Rusty traps

[model 70]

I know alot, if not all of you guys wax and dye your leg hold traps and some of you paint or dye your coni's but do any of you just clean off the shipping grease and let them rust?

would rust make a trap any less effective?

[Kusko]

I just boil mine in baking soda, skim the floating oil to the side and pull them out. If you put a little vinegar on them, they rust up real quick. They have to be rusty to make the dye stick. I don't dye hardly any of mine as our animals aren't picky.

[justwannano]

It probably depends a lot on where you trap.
Around here critters are used to having rusty metal laying around.
They aren'y shy about it.
As long as thats the only scent on the trap.
Running NEW traps through the dishwasher will remove all scent about as quickly as anything as long as the dish soap isn't scented.
BTW it also works for snare wire.
best of luck
just

[model 70]

Thanks guys. Would a nice build up of rust prevent the trap from firing any quicker than an unrusted one or am I splitting hairs here?

[justwannano]

I really don't know. Considering it won't be a really thick layer of rust it probably won't make much difference.
BTW you should scrape wax off the dog and pan notch because it will cause misfiring. Found that out the hard way. Thumb nail was black for a while:D

[model 70]

I see. I don't wax or dye mine so no worries. What size coni gotcha?