Whats the proper way to rust traps for the season. Anyone had any luck with the petroleum product for using on traps? What about odor?

we boil ours in water with walnuts still in the hull

I have used the speed black for years I also used the boil in walnut meathode years ago. I now just powerwash them a week after season and then paint with tan or brown with rust-olium spraypaint and wax before and during season for predators and just paint/no wax for coons,beaver or mink.

I first take a wire brush and go over them to get rust,dirt,and stuff off of them.Next,i boil them in bakin soda,and while still hot i put em in black, or brown trap die,then while still hot i dip them is trap wax,put them out to dry away from all odors.Oh yea, i almost forgot,put a small nail in the trap jaws before doing all of this.The nail helps greatly to make sure that you get all the die and wax all over,including the inside of the jaws.pan.

2 cups salt in a bucket of water soak the trap a few minutes and place wet in a plastic bag for 3 days then repeat the process...paint them brown or black after you get a good coat of rust..then into a boiling bucket of water with a # of canning wax tossed in..dip them and hang them outside for a week or so prior to setting.

I am assuming that you have new traps that you need to get that manufacturing oils off of. For this either take them to the car wash and wash them with the engine/tire cleaning cycle and rinse, or boil them in a water degreasing solution (simple green works good).
After the oil is off of them spray them down with vinegar and leave them hang outside 4 or 5 days, rinse them off with fresh water and you are ready to dye with either log wood, sumac, walnut hulls, what ever else you'd like.
If you are going to dye them it is necessary to dip them in wax. You can buy wax from any trapping supply house. The wax protects the trap from evil rust not the dye.
Petroleum based dips are great. Spray paint works well too but doesnt wear as well as dip. Do not rust traps if you are going to dip or paint them. It kinda defeats the purpose. One thing that works real good for the dips is to use Coleman lantern fuel instead of gasoline. The dip will dry much faster and will not get tacky as some do with gasoline.
As far as odors go, you wont fool a coyote or a fox that you were not at the set. The dips, dye, or wax will really not get them too concerned. What will make them dig up a trap is if the trap is contaminated with bait or lure, and they'll dig it up almost every time.
By the way I do not advise waxing body gripping traps, unless of course you like pain and are adept at driving to your buddy's house with both hands in them.

quote:

A battery of field artillery is worth a thousand muskrats..William Tecumseh Sherman

...is what I read the first time I looked at that....

Great tips!

Can I ask a dumb question? Why do you paint after they are rusty?

And has anyone ever had any luck using a animal fat on the traps?

I do it different.

I set the traps in 5 gallon buckets with oak leaves and enough water to cover them. I let them soak for a week or so. This dyes them, and I bring them out and let them air dry for a good coat of fine rust to form, then wire brush and or steel wool to knock down the bad spots/pitting rust. After this, the traps are pretty well rust browned, and I just keep them in a dry spot in the barn until I need to set them.

I've only heard of one other person doing them this way, but if you get a really fine coat of rust brown on them, they don't seem to deteriorate, and stay in good working order, or have for me for the last 5-6yrs.

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
Great tips!

Can I ask a dumb question? Why do you paint after they are rusty?

And has anyone ever had any luck using a animal fat on the traps?

Dont rust new traps if you are going to paint them. Degrease new traps to rid of the manufacturing oils so the paint will stick. The only reason one would rust a trap is to dye them.
Absolutely DO NOT use animal fat on traps unless you want your traps dug up every time with now critter in the trap. You want your bait/lure to be the focal point for your intended target. If you were to put animal fat on the trap that will be the focal point and the animal will dig up the trap and all you'll get is pissed off.

On lighter colored animals especially stoats and arctic fox, how do you keep the rust from staining the fur?

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
On lighter colored animals especially stoats and arctic fox, how do you keep the rust from staining the fur?

D99, I would not worry at all about rust staining fur. This is assuming that you would be using foot traps to catch your stoats and fox. For one, fur buyers dont purchase furs for the feet. And two for what little rust that will be on your trap that you've prepared correctly will be negligable.

If you are still worried about rusty traps staining fur that would decrease the price of the fur, I would suggest that you contact your fur buyer to see if they share your concern. My bet is they won't.

I would not wax traps by putting the was in boiling water. If you do that you are going to end up with a poor wax job.

Invest in some good trap wax. 10 pounds or so. Yes, expensive at first, but it will last you a long time, and you can keep replentishing what you use.

Melt it slowly in a metal bucket. When you dip your traps in, do them one at a time, and leave them in the wax for 20-30 seconds. Then lift them out and shake off the excess and hang up to dry.

You really need to wax your traps if you are going to do any cold weather trapping and you are going to use salt to keep your traps from freezing.