How To Make Wax Dirt For Trapping

Brand Wax Clay Now For Wintertime Trapping Success
By Toby Trigger

Posted: June iv, 2017

The time to retrieve about keeping your traps working this winter is in June, July and August.  Why?  Because that is when the lord's day is hot enough to melt flake wax into sifted sand.

A clean, odorless tarp laid out on the ground in direct sunlight will serve well as the drying platform for the dirt.  I prefer a dry and sunny day in July or August that is 85 degrees or hotter.  As the dirt is shoveled from the trailer it is sifted onto the tarp to become unwanted foliage litter, stones and whatever else might be in at that place out.

Whatever sifter usually used on your trapline will work, but when dealing with several hundred pounds of dirt, a bigger sifter will become the job washed more than efficiently.  I built a ii-man sifter with handles to get the chore washed fast.  The sifter area is 18"x42" with the overall length of about six feet.  This dimension allows for sifting about four-half dozen gallons of clay in less than a minute with 2 people.  1/8" wire mesh works best, but doubling up ¼"wire mesh works most but as effectively.

To use the sifter correctly, I lay the sifter on the ground next to the tarp and shovel two or iii healthy shovels total onto the sifter.  With a person on each cease, the sifter is held over the clean tarp and shaken back and forth until pebbles and leafage litter are all that remain in the sifter.  By sifting methodically over the unabridged tarp we are left with almost one – ii inches of fine sandy soil evenly covering the tarp.   A 10' x 12' can agree over 25 gallons of dirt at 2 " thick.

Once the tarp is covered with dirt, the sunday will have already begun drying it out.  By raking the dirt every 20 -30 minutes the dirt volition dry out in a couple hours on a hot solar day.  Having the clay completely dry is of import before adding the scrap wax.  You tin tell its dry when all the dirt is a light uniform color and in that location is none sticking to the tarp.  Be sure to rake information technology up thoroughly.  Using the back of a garden rake volition work practiced without ripping the tarp.

Flake wax can exist purchased in 5 pound bags or in bulk from a number of trapping supply stores and is very affordable.  I know trappers who have used paraffin wax but I adopt to use pure, odorless wax made specially for waxed dirt.  It is important to keep your flake wax out of the sun and store it in a absurd location until the minute y'all are set to add information technology to the dirt because if the flake wax gets likewise warm it will get a block of un-useable wax.

                Adding the right amount of wax is important.  If as well much is used, the waxed clay will harden similar a brick and becomes unusable.  Apply too little and the desired wet repelling characteristics volition not be realized.  The formula is fairly uncomplicated; with 1-2 inches of dry sifted dirt, attain into the pocketbook of flake wax and spread the flakes over the dirt until every square inch of dirt is lightly coated.  I end upward using most 45 pounds of scrap wax per 200 pounds of dirt or roughly a 4:1 ratio.  As the sun melts the wax, rake it into the dirt.  Continue raking and mixing until all the dirt appears dark and moist.  It is important to mix the dirt thoroughly by pulling the dirt from the bottom up and over the top until at that place is no dry looking clay remaining on the tarp.

                Take care to keep the depth of the clay at about 1-two inches and spread evenly across the tarp.  This will let the sun to oestrus the clay and wax evenly and volition prevent clumping.  After a couple hours the dirt will exist ready to cool.  If possible, pull the tarp into the shade and let the dirt cool slowly.  Otherwise, you'll take to wait until evening when the sun goes downwards.  By slowly cooling the dirt, it volition not dodder.  Some pocket-size clumps will form no matter how slowly it is cooled.  These should intermission apart easily and be mixed in with the residue of the dirt.

Storing waxed dirt is adequately simple.  I employ make clean plastic tubs or 5 gallon buckets with lids and place them in the shade gratuitous from whatsoever odors.   In winter, I keep about 15 gallons in the bed of my truck and carry ane gallon containers with lids in my pack basket.

Bedding traps in this waxed dirt takes about a half gallon per coyote set and one gallon per wolf prepare to be most effective. When trapping flavour comes bed your traps in this waxed dirt/sand and go on your sets working all winter long.

Source: https://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2017/06/make-wax-dirt-now-winter-trapping-success/

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