The only purpose in dying a trap is to darken it so it is harder to see. I never found the need to dye traps "why if you are going to bury it" and Racoons won't care if it is in water. But if you want to dye them, then boil it first! you want a layer of rust when you dye it so that it will pull into the metal, then what I would do is dip them in wax This is what helps protect them from rusting and if you are going to be using anti-freeze defiantly dip them. Also dipping will speed up the trap, but be careful when setting them as the pan and dog will be slicker causing the trap to fire when setting it until the wax has worked of the 2 pieces. ALSO Never wax a conibear trap. Honestly I never seen the need in dying but defiantly waxed every year.

A good and inexpensive dye is Black Walnut hulls found in the fall of the year.