2020-2021 Trapping Thread

A pipe dream set with Elk River Lures “Gold”, “Euphoriam”, and “Red” took this pup. It’s the second pup caught at the property, previous was 8/6/20. The mama dog was caught 8/27/20. Sweet Home Alabama has no closed season for coyotes. Year round is the best time to control the predator population to save turkey and deer. With fur prices so low, this is the time to build trapper numbers. The legends have a break from their normal routines, let them pass down the American Tradition.

Nice - thanks for sharing pic

Great catch
I'll start prepping for Feb soon

Thats a pretty yote you got there! Congrats!

Congrats. I caught a beaver that was plugging up a culvert and a coon last week. It is about time to get my leg holds dipped and waxed and start putting some steel in the ground. On a positive note, I have not gotten many pics at all of coyotes this year.

42# beaver this morning.

Dang that’s a big beaver

I just ordered some more DP traps this week Z traps in white this time.

Keep us posted I’ve wondered about the white for attention grabbers

Attsa big ole beaver you got there.

It is about time to start on the coyotes, coons and cats. Got the pot boiling this afternoon, and will get them waxed this weekend.

Good deal
I think I gone hit coyotes and cats Hard in early December after I scare my deer Real good

I caught one big female on the 12th and i caught the big male that was traveling with her this morning
These were operating in the pasture behind my house and i had seen them several times

Every time I think I’ve got em beat back, more show up!

Nice - good job sj

It took my curs 3-4 year to just about eradicate my coon population behind the house. We went from killing 12-18 a year to 4-5 the last two years. We killed one Monday night first one in over a month. No tracks no pics they are about gone till a new one comes in from a ways.

Another coyote yesterday

A few years ago I ran a couple gang sets for two straight months......quit for awhile and then started again about 6 months later......With 6 traps I ended up catching something like 53 coons.....The population still doesnt seem the same

Couple more last night

SJ22,
What are you using for bait in your DP's? You're having pretty good luck.
We caught just shy of 100 coons/possums back in the spring Corona shutdown. Coons have just now started showing back up at some feeders.

A blue eyed coyote this morning....makes the second one ever

Few more last night
[url=https://postimg.cc/WhGBkddL]

I mix some peanut butter, corn and vanilla flavoring, sometimes add a little syrup

Do you have a problem with ants when you use that mixture? Ants got my peanut butter last spring so I switched to marshmallows. They weren’t as bad then

Sometimes but but I tried marshmallows and have the same issue with ants if it’s warm and never caught many on the marshmallows, I don’t know why

I might have to steal your recipe and see how it works. I switched to dry cat food and it did ok

No coons last night

This is the 3rd pup caught on a 40 acre parcel over the last few months. She’s a 12 lb female and was caught in a pipe dream set in the backup trap. Bait used was Caven’s Predator bait, and the lures used were Elk River “Euphoriam” and beaver tail oil “BTO”.

Nice Pollwoll - thanks for sharing picture

Y’all make me want to get into trapping!

I’m seriously thinking about it as well.

Go for it....It's not all that hard and its a lot of fun.

School me on trapping coon

Duke or similar dog proof traps. Extension cable to anchor trees. Marshmallow on trigger and top with dry cat food. Get some used fish fryer grease for a trailing scent. Dead coons.

Anything special you need to do to the traps?

I hate not knowing stuff and having to ask lots of questions.

U can look up video on internet too - the z trap are nice - I done well with corn cause when it was hot ants would get my other bait Like marshmellow etc

I am a newby- lot other better trapers on here than me - the z trap prob catch more consistent- duke or similar u got to hav coon step on small spot - z trap he got to go in trap to get
Coyote way tougher than coon - I was told to boil traps - dye - wax - never touch coyote traps - use gloves after U bowl etc

U can google lot of it

Good luck

No, just start setting. After Christmas start using a dab of fox gland or a similar predator gland mix to pull in the roaming boar coons.

It sure is nice to put some steel out. It’s even better to get a few coyote.

Female 10/23


Female 10/29


Male 11/06


Female 11/07


Female 11/13


The female from 11/13 had a deformed foot:


Female 11/15


Male 11/17

Heck yea Velvet Tine - you are kicking their butts - great job - way to go

The coons are easy like no brainer For me with z trap but the coyote kick my butt - I got ways to go on the coyote trapping

Thanks for sharing - I like seeing those pics

Dang Brenda, those black genes are strong in your hood. Nice catches

There's a friend of mine that expressed interest a while back, so I wrote up a beginner's guide for him.

I've been learning about trapping for several years and started my first trapline a year ago. It took a while to accumulate all of the equipment that I'd need on a trapline. I have traps out on a neighbor's land and on Redstone. My buddy, who used to cut my grass said "take all of them you want" when I asked him on facebook if I could help with his coyote problems. There's 100 acres, but only about 20 are accessible by truck in the winter, 90% of the land is farming property and is too soft to drive on. I found out he owned land using the HuntStand app that shows parcel owner info.

When trapping, it's easiest to set traps nearby a dirt or gravel road so that you can quickly cruise through your line and see if anything has been caught.

Unintended targets are a part of the game. A skunk will clog up a set and you'll hafta try to get a syringe close enough for a lung shot full of acetone. A half-buried skunk set would arouse some curiosity in a coyote. If it’s a bobcat out of season (Mar-Oct), then you can put a large pan over them and release their leg. Coons can also clog up a coyote set. There are so many of them, it wouldn't hurt their population to dispatch them then toss them into the woods or skin and tan them. Possums and raccoons are nest predators, so you’re doing the turkey population a favor in eradicating them from an area. Coyotes love decimating deer herds and neighborhood pets, so eliminating them to the best of your ability is a civic duty for responsible land managers.

