Jc desclos biography

J.C. Desclos, the author of this excellent article, is an accomplished outdoorsman and artist.  He is the founder of the Swamp Talk Forumand his artwork can be seen on his other website J.C. Desclos Outdoors.  This particular article is one of the best I've ever seen on the subject of trap preparation.  Thank you J.C.

for sharing your experience and insights!


This tutorial is to help guide new trappers through the trap preparation process.  All pictures can be enlarged with a click.

When your new traps arrive, the first thing you have to do is remove the factory oil before attempting to apply a dye or wax.

The wax and dye process not only prolongs the life of the trap but helps them to blend into natural surroundings. The wax acts as a lubricant and somewhat of a waterproofing for the trap. A waxed trap will fire faster than an untreated trap and will stay in operation longer in harsh conditions.

There are several methods commonly used for degreasing tra