With a properly adjusted trap pan i never use anything .except for real sandy soil which is another circumstance then I use cupcake pan liners to keep sand from settleing under the pan.

Nothing under it-wax paper over it.

I use a cap, and pack the dirt down tight around the pan, nothing under it and a light sift of dirt over it.

My gosh, I have used eveything under the sun- wax paper, brown paper bags, plastic bags, trappers cap, sponge, moss, leaves etc. I still do not know what I prefer, honestly. After more than 15 years, I still battle what to use each season. This is, quite honestly, my biggest mental battle each season. I have found pros and cons to just about all of them.

I'm not real consistant with this. I have some of my traps night latched. But now there are caps made for several different traps and I have four different caps that I use for Dukes and for Bridgers, and , sometimes I'll use wax paper for a pan cover.( I know, I know, some of you guys are shaking your heads, too much stuff right? )

Never tried putting anything under the pan except for dry grass wadded up and the only reason I tried that was because it was when I was just starting out canine trapping and A buddy of mine used that method without problems and suggested it. I didn't fair so well. I had too many sets that had a nice paw print right on the center of the trap bed and a partially depressed trap pan. I'll never put anything under the pan again.

If your trap pan was partialy depressed then it wasn't what was under the trap pan that failed you but the distance the pan had to travel before it went off.
If you have the right conditions and you have a very short pan travel you don't need anything under the pan or anything over the pan.But then we never have those perfect conditions do we.

In the early season when I don't have to deal with freezing and thawing conditions I use nothing under the pan and nothing over the pan.

When things get a bit tougher.
I like screen on my traps with a large jaw spread It dosen't work as well on a small jaw spread trap.
On small jaw spread type traps I like coffee filter material.

In sandy type ground I like to pack In dry dirt, since sand has a way of working It's way under your pan.I then just sift a light coat of the natural ground over the trap bed.
polyfill works pretty good If you feel you need something under the pan just make sure you have a drain hole In the bottom of your trap bed. this will help In draining away small amounts of moisture that may build up under your trap.

Try and go natural untill conditions dictate changes to something over the pan or under.

Beav

Your probably right Gary. At the time when I was just breaking into the canine trapping scene, I was greener than green. Didn't know nothin about nothin.

Dated for Search