The best way to make sets is using knee pads or a gardeners kneeling pad . You'll be down working in the dirt for a while, about 30 minutes per trap at first, and anything that you can do to be more comfortable helps. You want to use shoes that you only wear into the woods, never out in town/at a gas station. Coyote’s sense of smell (220 olfactory senses) is nearly as good as a deer's (300 olfactory senses) and you have to work hard to leave as little human scent as possible at a set. Most trappers use different gloves for bedding and handling a trap than they do for baiting. Gloves can save you from painful situations when the trap closes on your fingers, too. Coyotes are known to dig up traps if there's any scent left on them.

The equipment required to trap coyotes is rugged stuff. The traps have to be bedded properly, flush with or below the grade of the ground. You'll need a cookie cutter or a sod buster mini sledge hammer to dig the footprint of the trap out of the ground. Then, you compact the soil under the trap. You don't want the trap to rock to one side or the other or to press into the dirt when you're done bedding it. The coyote needs to be committed to placing its foot down on the pad of the trap.

To attach the trap to the ground, you can use rebar stakes or cable stakes. I'm using Wolf Fang anchors attached to cable stakes. They are set into the ground using an anchor driver. The trap and chain are attached to the anchor using Minnesota Brand Crunch Proof Swivels, Barrel Swivels, and Quicklinks.

The coyotes are very strong and can wreck a cheap trap or pull out of a trap. Shock springs keep this from happening, they do just what it sounds like. Every time the coyote pulls, the shock springs absorb the energy. It reduces stress on your trap, the animal, and the staking device holding the trap to the ground.

Trap screens go over the trap pan or you can use some polyfill/pillow fluff to go under the trap pan. It's important to keep the area under the pan clear of clay, dirt, mud, or rocks. The pan should release the jaws of the trap with 3-4 lbs of pressure and anything in the way of the pan traveling downward will prevent the trap from firing. To cover the trap, you'll need a dirt sifter. It helps to carry a 2-gallon bucket of peat moss to cover the traps with, as it’s light, absorbs moisture well, and won't clog up the jaws of the trap when it shuts.

While checking traps, it's state law to carry a catch pole/choke stick.

It may be easier in your area to call coyotes in using electronic game calls and shoot them when they get within range, using a shotgun or rifle. Trapping equipment can get expensive and it's a daily responsibility to check and clear any traps. There are so many homes around me that it's not an option to predator hunt. If you have pets, they may get caught a few times before they learn a lesson about suspicious smells.

Once you have the trap bedded and anchored, you'll want to bait your hole, pipe, or tire. For dirt hole sets, you want to have backing to make the animal funnel into an area that the trap is hidden inside of. I use logs that I find in the woodline for backing, but sometimes you can use grass clumps. I try to place the trap 9" in front of the hole and 3" to the right, and left sometimes. It helps to have your trap off-center from the hole in order to have it aligned to attach to the leg of a coyote.

One bait and 2 lures is the standard for baiting sets. I use Elk River Lures, No BS Lures, Caven’s and Pro Line. The bait works best when it's applied to some sheep's wool. It causes the coyote to get curious and dig it out of the hole, pipe, or tire. Coyotes think that dirt holes are where mice are hidden or where a fox has buried a nice snack for later.

The limit for inside jaw spread on a leg-hold trap in Alabama is 6". The K.O. K9 Xtreme traps are more than 6" unless you order them with inside and outside laminations. The lamination is just a small gauge wire that is welded to the contact surface on the jaws of a trap. It spreads the pressure over a larger area of the coyote's leg. They call jaw type traps leg-hold traps. The more springs on a trap, the faster they shut but they also become harder to set. If you were in Kansas or the Midwest, where the coyotes are huge and powerful then 4-spring traps may be best. A 4-coil trap also breaks icy ground better than a 2-spring trap for those who live in icy climates. But, our coyotes in Alabama are smaller, our weather is warm and a 2-spring trap is usually plenty. The K.O. K9 Xtreme would need to be inside and outside laminated, 2-coil, with offset jaws, if you decide on those. The 550 traps are best with offset jaws, 2-coil. The offset jaw will let blood flow to the foot of the animal, they're easier to release non-target animals from without lasting effects. If you were on a ranch where there were no non-target animals, like housecats, then a closed jaw trap would hold the coyote better.

A good trap with laminations, swivels, and shock springs won't hurt animals that get hung up in them. Snares are illegal in Alabama for that reason. Snares are the best way to trap coyotes but they're indescriminatory and will kill anything that gets hung in them, like chihuahua's and housecats. Trapping coyotes in leghold traps is extremely difficult. You have to make sets (dirt hole, T-bone, pipe dream, tire, and urine post) to trick the yote into stepping on a 3" x 3" area (the trap pan), whereas if you set snares, you can place them where coyotes travel. They're cruising the woods and all of a sudden they're hung and choke to death.


Alabama Trappers and Predator Control Association

Trapper's Post

Elk River Lures Trapping & Customer Appreciation

Good info Pollwoll - the coins been lot easier THan the coyotes

Did you hav trouble catching at first on coyotes

One of my big disadvantages is I can only leave mine out 2-3 days and I hav heard u want to leave them several days but check daily - but I can’t check daily so I reset them when I can’t go out

I see why u said above - I hav not been using 2 lures - will try - I been using 1 and 1

and I hav also had trouble with them getting my bait and trap not going off and when I try to set off - think I might of got to much dirt up in trap - it don’t want to go off

I also had trouble with them getting set off and nothing in them - I am guessing they stepped on side of trap - I hav noticed you set out double traps sometime - do you do that often? Do you just set them side by side

I may hav educated some of mine - I gone try to lay off 3-4 weeks - Pretty sure the trap going off prob educated them a little - what do you think?

