Dye & Waxing Traps

[Coyote23]

I am going to Wax and Dye my traps this year. I have some questions about it though. What kind of wax and dye do you guys prefer? And can you use the same wax and dye on foot holds as you do on conibears?

[4fur]

Don't wax the bodygrips. And treat your bodygrips in clean dye before the footholds if any were ever waxed. I like dipping bodygrips in F1 or painting them but still use a piece of black electrical tape on the dog and where the dog engages the trigger on the bodygrip jaw to keep them from dry firing. I prefer the liquid trap dye (Pete's) and just the white trapper's wax sold by any supplier.

Most trapping method books have a chapter on trap preparation which will give you more detailed do's and don't's.

Nothing looks nicer than a dyed and waxed trap IMO! But waxing is a lot of work though.

[jlanduyt]

I dyed my traps like everyone does but I use a product called Full Metal Jacket", roughly $25/gal which will treat 5 doz traps. I use it because wax holds scent...think of a candle, the wax hold the "fu fu" smell. So would the wax on your traps. Just my 2 cents.

[Austin K]

I learned the hard way about waxing bodygrips

[4fur]

Pretty sure you can't use FMJ on water traps according to the directions.

[jlanduyt]

Yes you can, you don't even have to dye them just clean off the oil. Works on snares too. I'm kinda old school so I'll dye all my foot holds and paint my bodygrips then FMJ them all.

[Griz]

I guess I am really old school. I still dye my canine foothold traps with walnut hulls and wax them with canning wax that you can get at any store that carries canning supplies. I paint my body grips and footholds that will be used underwater.