I got some nice light dirt out of a rotten log and was planning on using it to cover my traps with. Would the animals know the difference if the regular dirt was red clay and then this other dirt covering the trap was a different kind of dirt?

Plinker

I use ant hill dirt that I collect now and keep in a five gallon plastic bucket. But most of the soil where I trap is the same color. I have done dirt hole sets where the dirt over the trap is a darker subsoil from the trap bed and it didn't seem to matter, but it might depend on how hard the animals are trapped in your area.
Bfly

Yes, ant hill dirt is what I use also, it has some small bits of grass and seeds in it, It is always dry and the critters don't seem to mind it.

Can't find too many anthills in the winter. There's plenty in the summer but i wsan't thinking ahead like that. In the winter, the turkeys must take dustbaths in them and scratch them all out to eat the ants and then they get covered with leaves. I'll have to go with the rotten tree dirt. So far it's gotten packed under the pan pretty good so i missed several catches but red clay would have been even worse. Now i'm puttin a big soggy leaf over the pan so the dirt can't get under the pan.

Plinker

You can do one of two things, first a piece of wax paper cut to cover the trap will keep that stuff from jamming under the pan the other is a large plastic bag that the trap will fit in, again nothing can get under the pan

Thanks for the good idea. I'm guessing you mean use a big zip lock bag. Probably quart size would be big enough.

PLINKER

Not a zip lock, there some cheap light duty bags that use the "twistys" I have had good luck with them I keep them withmy cover dirt so they take on that smell, the waxed paper works good too. The bags are better with snow trapping

Hi men
A couple of things that work real well.For dirt collect the dirt and duff from under cedar trees [don't dig too deep],screen it into 5 gal pails to get rid of the big stuff. You will find that it is real light and wont pack even when wet because of the real small cedar stuff . Also provides a little cover scent.Store it in a dry place where it wont pick up forign oders . Just pop a lid on one and throw it in the truck or in the old pack basket Leave the lid off of all your buckets so it will dry out real good,It won't wiegh much. For pan covers use a sheet of non sented toilet tissue. Works great. Cought lots of gray fox ,coon and coyotes with these materials in the 1980's when fur prices were great.Good luck
Wayles

I cut up garbage bags for pan covers.

Seems like i still end up using leaves to cover the traps because i get all that stuff ready and then forget it, or it's in a different pocket or it gets against the bait and gets contaminated. good ideas, all, though.

Plinker

Keep all the stuff in a plastic pail or two. I always have everything I need that way

I don't like a cover when dirt trapping. Instead I use fiberglass insulation. small piece under the pan to keep the dirt from going under there works very well.