One other thing Pollwoll - how deep do you make your dirt hole For bait? I only been going around 3-4 inch - may need to be deeper - prob the harder they work the better chance they may step in trap just go guessing

Thanks for the measurement - I been setting it 2-3 inch to left and guessing 6-7 inch Away from hole - will try 9. Do you offset it to right more? Think I saw guy in

On internet always doing to left and that is why I did it. I hav failed a lot 😀

I spent a long time learning the fundamentals and stumbled my way along for a couple of weeks before my first catch. I take advice of Management Advantage trappers and leave a trap for 10 days before I pull it, now. The coyotes in my area had been running amuck forever, so when my traps went out, the fell every time. Once they get educated, you have to gang set an area, put them on the left and right in front of your bait, then 18" back, and sometimes, 18" before that. When a coyote works a set, they make their moves very calculated, if anything's off they'll skate on out. The traps have to be bedded well and scent free.

I'm trapping near work and started doing Mon-Fri sets. You can only do the work of 1 man, so be sure that you don't over extend yourself on a line. I brought my sets away from where I track deer this year. Last year, I didn't care about spooking them or pressuring them daily with trap checks. I use a spotting scope and only get close to the sets often enough to check for sprung traps. The rain springs my traps a lot of times. I've made it a point to check after heavy rains to be sure my trap will fire.

When you put the work into the line, it pays you back. My 1st lessons were cheap traps, too high of pan tension, dirt/mud caked under the pan/not firing, and quicklinks not tight enough. Everyone is unique in the methods that stick with us. The hardest lessons stick with you the most.

My coon trapping attempts haven't been as successful as my coyote trapping has. It's harder to check coon traps because they like being in the woods a bit and not out in the field or on the edges of hedgerows or roads. I have much to learn about my deer feed thieving bandits. I'm at 4 coons and 12 coyotes for the past year on 100 acres of ag land.

I don't let anything get inside the jaws on the trap except peat moss. I won't even let dirt or clay get over the levers or jaw because it slows them down a lot. Poly fill can work well to keep dirt and mud from clogging the area under a pan.

Coyotes have a long memory. I wouldn't count on them forgetting anything. You just have to keep throwing them a curve ball, use a variety of sets and place your traps where they have no way of inspecting your sets without stepping on your trap pan(s).

Be sure your pan tension is around 3-4 pounds. You can use a trap pan tester or get a 4 lb hammer and set on the pan with the loose jaw up to see whether it fires. Use trap wax to loosen the pan tension and a file to increase the pan tension.

I use a 3" auger and go 12-18" deep at a 45 degree angle on dirt holes. The deeper you go, the more the coyote has to work the set. And, the longer he's working the set, the more opportunities that you have for him to step on your trap pan.

Everyone has different methods that work, sometimes a 'V' shape formation has natural blockers on the right side and I'll set a trap on the left. I try to setup where the dog gets funneled into an area, spots that already have a natural 'V'. I've used a 'Y' shaped dead fall log over a dirt hole to funnel a coyote onto a trap and it worked well.

Either side is as good as the other on what side of the dirt hole. Roundabout 6-9" in front and 2-3" to the right or left is the target zone. I've welded Expand a pans on my K9 Xtreme's to get a bigger pan for the dog to step on. It's hard to say whether it helped or triggered a bunch of sprung traps because the heavy rains have been so frequent around here.

Don't give up. I worked off and on with the coyote traps for almost a year. I asked a state guy from our district to set some for me to see what was the correct way and to give any tips. Main thing is bedding the trap. Second, I don't obsess with scent control but I don't linger in the area either.

Thanks! They were all running the same road too. Haven't caught anymore black coyote, as of late.

Wow - thanks guys - that awesome stuff

I never would hav thought about checking from a distance to keep sent down - smart

Ztraps made the coon trapping lot easier for me - they hav to go in the trap to get the food - corn has been great for me with coons

I watch management advantage tips too - I use to Turkey hunt w Casey a few times years back - good guy - he makes Coyote trapping look easy

11/18 female


11/18 bobcat


11/18 male


11/21 female


11/21 male


11/21 female


11/21 caught 1st grinner of the season (haven't downloaded pic yet)

11/22 bobcat


11/23 female

11/28 female


12/01 female


12/01 fox


12/01 grinner


12/02 male

Dang - you getting it done - that’s awesome

Thanks for sharing

Is a cat harder To catch than a coyote? I heard coyote way smarter And harder to catch than cat but I hav no experience catching either

No, bobcat is not difficult to catch and can be caught with same lure for fox or coyote. Curiosity, ya know! It took me a bit to get that first yote and it’s been game on since then.

I finally have some time to put some steel in the ground. I got 5 leg holds and a few dp’s out, and will put out several more tomorrow. I snapped a couple pics of my sets and thought some of the newer guys might like to see some. I mostly use 2 sets, a dirthole and a compass set. Dirthole is pretty self explanatory and a compass set is a modified flat set where I blend the trap in and punch 4 holes with my driver around the set and use a different bait/lure/urine in each hole. My go to is the dirthole and I will put a compass set in locations where I set multiples or where there is no backing for a dirthole. Location is the most important part of trapping, but making sure your trap is bedded solid so that it doesn’t move is very important.

Congrats VT, you are wearing them out

Thanks for the info guys

Only 1 grinner last night. The 1/2” of rain they were calling for turned out to be 1 1/2” lol. So I will have to redo some sets.

thank you!

TDog,

I'm not as good as these guys but one trick I like is to pick up coyote droppings and put them in a ziplock bag. I use then put them around the edge of compass sets to get a coyote to stop and investigate. They seem to hate another "turd" in their area and I think it helps to get their attention. I usually try and make a set close to where you see different aged droppings in a location too.

