At what point do you give up trapping fox or coyote in the snow? I live up on the Tughill region of NY and we get 200" of snow easy over the course of winter. Right now the snow is about a foot deep, with more falling as I type. What types of sets do you use in deeper snow? Thanks!

Andy

Snares.

Unless you can find a windblown or protected area foothold trap maintenane gets to be a real chore once winter sets in. Your trap is not in operation as often as it should be.

Thanks for the input! Unfortunately we are not allowed to use snares in NY. Sounds like I'll have to either find an area that doesn't have deep snow, or call it a season until next year.

Thanks again!

Andy

Depending on your time constraints, you could run less traps and deal with resetting to keep up with snowfalls. I don't know what your snowfalls are like, but where I live it often snows lots for a couple days and then may not snow again for a week or more. Its all up to you, but the snow doesn't have to stop you from trapping if you are willing to change your techniques.

RO

Canines will take a easy path.
Try making some human trails, Walk a route you think they'd use, then make your set right in your own path behind you.
This can be easy with plasic sandwich bags or wax paper.
You still need to check often, cause the sun can expose your trap. Works good on fox, I haven had it work on coyotes yet, but it should.

RiverOtter and Archer are right.I too run less traps and mantain them properly.Fox will run in 4 wheel drive tracks or even your own tracks in deep snow like Archer said.I have been experimenting with buckwheat hulls as a trap covering in the snow.Read Hal's Canine 2000 or Russ Carman's book winter fox trapping for some ideas.

Thanks for the tips guys! I have been driving my pick-up through the snow to get to my traps, so I could give that a try. I have Russ' winter fox trapping book, but the photos show only about 6-8 inches of snow. Where I live the snow will easily get waist deep, which will make for tough driving let alone walking through. I don't have a wheeler or a sled, but the wheeler is on my wish list. Guess I'd better break out the snow shoes! lol!! Thanks again for the help! I'll keep you posted!

Andy

also try snowshoeing thru areas that they hunt and find a narow area and put in some blind sets in the snow shoe trail. Or put in a bait station if legal and snowshoe a wagon wheel of trail radiating from the bait and set the trails.Use dry snow as a cover and wx paper below the trap and over the trap.

I know its not really trapping related but once the snow starts adding up and shuts down my sets I switch to calling, most animals will be hungry by then and an easy sounding meal might just be the ticket to keep the fur coming while still enjoying the great outdoors

I have one idea you may want to try. I use a quad and sled on my line, but your truck could be used the same way. Along my trail, if I see a good backing for a flat set, like a rotten stump for example, I will run my quad off the trail and leave a track about 6-10" away from the backing. I continue past the backing and then park and walk back in the track and make my set. The advantage to this is my trap is off the main trail and the critter has an easy walk to the lure still. When I backtrack, I stay on the main trail and all thats left is a little arc to the side. Anyone else coming along, will almost always take the straight through trail and my trap will remain intact. After a snowfall, I will lift my trap, drive past the backing and reset my trap.

RO