I got a knew cage trap and i heard you have to wash it and do a lot of stuff to it if true can you tell me what to do? Thanks
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Only thing you have to do is hose it down.Some people paint there cage traps,But not really needed.
Here's what you can do with your live trap.
First, you wash the trap all over with vinegar or another acid. This removes most of the galvanizing. Then you can paint "speed dip" (water based) on it. This turns it a murky grayish color and is supposed to help catch things.
Attach a trap tag to it according to your regs.
Then, set it in the yard a few days. Or, after it is dry, you can put some cat food in it and catch your cat a couple times, it's funny. Eventually, it needs to get to the yard for a good weeklong "de-scenting".
Once it is de-scented, wear globves, and take it to the place you want to set it. Bait it, making sure to cover the cage floor with leaves or other substrate as this calms the prey you are after, and then walk away.
Check daily. Drown your catch.
Squirrels in live traps will rub their noses raw and become useless for taxidermy (except butt mounts) so please do not try to catch squirrels for specimen use. They are prefectly good for their tails, eating, etc. but not for LS or capes.
You won't likely catch a fox or coyote. You are likely to catch a nice raccoon or skunk. Don't throw away the skunk fat or essence (stink) -- both are valueable, skunk fat makes a great "lure base" and skunk essence is one of the best lures you can get!
If you catch a feral cat, spay/neuter and re-release.
Live traps are a lot of fun.
The object of etching the new trap cage with mild acid is to dull it. Nothing short of a body grinder or torch will remove the galvanize, and a good thing that is, else your trap would rust. You can stain the trap with Potassium Permanganate, dull it with bold gun blue or just use vineagar or salt, or one of those 10% HCL toilet cleaners.
It helps to rub down the trap with a small tee shirt rag wrapped tightly around a wad of tuna fish from a can, or a fish filet, too.....especially if coons are your prey.
Spay and release a feral cat? Son, those feral cats are not screwing our native wildlife, they are eating it.
You can add gray fox to your list as they are pretty bold at entering live traps.
DaveT