Thanks Wade - good info

Caven’s Predator bait, Elk River Lures’ Blood Moon and Southern Snares’ red fox urine in a dirt hole set landed in his 25 lb male on 12/6/20

Way to go - U putting Hurtin on em

I added 5 more coons and possums over the weekend.

I’m about a month or so into this trapping. I’m really enjoying it. The yotes have been pretty tough so far. I think over the past few days I’ve learned I’m setting them a little too deep. I’m going to start over and reset them and see how it goes. As far as the coons, I think anybody can get those things with a duke dogproof. I caught 3 today.

Cuaght first Coon if the season yesterday big boar

I caught 16 coons over Sumer on 256 acre - last deer season I would get 6-8 coins a feeder

The coons This season were 2-3 Per feeder and now I seeing 4-5 - think I may start in them again In about a week for few weeks

I may start coyote again soon - still catchless on yote

Finally got one of these jokers after about a month or more of attempts. My first dog on a trap. Thanks to deadeye48 for answering 5K text with trapping questions. 😁

Very nice Super spike

Them things are pretty but very destructive.

WOW!!!

Y'all are rocking and rolling on the catches!!

Great work ladies and gentlemen!!

Keep it up!!

God Bless,
David B.

Few more

That’s what I takin about - I may wait till feb - getting more and more free loaders in one my corn

Not much predator action around the place I’ve been trapping. Maybe I have finally put a dent in them the last few years. I did pick up a little gray fox this morning. I don’t see them much around these parts. I skinned it feet on for a wall hanger for my little boys room.

Nice fox - will look good on boys room I bet

This is from Monday morning making a run checking traps. These were along with the coyote I posted earlier.

This was about a month ago.

Congrats man.

What is y’alls preferred dispatch weapon on the Yotes? .22 or are you using something bigger?

22lr get it done every time

When I ever catch one - gone be 22 LR

I bought my boys a cricket 22LR. They love shooting that little gun but so do I. Makes a perfect size gun to carry while checking traps. It gets it done.

Got 4 coons in the last 3 days. Got sick of seeing them at the feeders every night. I’ll get back to yotes and more after deer season.

Fixing to try to trap for 4-5 days myself - deer season bout done except for maybe a doe hunt and I got way to many predators- deer herd noticeably spooked by them And not seeing as many little ones - know they killed some

Guys - when it super wet like this - do you still coyote trap? I am thinking my trap will be caked in mud - do u give it a few days r trap?

Got my 1st red fox today.

Nice - congrats super spike

I caught 2 coons over the weekend - that’s it - no yote r cat - leaving sets out - Checked this morning and nothin - will check by tomorrow afternoon

I have the next 5 days off and was hoping to set my first traps for coyotes. But it looks like we are getting rain late Wednesday and all day Thursday. What are your thoughts on setting with rain coming? I was planning on using dirt hole sets. This will be my first rookie attempt at setting traps. Thanks for any input!

Be patient - I will let the other real experts weigh in

You can google how to trap coyote also if u hav not already

Casey Shoopman w management minute has some good videos out - I very much a rookie

I picked up an otter in my very first beaver dam break set. The water is way to high to get anymore sets out on my land.

I learned a lot from Polwoll's posts. I also watched several Management Advantage videos and also some from Hoosier Trapper Outdoor. I have 6 MB550 traps that were cleaned, dyed and waxed. I added shock springs and have some lures and baits. Finally got 5 days off in a row and looks like rain will limit me to Fri/Sat/Sun to trap. The property is about 1 1/2 hrs from where I live so getting 5 days in a row where I can stay on property is rare. Ideally I could check traps daily for 1 week to 10 days but that won't be possible for awhile. Was hoping to trap coyotes, fox and bobcats. May also set out some duke traps for coons. Only animals I have ever trapped are some beaver which I was successful at removing from my pond. I am excited to get at it but don't want to spend time setting the traps and have everything washed out or needing to be reset right after I get them out.

The trap that I used to catch the otter was given to me by Polwoll. I've since purchased three more Conibear 330's and some TS 85's to go after the beavers.

Guys - I read where u tag a bobcat when u catch it - how did u get The tag? I finally caught a bobcat - still waiting on yote catch

I think you’d take it to the nearest game warden station or maybe call you and see if there’s an easier way that to have to drive a ways.

If you arent going to sell the hide or mount it you dont have to do anything

Thanks Deadeye - got up w Gamewarden - told me the same

If I know it will rain, I switch out the brown coffee filters for screen material and use some peat moss instead of just natural dirt/sand from the area.

Put them out but use screen instead of paper to cover the pan. If it's not a Noah's Ark type rain, the sets will be fine and sometimes, especially if it's really cold, you will still have coyotes roaming for food. If it's a super heavy rain, you may have to recover the trap with your sifter and freshen up your lure/bait.

I always use pillow fill under the pan no matter the weather
You can buy a big bag at WM for a few bucks
I’ve never used pan covers
The pillow fill will keep dirt from getting under the pan and let the trap fire as designed.....never had any issues using it

Thanks Velvet - never would hav Thought of something like that

Had a fresh cat track by my pan this morning at same trap I caught Cat on yesterday - I tried putting some Small rocks in area around pan to encourage him to step on pan - still just missed

Thanks for the info!!
I decided to hold off and plan to set traps on Wednesday. Should be able to keep out 3-4 days. I was planning on using the polyfill. I have some aluminum screen I will experiment with. My only concern was having it raise up too much over the pan? Is that an issue you have. Do you cut a notch where the dog is?

Not likely to happen where I am planning on trapping but...if I were to trap someone's dog, how do you release safely without getting bitten or hurting the dog?

Andalusia - it’s called a pole snare - you can google - forgot what I looked under - how to release an unwanted animal like a bobcat out of season which I hope I never hav to do
There are pinned dogs about 400 yards from my traps I hope I never catch one - think they only got out like twice on 2 year

Thanks TDog. This kid makes it look easy when he releases this coyote from the trap and puts him in a crate!

