13 Mistakes to Avoid When Trapping Fox (Beginners Guide)

Are you setting your taps on sign?

When I first started trapping I went up in the foothills of the mountains and started putting out traps. I didn’t have much knowledge of where to set traps and it showed. I mostly caught raccoons.

Searching for fox scat and tracks can be hard but it will help you increase your odds of a catch. Fresh scat is probably one of the best ways to tell that you are in the correct location because they will probably pass by there again.

Are you putting out enough traps?

Traps are commonly sold by the dozen or in a pack of six. At a minimum, I would start by getting and setting six traps.

Trapping is a game of numbers the more fox traps you set out the more likely you are to catch a fox especially if you put each trap where there is a high possibility of success.

You can check out our article on the MB 450. I took a survey and the MB 450 was voted the best fox trap by trappers.

Are you spreading your traps out?

When I first started trapping I put all my traps on the same hill within 100 yards of each other. After the low success, I learned that spreading your traps out to several different locations will allow you to trap different groups of fox.

This will hopefully not be trapping the same couple of fox with all your traps and allow more fox to pass by each trap.

Do you have enough patients?

When we went fishing when I was a kid my mom would ask us if we brought our patients, especially when we would only keep our line in the water very long.

Trapping fox isn’t any different. Patients is key to your success, a lot of times fox will not come past your trap every day so it may be days or weeks before you connect and catch a fox.

The longer you have your traps out the more you will learn and the more likely you will trap a fox.

Have you been using wax dirt?

Wax dirt is used in bad weather to keep your traps working longer. Fox trapping is often done is bad weather. Freezing and wet conditions can cause your trap to freeze to the ground and when a fox visits the trap will not go off.

Another issue is if it rains and then the sun bakes a crust of dirt over your trap from the mud. This will also cause your trap to not fire. Be aware of this and reset your trap when you run into these issues.

If you need to know how to make wax dirt so your trap set repels water you can read my article on making wax dirt.

Are you making the set to elaborate?

Fox don’t care for super elaborate sets and it can cause them to shy away from your set. One of the least elaborate sets is a flat set for fox and it is designed to attract them with smells and not scent.

Another set that is natural-looking but that you can get carried away on if you make it too big is a dirt hole set for fox. Fox are attracted to dirt hole sets but you don’t want the set to look like a tornado hit.

All sets need to look like another animal could have been there and most animals don’t do a lot of digging. Also trying too hard to force them to step where you want them to may cause them to shy away.

Think for and study it out yourself (use your brain)

If you are in the outdoors and you start observing where you are seeing fox, or fox sign, then you will know when you are setting your sets in the right area.

As you start seeing tracks at your sets, study why you think you missed that fox. Did he step over the trap? Did he dig it up on the backside? What are some ideas you have to solve the problem?

Trapping is a game, learn and observe your surroundings. You may be able to learn things about your area that can’t be explained in an article online.

Do you use too much bait at your sets?

Using too much bait can lower their curiosity and can be like yelling at them from the set. Fox have amazing noses and can smell you set from a ways away.

If you can smell the set when standing downwind of the set then you may have used too much bait. Bait can be expensive. Using about a tablespoon in most cases is enough.

Are you bedding your trap so it won’t move?

One of the biggest issues I had when first started trapping is for several days in a row my trap was dug up and flipped over. The trap must have been wobbling in the trap bed.

If a fox steps on the side of the trap and not on the pan or trigger of the trap and the trap moves, it will become curious and dig it up.

This is why bedding your trap carefully is super important when trapping and if you don’t bed your trap correctly it will significantly lower your catches.

Are you using a good trap pan tension?

To help you be selective when trapping fox you may want to put increase your pan tension. Pan tension is the measure of the amount of weight it takes to fire off your trap.

Increasing your pan tension to about two to three pounds for fox will exclude smaller animals and allow you to get a deeper catch on the fox.

This is because the fox will have to step a little harder and put a little more weight on the pan to get the trap to fire. Too much pan tension can make it so a fox won’t set off the trap so be careful when adjusting the pan tension.

You can learn more about setting the pan tension with a pan tension tester in my article I wrote about it on this site.

Are you using the wind direction in your favor?

The wind direction can cause you to make a big mistake at your fox sets. Fox can smell very well but if the wind is blowing the scents away from the common path of travel of the fox they won’t smell it.

The simple fix for this mistake is to pay attention to the wind direction and figure out what it is throughout the day and if it changes, you may need to put sets on both side of the path of travel to get them to smell one of the sets depending when they pass.

Do you use urine at your fox sets?

One of the best ways to help a fox feel comfortable is to put fox urine on the set. If a fox thinks another fox has been there then it may be more willing to investigate the trap.

Urine is also a natural attractant and the fox will want to come mark on top of where another fox or coyote has urinated. You may catch them when they come to remark their teritory.

Do you have the right equipment for trapping?

When you are trapping, having the right equipment is vital to your success. Here are some suggestions that may help out when picking fox trapping equipment.

• MB 450 Traps
• Best Coyote Traps
• Pack Basket
• Trapping Bag
• Buckets
• Trapping Hammer
• Trapping Sheds
• Trapping Cabins
• More Trapping Equipment