i have benn TRYING to trap these buggers for some time know at first very unsuccessfully with no clue where to start. then i had a good idea how to go about it and still very unsuccessful. now i think im doing 80% of it right with my location distance between traps using the right equipment even using a screen over the trap using both collected dry dirt and localized dirt. this is where i am stuck how ever. i have tried to find sage brush that has a natural v in the branches that is missing (near active trails) and i have either added to or taken away from the bush to funnel the dog into the trap. i dig my hole under the base of the bush or the tip of the V and i bait it with chicken livers and set the trap about 9"-1' from the bait. then i cover the area with a scent blocker (not the bait) and apply a drop or two of coyote urine. so far my traps are empty but the last 3 days bait has been taken every time out of 3 of the four sets. why arent they hitting my trap??? i have heard that dogs wont step on stones or sticks. the first few times i wasnt pick about what went near the trap as long as it was small enough to not interfere with the traps function.is that true? is my trap to close to the bait ??
i wasnt sure if the dog was just reaching his head in and sniping the bait with his teeth. today i used chickn wings i cut them in half and tied the meat and bone to a root or branch so they have to work a little for them
what am i doing wrong or are they just hard to trap???
I haven't trapped since the 80s, but I do a lot of coyote calling. I am no expert but I'll throw in my opinion since you asked! There is a chance something else is getting your bait. I'm not sure of your location & the local varmits, but coon & possum used to always get in my larger game traps. (fox, coyote & bobcat) Another thought is to use red fox urine instead of coyote. They are sworn enemies & if there are any grays in the area they will also take advantage of a red. One set I used to use was in the "V" of tree roots. I would dig a hole and somewhat bury the bait & set the hair triggered trap in the fresh dirt. A wise old man told me that a gray would leave his paw print in the dirt as a message to the red. I caught a bunch of toes but didn't keep at it long enough. This might cross over to coyotes & might not. But the "V" set may keep what ever is taking the bait from dodging your trap! Good luck!
Well they are hard to trap. The one thing I like to do when trapping yotes is make them step into the trap. I like to put the bait just like you described, but put two logs or rocks so it makes them step in the trap. Also you need to do what they call "gang" setting, this means you need to put more than one trap at a set. I usually use 3-4 traps per set, if you dont get them in one trap your more likely to get them in another trap. Ive also caught more than one coyote in a set.
thanks for the help.
i found a dead cow today that is still fresh (open range) but very bloated i am planning to try that gang trap tomorrow maybe a snare or two as well.
i moved the traps today to a more open and les conspicuous area that allows the yote to circle and come from more than one side maybe this will help let his guard down.
They are hard to trap, especially with cages. Try snares or foothold traps, if they are legal where you live.
The way to do with a foothold trap is to dig a small hole into the side of some brush, like a small critter would, in a location where you know they feed. Put some rotten meat in the bottom of the hole, and set up a foothold trap right at the entrance. Make sure the hole is angled so he has to approach it from one side( the side the trap is on. Make sure to cover the trap to make it inconspicuous, with a little dirt and to remain scent free as not to make him suspicious.
Heres a pretty good website on setting snares for them, especially since it sounds like your trapping in an agricultural areas. It has good pics that explain what I dont feel like typing.
well so far i have been setting foot holds in both a flat set and dirt hole set in vain.
after i found the cow i set one foot hold and on the same day i found a crawl spot at a fence line less than 200 yards away all i had at the time was a foot hold so thats what it got but today a found some old braided steel cable (pretty stout even for yotes) and fashioned a restraint snare I had no way of making a lock so i did what i could and moved the foot hold about 2' forward. when he is fighting with the snare there is a good chance he hits the trap.
they are very hard to trap and hard to hunt
sofar no action at the sets i have been checking every day so i was thinking about checking late in the evening tomorrow or even not at all
where im at is open range for ranchers. the only fences here belong to people that have a fenced off piece of property every thing else roams free i have stuck close to bushes but i am getting a good feel for how the cattle are grazing and ventured into open grass where they havent been for a day or 2 maybe tomarrow might turn some coin for us
Do you boil your traps and handle them with sterile gloves? Coyotes are very difficult to trap, see if there is a trapping organization in your state and if they have meetings you could attend.
There is a chance something else is getting your bait. I'm not sure of your location & the local varmits, but coon & possum used to always get in my larger game traps. (fox, coyote & bobcat) Another thought is to use red fox urine instead of coyote. They are sworn enemies & if there are any grays in the area they will also take advantage of a red. One set I used to use was in the "V" of tree roots. I would dig a hole and somewhat bury the bait & set the hair triggered trap in the fresh dirt. A wise old man told me that a gray would leave his paw print in the dirt as a message to the red. I caught a bunch of toes but didn't keep at it long enough. This might cross over to coyotes & might not. But the "V" set may keep what ever is taking the bait from dodging your trap! Good luck!