I plan to just make the same one he shows how to make. The clothes line tightener is a great idea! Cheap at Lowes.

https://youtu.be/8WJvDIe4t8Q

I started with a homemade release pole that used the close lines tensioner but bought a HD model from Southern Snares. Worth the upgrade IMO.

Agreed

A T-bone set with Elk River Lures' Tonnage and BTO spoke to this 25 lb female coyote.

I use nylon screen so I don't have to deal with the aluminum screen bending up. Yes, cut a notch in the screen where it rests atop the dog.

Nice Pollwoll!

After I caught cat 3 days ago - had one get out of Same trap 2 days later Or yesterday - I check traps w in 24 hours - guessing it might hav bairly caught foot - looked like big struggle - ground dug out Around trap

Was waiting to catch multiples before posting pics

Thanks for the help!

I got some pics of a pair of coyotes last week, so I put out a few sets on Monday. Had a coon yesterday and this female bouncing for me this morning.

Awesome - way to go AUCoonhunter

I caught my first every coyote today - same trap I caught cat on. Last 4 day in that trap - caught cat - had cat step by pan - animal got out of trap - look like big struggle and caught coyote this morning. My other 3 dog traps - nothing. Hav caught 3 coon in last 4 days. Will post Cyote and cat pics in next 3-5 days.

Nice work! I just set out my traps today so maybe I will have some beginners luck. I went with dirt hole sets.

Very nice!

Probably a dumb question but here goes...I know you can gather coyote scat and place by a set to attract coyotes....but if that is not available, would regular dog scat work as well?? I have access to lots of that

Any scat is an attractant, K9 is probably the most effective because the coyote will want to pee on it and leave his scent.

This 24 lb male was taken on Redstone with a dirt hole set. I had my Christmas ham bone in the dirt hole with Elk River Lures' Anomaly on the backing. On Tuesday morning the ham bone was gone and the trap was still set. So, I rebaited the dirt hole with Caven's Predator Bait from Cabela's on sheep's wool and Wednesday morning this yote was in the trap. It was my 1st catch in the 3 weeks I've been trapping on the Arsenal. I had 2 sets dug up my 1st week out there. Tight Chains!

Nice job - Congrats

mine were empty this morning and it been raining Today - prob need attention in morning

I'm not sure if it's the springs on my K9 Xtreme's or the FMJ wax speed dip or what, but my traps get tripped just about every rain.

This 24 lb female found a pipe dream set loaded with Caven's Predator Bait and Elk River Lures' BTO and Euphoriam. She jumped in with both right feet!

Very nice - congrats

I rebaited after rain This morn and will check in morning - fresh scat around a few of my traps - I am going to try some of your stuff when I run out - currently using windwalker on lambs wool and put coyote pee out Around set

Trapped my first coyote today!
MB550 offset 2 coil, dirt hole set, used sheep's wool and RK Predator Plus Bait in hole with Red Fox Urine and Hawbaker Wildcat #1
Caught on the forth night.
Also got 2 racoons, one in a MB550 and another in my Duke DP Trap

That’s awesome man - Congrats

I hav not caught one since I caught my first coyote several days ago - had one get out of trap

Thanks TDOG!! I appreciate your help!

Now if I could just figure out how to get my photos to load instead of having a link??

I had one of my traps with a deer print literally 2 inches from the trap. Guess they can just pull out on their own?

I wondered if that ever freakishly/accidentally happened - I noticed for first time today I had deer tracks close to one of my sets - few feet

I put out my MB550's and used the polyfil under the pan. The fill was plump but fit snugly under the pan. I covered with dirt. The next day had a decent rain. Noticed that the traps were all covered in dirt but the polyfill was partially on top of the dirt. This happened at probably 3 out of 6 traps. Didn't reset since ground was wet and was able to still get a coyote and coon. Have you had this happen? Did I do something wrong? Haven't tried screen yet, thought I would start with the polyfil first. Thanks for any input.

I use screen - hav not done poly fill yet - my sets were wet this morn - put out a little sent

I also caught my first dog - my traps are about 400-500 yards from a black neighborhood- but I almost never see dogs - few times in camera a year maybe in road. Was not as bad as I thought - dog was a young pit bull and he was scared - I let him loose and had to shew him a way - glad it was not a mean dog and glad It was not hurt

Glad you got a friendly dog! Hopefully you won't trap a skunk.

I didn't realize how out of shape I am. I'm off for a week to hunt and running 4 330 Conibears and two TS-85's. Setting them and walking in waist deep water has kicked my ass over the last two days.

I get give out just setting a hand full of dukes coyote traps - i
out a shape too
I got a cat uncovering my traps daily - killin me - I need to double set cat like Polwol explained earlier in thread - not grounding my traps good early prob screwed me w cat

Deer are really curious about fresh dirt and all the scents. Their feet are tapered enough that they pull out as soon as they hit the end of the chain though.

I love this thread. Im not a trapper and would have no idea how to start, but i love reading the stories and seeing the pics. Keep em coming

If theyre uncovering your traps they either smell where you handled it or got bait on it or didnt bed it right...it happens to the best of us

Thanks for that tip - it’s a cat - see her tracks - bet I got bait on gloves - prob need 2 sets of gloves

2 more coons last night in my dirt hole sets. I like eliminating coons but prefer not to catch in my dirt hole sets!! Guess it goes with the territory, eventually I will decrease the coon numbers and maybe the sets will have a little more time to lure a coyote, bobcat or fox. Coyotes were loud the other night by the house.

