Very good idea.

Here thinking, more or less trouble shooting, thinking about the good and bad.

Dad planted bamboo around on our places, back, 30 some years ago. Once it gets a toe hold, it's hell to get rid of. The patch on the King's place is probably 1/2 acre now. Nothing around here eats it, it's not worth a darn!

Thinking, the dead stalks, that are dry and brown, about the same color of cardboard would probably be best for bait/lure sticks. They wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb to people. You could bait/lure them at home, saving time on the trapline, seal them up in a bucket with a lid, and the whole works would absorb scent. Grab one, make the set and go.

In hard ground, you could use a stake and make a "pilot hole", for the bamboo.

Also thinking, stuff a little ball of sheep wool or a cotton ball in the top, lure it up, and move on.

But let me ask, what would be the ideal height to have the top of the stick, above ground? I've only seen M-44's once, what do you figure? 2 inches, 4 inches? 6 inches?

Government trappers kept records of all of this stuff, someone should know.

From what I've read, the m44's were 11/4" above ground. This seems logical because for the 44's to work they needed to be pulled straight up. Imo, this is't the case with the "grab-n-die's, grubstakes, and the pipes because we're looking at them as scent holders so we're more concerned about where they're feet are then they're mouth. Again, from my readings it appears 2"-3" above ground. I've read where Zagger used longer pipes to get the scent above deeper snow and built up snow and grasses around the taller pipes but still it sounds like he only had a couple inches of the pipes visable. I've also watched a couple of videos that showed coyote catches where the pipe was at least 6" above the ground.

As I explained previously, my testing of the pipes produced very poor results and I believe the pipes were not tucked into a backing(out away maybe 2"-3" and with 4"+ sticking up looked like a sore thumb.

Also, in this age of Utube videos I'm suprised there aren't more of them about these lure holders.

what diameter of bamboo would be best or does it matter. I know where a large patch is, where i trap.

Diameter doesn’t really matter much. Zagger uses 1” pipe, but only because that’s what size his bait knife fits in. I would recommend doing the same. Whatever size your bait knife fits in is good.

How far your pipe sticks out of the ground is relative to how big of a grass tuft you are using. You do not want to see the pipe anywhere unless you are standing right in front of it, and then you just want it to look like a hole in a grass tuft. The pipe is in no way whatsoever the visual attractor, the grass tuft is. He also said when he transplants a grass tuft, often it will be laying right outside the catch circle. I’m willing to bet that the pictures and videos that you see with the pipe sticking way out of the ground, at one time the pipe was hidden in a tuft of grass before it was destroyed by the coyote rolling around.

One tip I will give you that I use is to go out to places on your line with a weed eater and cut a patch about 12-15ft in diameter flat and leave about a 12” tuft of grass standing in the middle. That is where you want to pound your pipe.

That is a great tip. Thanks for sharing

Great detailed explanation Dfabs! Thanks!

I forgot all about having this until I was posting some pictures on Don’s site from Minktoberfest last year. Here is what a Pipe Dream set looks like when Mark makes it. Notice the pipe is tucked all the way inside that tuft of grass.

Thanks for posting the photo Dfabs.

Dfabs that is the best explanation of the set I have seen, thanks. I’ve got a NAFA bag full of grass clippings dried for this set this year. Also going to have some fine chopped dried leaves for sets in the woods. I, like probably a lot of guys, went by the original article pictures and left the pipe exposed with no luck. I have a lot of seldom used roads with a solid running grass tuft between the tires tracks and this will be my location.