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I have been having trouble with wolves digging up my traps, but not setting the trap off. Anyone else had this happen or have an idea as to what might be causing this? Maybe its not wolves maybe another critter.

Doesn't matter if it is fox, coyotes or wolves. Your traps are contaminated with a foreign smell. Or they are not bedded properly if you push on any corner of the trap it should not move at all.

Rico is right they can smell your traps. I like to store my traps in a 5 gallon plastic bad with some sage brush cuts,dry dusty dirt, and then put some rabbit or rodent scent in the bag also. A old state trapper taught me this and it helped me a bunch on Fox, Bob's, and coyote would assume it would help with wolf. Also I like my pans pretty loose and like Rico said make sure the trap is solid before covering, and last when you drape your sediment barrier over the trap make sure there is no rocks and dirt under the pan keeping it from falling. I only bury mine about a inch or two down so the first dig, or step on the trap will set it off and catch. This was all taught to me by this old state trapper, he called it hair trigger trapping. It's worked great for me, hope it helps you. Good luck!

Cameron

What does the sign tell you, is it wolves digging or something else? Rodents and birds will dig around fresh dirt. Read what is there. If your traps are dirty as said that will cause digging.Dewey

You don't want a hair trigger on your wolf traps. They are very time consuming to maintain and you don't want any traps plugged up with off game (fox, bobcats, coyotes). Higher pan tension also equals deeper foot catches and you defiantly want this on a big powerful wolf.

Lapierre, if your using clean gloves to set your traps and storing them in a clean container my guess is that it is a bedding problem.

Rico wrote:You don't want a hair trigger on your wolf traps. They are very time consuming to maintain and you don't want any traps plugged up with off game (coyotes, bobcats, coyotes). Higher pan tension also equals deeper foot catches and you defiantly want this on a big powerful wolf.

Lapierre, if your using clean gloves to set your traps and storing them in a clean container my guess is that it is a bedding problem.

Learn something new every day, we have wolves in Utah already just working on a management plan so I'll have to remember this when I start trapping wolves.
Thanks

Cameron

A guy once told me he was brought in to trap a problem wolf. All of the local trappers had failed at catching him. All of the Gov trappers had failed at trapping him. This man is sort of a legend and was called in. He went in and set the best sets he had in his bag of tricks. Lo and behold when he checked his traps the wolf had dug his traps up also Said you could see the tracks leading up to the trap and then from about 10 ft away the wolf would belly crawl to the trap and proceed to uproot it. LOL... he had been punk'd just like everyone else. Except he brainstormed a bit and decided to take an old defunct trap and set it in a standard setup, but he took the loose jaw and exposed it just a touch. Then he took a good trap and set it very meticulously in front of the broken and slightly exposed trap. Bedded and sifted the good trap to perfection. That is how he caught the wolf that nobody else could catch.

I would pay attention with what RockyMountainKangal is saying........I have one digging me now, thought it was pan cover (wax paper) -switched to coffee filter, no help. This wolf Also digs empty (fake) trap beds, so trap cleanliness not the issue. Thought it might be tuned in to purchased urine, but eliminated that as a possibility. I'll be working on this awhile longer. And, it doesn't take an old wise wolf to punk you- just one that's been pinched or caught and collared. I would pay attention to your sets themselves- if you have a recognizable set this wolf may have a "search image" of what your sets look like and go on high alert when he sees one. The best set for that kind of wolf is to follow and set up natural pee posts he's used, and don't add any urine or lure- set it up and wait. In my area, snares and wet sets work on animals that knew all about land sets.

I would pay attention with what RockyMountainKangal is saying........I have one digging me now, thought it was pan cover (wax paper) -switched to coffee filter, no help. This wolf Also digs empty (fake) trap beds, so trap cleanliness not the issue. Thought it might be tuned in to purchased urine, but eliminated that as a possibility. I'll be working on this awhile longer. And, it doesn't take an old wise wolf to punk you- just one that's been pinched or caught and collared. I would pay attention to your sets themselves- if you have a recognizable set this wolf may have a "search image" of what your sets look like and go on high alert when he sees one. The best set for that kind of wolf is to follow and set up natural pee posts he's used, and don't add any urine or lure- set it up and wait. In my area, snares and wet sets work on animals that knew all about land sets.

Some very good trappers have told me, any critter that is digging traps can be caught. When you encounter a critter that you can see by his tracks is making wide turns around each trap on your trap line, then you have a real challenge. Good luck Al

I don't know if you use a knee tarp or something you sift your dirt on, before bedding your trap with it. But if used, it should be changed periodically. Do you put anything in the water when you Boil the Traps ? If possible I wouldn't use any scent sets, If you have trees in that area? find a down tree and "Log Set" him. Or find where he's jumping a creek or ditch and "Blind Set". How often does it travel through the area ? Good Luck, I hope you catch that S.O.B. soon !!!