Always use gloves for setting and different gloves for baiting

Thanks - I actually started that about 3 days ago from video I saw - I never put the uncovering traps together though until u said something - finally caught another coyote today - my second - all my catches of cat and yote hav been on same trap - had 2 get away and now 3 catches - trap is 80 yards from intersection- my trap at intersection only caught a pit bull - appreciate your help. Coyote today only had 3/4 of inch of paw in trap. I took one quick pic and shot him quickly

Congrats!!

Thanks

Another coyote caught last night. Dirt hole set with MB550. using RK Predator plus on sheep's wool for bait and red fox urine and Hawbaker Wildcat#1 for lure. This coyote was caught in same location as my first coyote.

Question for the experienced trappers on here:

I have caught two coyotes and they have both been caught on the hind foot not the front paw. I am putting my dirt hole against a small backing so they must approach from the front to see in the hole. Trap is set slightly to right of hole with center approximately 9 inches below the hole. Dog side of trap is closest to hole.

Am I doing something wrong with setup to be catching the back leg?

Thanks for any input.

More trapping tips...

Step 1. Identify coyote sign or paths of travel
a) Coyote scat usually has hair in it, rabbit or other. It’s K9 and about the size of what a beagle would leave.
b) Coyote footprints are K9, with a 3-point pad with 2 toes directly over the top of it and 1 toe to each side of the tightly spaced inner toes.
c) Paths that coyotes frequent are road junctions, where 2 or more roads meet. The more roads that converge the better. Whereas deer are known to stick to the inside corners of fields, coyotes stick to the outside points. If there is a peninsula of woods that reaches out into a field, a coyote can more quickly move through the field and browse that point. Coyotes are constantly focused on covering ground. Gates, roads, pass-throughs, or points of woods that reach out into fields are excellent trap setting locations. Coyotes travel in a similar fashion to the way water flows, they follow the paths of least resistance. Coyotes enjoy ridges to look down from atop on deer and other small game.

Step 2. Identify the location for the trap.
a) A natural ‘V’ shape in the terrain will make the coyote funnel to the bait. When you can control where they coyote is stepping, there’s a much higher likelihood of him stepping on your trap pan.
b) Flat sets are used when there aren’t any natural contours available to funnel the animal. A log with some urine on it can be placed out into the open with a trap 3”-12” away, in the walking path of a passing coyote.
c) Backing will keep the coyote approaching the bait from the direction you choose. Backing, found in nature, can be made of a large tuft of grass either growing or gathered up, a dead limb/log, a rock that’s too big to be moved by the coyote, or any structure that has been sitting for a while.

Step 3. Digging the trap bed
a) The tools needed include a hammer, sod cutter, bucket of peat moss (2-3 gal), and dirt sifter
1. Lay the trap where it will sit back from the bait 9” and either 3” to the left or 3” to the right, a pinky to thumb measurement works for this, then estimate 3” to one side or the other. Traps can be placed on each side, then another trap 18” back if gang setting for ‘trap smart’ coyotes.
2. Visualize the footprint of the trap. Take the sod cutter, a sod buster hammer or digging trowel, and removed enough dirt so that the trap can lay in the trap bed and be at or just below the grade of the dirt around the trap bed.
3. Pack the dirt in the trap bed with the hammer so that the trap bed is firm. This will prevent the trap from moving if the coyote steps on the jaws of the trap and not the trap pan.
4. In cases where heavy rain or freezing ground is expected, make a small void under the trap where water can collect. This will allow the pan to be up out of the ice or water. Be sure to leave a lip around the void where the trap jaws can rest to keep the trap from rocking.
5. The depth of the shelf for the levers to rest on will determine how far into the trap bed that the jaws will sink.
6. Take the dirt from the trap bed that was dug out and place it in a dirt sifter. This will be used to shake over peat moss and/or poly fill to blend the trap with the natural surroundings.

Step 4. Set an anchor in the ground
a) The tools needed include a cable stake and anchor driver or a double rebar bracket and 2 x 24” lengths of rebar, a mini sledge, and a long handled sledge for dry ground (optional)
1. A cable stake driver needs the channel for the anchor to be cleaned prior to attaching it and driving it in the ground. Pound the stake into the ground so that it sticks up less than 3”. For double rebar stakes, hammer them in a criss-crossing (X pattern) 45 degree angle.
2. Yank the stake puller out of the ground. Hard ground may require a long handled sledge be wedged under the stake driver to pry it up with leverage. Muddy ground may require hammering the stake in another time as it could pull out with the driver, same as it went in.

Step 5. Attach a quicklink, 3/16”-5/16” from the trap to the anchor
a) Crank down on the quicklink once it’s tightened to prevent easy theft of the trap, by animal or human.
b) Pull on the anchor to set it horizontally deep within the ground. The coyote may take off with the trap, cable stake, and anchor if it isn’t set and the ground is really muddy.

Step 6. Bed the trap
a) Set the trap, if it wasn’t already set, and place it down in the trap bed
b) Use 2-3 scoops of peat moss to mound on the trap pan
c) Smear the mound out around the jaws of the trap
d) Put your fingers in the levers and pull up the trap to allow the peat moss to get under the trap jaws
e) Mash the trap down in the trap bed and repeat the process of mounding peat moss and pressing the jaws into the trap bed until the trap doesn’t rock when one side is pressed on
f) Alternate method is to cover the trap with short grass clippings enough to camouflage the jaws, levers, and pan
g) Alternate bedding material to peat moss is poly fill (pillow or quilt fluff) under the trap pan to keep dirt from resting under the pan and preventing downward travel of the pan
h) Sift dirt taken from the hole made for the trap bed over the trap. Be sure not to get any dirt clods or rocks inside the jaws of the trap. Any hard material that gets hung in the levers or jaws can prevent the trap from closing fully.

