Trap Covers

Trap Covers

I was sick. Looking at the set in front of me, I could see a wolf had stepped on the pan. Unseasonably warm weather had melted the snow under the trap and then refroze, rendering it useless. It wouldn’t have been so bad if this was an isolated occurrence. It wasn’t. A pack of wolves had followed my trail for 10 miles and visited every set. Seven of the best wolf traps money can buy failed to produce.The wax paper trap covers were not working in the freeze/thaw conditions. I needed to do something different.

It’s been 15 years since that pack of wolves got a free pass through my trapline. I learned a lot that day, which changed how I set leghold traps. Wolf trapping is a lot of hard work. They are also one of the smartest, if not the smartest, furbearers on the planet. The longer you can leave sets undisturbed, the better your chances of success.

When a leghold fails, it is because it either froze down or snow, dirt, or other debris is under the pan. Traps are prone to freeze down whenever there is a significant temperature fluctuation. The traps themselves draw heat from the sun. When the trap warms, two things happen. Condensation will build up, and the warm trap will melt into the surface it sits on, even dirt. Once it cools off, this whole mess freezes up again. It can cause even the best traps to fail if it is severe enough. Of course, the longer traps sit, the greater the chances they will freeze down.

Dirt trappers use a trap antifreeze like glycol or flake wax to keep their sets operational. While I don’t have any experience with these types of antifreeze, they would not work in snow, and I am sure wolves would pick up on them. Waxing leghold traps is always a good idea, but it is necessary for northern climates. Waxed traps are faster and will withstand freeze-thaw conditions much better.

An inadequate trap cover usually causes snow to build up under the pan. Here in the far north, small pan covers don’t cut it. The entire trap needs protection from the elements. Through much trial and error, I developed a system that keeps my traps working in the worst conditions I will likely encounter.

The Best Wolf Traps

One of the most important lessons I have learned is to use good traps. For wolves, this means the big #9s. The Koro and the Alaskan are the best wolf traps ever designed. If you’re serious about wolves, you can’t go wrong with either trap.

There are a lot of good lynx traps on the market these days, but the Victor #3 Softcatch with four coil springs has proven to be an excellent trap that works in harsh conditions. I prefer this trap for a few reasons. As its name implies, Victor #3 Softcatch is a gentle trap. Foot damage is never a problem with this trap, and it has real power. Some trappers use them for wolves and wolverines. Victor also makes a #3 Softcatch with only two coil springs, so you must be careful when ordering.

Dyeing Traps White for Winter Sets

Dyeing leg holds white makes a huge difference in snowy conditions. White traps blend in better and don’t draw heat from the sun as a dark trap will, which is a real advantage in open areas that get lots of sunlight. I have seen dark-colored traps draw enough heat to melt the snow covering them in one warm afternoon. Since I am always in the snow, I dye or paint all my leghold white.

Years ago, an old trapper showed me how to use plastic bags for weatherproof trap covers. He would slide a set trap inside a scent-free disposable garbage bag and make his set. This method protects the trap well, especially in freeze-thaw conditions, but the plastic is not stiff enough to bridge the trap. When you cover the set, the snow will push the plastic down, filling the cavity inside the trap. It works well in moderate conditions but can cause problems when the snowpack builds up.

Foam Trap Covers are Cheap and Easy To Make

I make trap covers from thin foam underlay that goes under click flooring. It’s cheap, and most hardware/home supply centers carry it. I got the idea one fall while we were doing some renovations on one of our cabins. We installed some click flooring, and while working with the underlay, I wondered how it would work as a trap cover. I saved some and tried it the following winter.

I liked it immediately. The white foam covers helped camouflage my traps, and I found it bridged better than anything I had used in the past. Since the foam bridges the trap so well, I can effectively hide a trap with little snow cover. The foam is an excellent insulator too. A trap bedded on foam will rarely freeze down. Using it the first winter, I caught wolves in traps set as long as eight weeks previously. That is a testament to the big #9 traps and the foam covers.

Making the covers is simple. Just lay a piece of the foam on the floor and use a trap for a template. I cut the foam trap covers larger than the jaw spread of the trap. Once you have a template, you can quickly make as many covers as you need.

Wolves, wolverines, and lynx are considered by many to be the holy grail of all North American furbearers to catch. Even though I get to chase all three species every season, I don’t take it for granted. Experience has taught me that you might only get one chance at a particular animal all season, so you must make it count. Using good traps and weatherproofing them well has helped me put a lot of fur on the stretchers. Even then, just when you think you have it figured out, it will throw you a curve ball. Still, I sleep easier at night, knowing my traps are as weatherproofed as I can make them. If those wolves come down the trail again, I’m ready for them!