NDR - Hay Set for Fox

John Fraser

John Fraser

Well-known member
I said I'd post up pics of my hay set for fox if it didn't get covered with snow. Well we did get some snow last night, but this vixen cleared it all away for me so I could show you the remake.

I start with a mound of hay between the two traps. About 6 to 8 inches diameter by 12 to 18 inches long. In the case of a remake I use the old foxy smelling hay for this. If there's extra old, smelly hay I save it for another set. The traps are nested in fresh hay in a slight depression, so they don't wobble. The hay nesting is mainly to help prevent the traps from freezing to the ground. I then lightly cover the traps with more fresh hay. I place any of the stemmy stuff to the sides of the set where I don't want the fox to step. I put a shot of liquid mouse on the top of the "haystack" in the middle and a little fox gland lure on the sides of the "haystack" facing each trap.

Here's the set before covering the traps.



Here it is all done.



Here's the results.


 
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Neat John. I've been out of trapping for quite a number of years but still remember fondly the excitement of constructing a new set and the anticipation of tomorrow.
 
Cool set! Never heard or seen it used back when I was trapping but it's obviously a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
 
That's right Pete. The anticipation is great! Especially when you're setting on fresh sign. To me it seems more so with the water trapping. Often my canine sets take a while before they start producing.

This particular set took 4 nights before it caught a fox. But then I caught another one the very next night. You never know!
 
Happy to share it Carl. Is this much different from the chaff bed set? Sounds like that set you're counting on rodents moving in.
 
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The chaff bed sets I saw in my old trapper manuals were large areas, like 20' in diameter but same concept. Make a place that smelled like mice.
 
I must have that book someplace. I know I read it and wouldn't have gotten rid of it. My first knowledge of trapping techniques came from Fur-Fish-Game Mag back in the '60's. Then The Trapper Mag before it was Trapper and Predator Caller. Lots and lots of good info.
 
I remember marking all the ads in Fur-Fish&Game to see who had the best prices on traps & supplies. Then mailing a money order and a note of what we wanted and waiting patiently for the box to arrive.
Trapper Magazine was even better, more options!
 
Hey that's pretty cool John. Nice winter red! do you bed the traps at all or just set them on the hay and cover 'em up?

I've never tried that set, it is obviously effective. Maybe I'll plan on that one for next season.

Ya gotta love the Hawbaker book. I have a newer edition. What trapper doesn't have that one in his arsenal? FFG too...I blame (or thank) that magazine for my start in trapping.

Nice catch!
Steve
 
Yep, I sold all but a handful of mine a few years back. Got a good price for them.
 
Cool old book Carl! That chaff set does sound quite similar.

A friend gave me some old beaver trapping books. It's great to read them and get some perspective on how things were done back then.
 
Yes Pete the prices for traps have gone up considerably. But if you hold some of those older traps in your hand and compare them to the newer, higher end traps you can see why. The MB's (US made) I use cost more than the foreign Bridgers or Dukes, but there again you can see why. I don't mind spending more as I only buy 6 - 12 traps per year. They're ready to go out of the box and built to last.
 
Thanks Steve. I caught another red in that set today. That's 3 fox in 4 nights!

I just punch or hammer a small depression in the ground so that the trap sits a little lower and doesn't wobble. I make sure that the chain setup is squished down too (this would also apply to setting on snow pack but probably wouldn't be possible on soil that was frozen solid). I then lay a little fresh hay in the depression before "bedding" the trap so that it's less likely to freeze down.

They say that the hay covering the traps causes the fox to high step, so that it's less likely to kick the trap up.
 
I agree on getting quality traps. I have a few dozen old 1 1/2 coil Montgomerys that are built like a tank. I modified them to my liking and were my favorites for quite awhile. Never owned any Bridgers but a a trapping buddy had a few #5 for beaver and really liked them. He also had a couple #4 Newhouse DL with teeth that I guess were #48 that were a joy to use. Then (and I think even now) we could use toothed traps underwater for beaver. Right about the time I got out of trapping the state started allowing snares but I never used them nor know much about their use. Fun times back then.
 
John,

That's neat to see. I have never trapped but always seem to have a friend or two that does. A co-worker got his first Ohio otter last week.

Thanks,

Tom
 
Way to go John! I'll have to give that set a try for sure. And I agree 100% with the brand of traps. I've been switching all mine out for the MB's as well. I refuse to buy Dukes, Bridgers, or any other traps that have the pan stamped "Made in Taiwan" on them. It's bad enough half the clothes we all wear are made overseas. I'll keep my traps made in the US (or Canada, I do love the Belisle bodygrip traps).

Good luck on those yotes!

Steve
 
Thanks Steve.
No catches this morning. I think my luck at this spot may be due to the location. It's in a wet, grassy field adjacent to a wide, brushy stream corridor. I think that stream bottom is a major thoroughfare. I saw mink running around in there last year while trapping beaver. I wanted to try your mink boxes by that creek, but didn't have time to construct any this year.

On the flip side, my hay set at the other location is still without a catch. The deer messed with it and a fox pooped on it but that's it. That location is set up for coyote with MB-650's, so perhaps the fox stepped on the pan but didn't fire the trap. Speaking of MB traps, have you ever used 450's for fox? The 550's are functionning and catching for me, but there has been some foot damage. I'm thinking that maybe the 550's are a good compromise for both fox and coyote, but the 450's may be better in sets that are made primarily for fox.
 
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An otter would be cool Tom! We don't have a season here, but there are some around. There is an otter season in northern NY.

By the way, I put 50 strawberry plants in last spring. That will double the amount I have to pick this June, thinking of getting my youngest son involved with the picking. Perhaps let him sell some quarts with a little self serve stand by the road. The plants filled in nice last summer. I'm anxious to see how they produce.
 
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