Step 7. Make a bait source
a) Baited sets include the dirt hole (most common), pipe dream, tire, T-bone, and walk through
1. The dirt hole set is a hole 12”-18” deep at a 45 degree angle, dug away from the direction of your trap. The angle of the hole forces the coyote to stand where your trap is to look down into it. The depth of the hole is important because it will dictate how long the coyote will be trying to reach the bait in the bottom of the hole. The longer that you can keep a coyote working your set, the better your odds are at catching it. Dirt holes can flood in swampy areas, requiring rebaiting after heavy downpours.
2. The pipe dream set is a pipe at a 45 degree angle, leaning away from your trap. You may want to hammer the 8”-10” long section of Schedule 40 PVC before setting your trap. The pounding on the ground only 9” away from your trap may make the trap snap shut. The pipe has a hole for drainage drilled 3” from the top on the side closest to the ground. This hole lets rain come out and it helps vent the smell of bait out into the air around the trap. This set is very rain and ice resistant, coupled with a void under the trap and grass clippings over the trap.
3. The tire set is a tire laid around a trap. With the trap in the middle the coyote has to step into it to see the bait placed in the tire. This is a good rain proof set because the bait won’t get washed out like it can in a dirt hole.
4. The T-bone can be a box turtle shell, cow vertebra, or any bone that might be found in nature. The white color makes for great eye appeal. By smearing lure on the T-bone, or placing it inside of the box turtle shell, the goal is to make the coyote spend time investigating the attractant. The bone or shell needs to have a large spike driven through it to prevent a coyote from carrying it off and chewing on it. You may have to drill a hole in a turtle shell, most cow bones have natural holes to drive a spike through.
5. The walk through set is a dirt hole set with the bait in a dirt hole with backing placed behind it on one side and the lure placed in a smaller hole, made by the anchor driver, on the other side. The idea is to arouse curiosity in a coyote to get him to walk between your bait and lure. This is a flat set.
b) Urine Post sets
1. A urine post is any piece of wood that absorbs urine placed nearby a trap. It is a flat set because it looks the same as the ground around it. The coyote instinctively want to leave its scent on top of other coyote, fox, or bobcat urine. Gland lures from predators work as well. During deer season, the smell of coyote or bobcat urine may frighten away deer. This is when fox urine is the go-to choice. Backing for urine posts can be the corner of fenced area or logs placed at road junctions. If you have backing, it puts the coyote on the side of the set where your trap will be waiting.
a) A urine post set can be made by hammering a skinny limb, 2 x 4, or 1 x 1 into the ground.
b) Urine post sets can be made by placing some coyote scat and spraying it with gland lure or urine
c) Urine posts can be made on the edge of a large log

Step 8. Camouflage the area and make the set look natural
a) While you can place clods of dirt or rocks adjacent to the side of the set that the trap is on, don’t work too hard to funnel a coyote. They’re extremely skittish and can easily get frightened by an area that doesn’t look natural. If the smallest thing is out of place, they’ll take a hike.
b) Use step sticks to keep the coyote funneled toward the ‘V’ of the set location, where the narrow portion is your bait. If the coyote can run circles around your trap set, he’s taking more steps that aren’t in the general area of your trap. If his nerves are focusing his movement toward your bait, then there’s a much greater chance that he’ll wind up on your trap pan.

Step 9. Let the trap hunt
a) Traps hunt 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
b) Control any interference with the trap set by limiting human scent around the set
c) Check to be sure the traps aren’t sprung after heavy rains because a sprung trap could educate a coyote. Trap smart coyotes are nearly impossible to catch.

Step 10. Check traps daily
a) State law requires 24-hour trap checks. Try not to trap out on a busy road where the anti-trappers will get fuel for their squawking about how cruel it is trap animals. Dispose of the carcass where people won’t think there’s a serial domestic dog killer stacking victims. Within 4-6 months, nature does the job of recycling the coyote back into the habitat.
b) You don’t need a trapping license to trap your own property or to nuisance trap. The license allows you to sell fur. Fur sales are down drastically, making skinning, fleshing, and drying of hides a hobby and no longer a profession for southern trappers. Southern furs are much smaller and less full than those from wide open ranges and mountainous regions. US sentiment for fur trapping is mostly negative nowadays. And, world powers are battling recession, making their (China and Russia) fur purchases scarce.
c) State law requires a catch pole to release non-target critters. If it’s your property, then all critters may be target animals. I have caught 3 domestic dogs over the past year, they eventually learn to avoid strange smells in trap sets.
d) Bury or burn coyotes with mange. Mange is an awful disease that makes animal’s hair fall out and they freeze and/or starve to death. It can be passed by carcasses. Coyotes can get rubbed on their back, mange is more noticeable as large patches of hair will be missing.

Step 11. Dispatch, avoid entering the catch circle
a) A bat is the simplest tool to use to dispatch with, it is over in a second. One or more strikes directly on top of the head will be lights-out. An axe handle also keeps you at a safe distance. A strike or 2 to the throat to collapse the wind pipe can insure that you don’t get bitten. A boot on the lungs for a minute, to force all air out and none back in can prevent the coyote from recovering from dispatch.
b) Ammo is in short supply, but during normal times a 22 short is the most preferred method by some trappers. A shot through the chest, just behind the armpit will stop the pump station and result in minimal bleeding.
c) A luggage scale is helpful in weighing catches
d) Once dispatched, you can determine the sex of the coyote

Step 12. Trapper’s Log
a) A log book, or app is good to keep track of lures and baits used, set types, catches, and trap set locations. Analyzing data over time can identify proven techniques that work for your area.

