Use a lure such as a gland or curiosity
lure in the hole. Bait can also be used.
Coyotes - This set works on coyotes too. Lure the same as for fox. Because the coyote is a much
larger and stronger animal than the fox, use a double staking method for securing the trap.
Bobcats - This set will take bobcats too, but its a good idea to hang a bird wing where legal or even
lengths of cassette tape from a nearby tree limb. The motion of the wing or tape in the air will get the
attention of the cat. Bobcats have a very keen eyesight, but not so good at smelling compared to
canines. By getting the bobcats attention with the visual attractor, you can get the bobcat to get
within smelling range of your set.