Step 13. Trapper advocacy and political activism
a) Trapping is a dwindling skill that deserves to live on. Pass on old equipment, mentor youth or budding trappers when possible. Our country owes a great debt to the hardworking trappers that settled these once wild lands. If anyone questions your authority to trap predators, let them know Our Creator is our authority. Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””
b) Join your state trapper’s association, www.ATPCA.org. Without support for trapper's rights, the anti's will eliminate trapping. Start local and expand from there in supporting trapper's rights.
c) If inclined, join the Nat’l Trapper’s Association, www.NationalTrappers.com

I needed that post bad.^^^^^^

U can Read back up the thread some Ridge - he has posted lot of good stuff from baits - type traps etc - u can google how to also

Pollwoll - do u like the tire set - u ever use it? If they not skiddish from tire - I like the sound of it

Prob stupid question - where good place to get small tire? Do u use particular size? Do u stake the tire in the ground or do the coyotes ever try to move tire?

Great stuff Pollwoll!!

Any tire shop will gladly oblige you if you ask them for a take off, bald tire. They toss them out or have recyclers come gather them all up. Clem Tire in Madison gave me 2 bald compact car tires. Any size will do, I believe a 14" may give the coyote less area to avoid the trap pan. Any size between 14" and 18" rimmed tires should work well.

I like the tire set. It's junky looking, so I don't use it much as the property I trap is along a main road. Once a heavy rain soaks the inside of the tire, it stinks something awful. Disposing of the tire can be a pain after the inside of it has been growing algae and had coyote bait in it. But tire sets are somewhat rain proof, unless it rains sideways. The bait is protected in the tire and can last a long time.

There's no need to nail the tire down. The coyote won't move the tire until it tries getting out of the trap. Even then, the tire is too cumbersome for the coyote to do much with it.

A few good buddies have asked me for advice, so I've tried writing up some help for them. The pages of trapping magazines have better advice, but to get started the basics never really change. You learn volumes by making mistakes, like letting dirt get under your pan or forgetting to crank down on a quicklink and losing a trap. The harder lessons stick out more in your mind on the next go 'round. Tight chains!

Great stuff - thanks man!!

Think I may try a tire set sometime in future

Got my tire - think I may set it in morning for coyote - if I catch any coons in the morning - I may cut it up and put in tire and see how that works

Thanks for tire idea Pollwoll - I am expecting it to take some time for yotes to get use to - I left tire out tonight where I going to set it in morning

Got 2 tire sets out and one dirt hole - did not hav peat moss - used miracle grow pot soil - not sure if that a screw up but it has lot of same stuff as peat moss
Caught no coons last nite - about to give them a break cause they on to my traps even w several diff baits

Not sure on my tire bait - one I just put lambs wool and wind walker and put out coyote pee - lot cat n dog tracks in that area right around trap and the tires is against the road wall basically so I think they will hav to step in to see wool - this new tire a little big - yesterday tire was a little small - small tire put wool and wind walker - this May b stupid - but I also put fish flavored cat food in other side of tire

Not sure if I screwed up we pot soil I used r bait - I wanted parts of a coon and wind walker

I gone add bacon to both tires when take my son hunting this afternoon - don’t think I baited well on tire

Tire sets can be very effective. Predators like variety, it's another tool in the arsenal.

A mess of coons have been destroying my deer corn and sweet feed for months. I'm on 'em now though. I had 10 DP's out last night and came away with this 8.5 lb sow. They’re all gonna get that hide tanned. I have a game cam on my corn piles and there were a half dozen on the pile this one was taken from. My triggers are all rusty on my Coon Daggers and FB1's. I've gotta tune 'em and wipe these critters out to save the turkey population out here. There hasn't been open turkey season in Limestone Co. south of Hwy 72 and east of I65 for the last couple of years. We have too many nest predators. I caught 2 possum in 3 days this week, now this coon. They’re gettin' evicted.

Good job - what u using for bait? My coons hav started getn lot tougher - corn was great - but not now - now marshmallow - gummies - fish smell cat food - nothing working - I may give them few week break

I added some old ham and bacon to my tire sets

I’m trying dry cat food, mini marshmallows, catfish food pellets sprayed with Coon Collector, fish oil and Elk River Lures Kat Fat as an attractant. I’m keeping bacon grease, peanut butter, sardines, wet cat food, Moonshine, and Elk River Black Gold in reserve in case they get cocky.

Good stuff - thanks

Probably making them pee.

I had wondered about that but really didn't know. Thanks for the info, that makes sense.

This big boar coon weighed in at 17 lbs.

Awesome - think I may try a few days this weekend - got my moonshine in - gone see if the coons still give me the finger

2 coyotes this morning

Nice - seems like forever since I caught one - be nice to catch 2 in one day - congrats

One coyote this morning

I got blanked on coyote sets 😀 congrats deadeye

We got rain coming tonite

Congrats on the coyotes!
Was hoping to get my traps back out but probably will have to wait until next weekend.
What were you using for bait and lure?

Cavens Hiawatha valley and Capitol Punishment for bait and Dunlaps coyote lure
This is a few items among several

Caught my first fox this morning - not really target animal- when I catch something else I will post pics with the coyote I caught about 2 weeks ago

Same trap again for catch

I cut parts of fox tail off and rebaited my holes w that and elk River blood moon - hair came off around hole - feel like that may work - saved several peace's in a zip lock and I finally got a few coon traps set w cat food that never worked - but poured my new moonshine bait over it

3 coons and a opossum this morning

One coyote this morning

Tearing the coyote up Deadeye - congrats

I forgot what coon looks like - congrats Rollover

Finally caught something in the trap, ended up being a possum that I let go. Not a single coyote spotted in the area the past 4 days I’ve been running the trap.

On Friday 1/29/21, a boar coon was found with both hands in FB DP's



On Sunday, 1/31/21, a 22 lb female bobcat came into a haybale dirt hole set using Caven's Predator Bait, Elk River Lures Anomaly and No BS Lures K9 Extreme Force lures.



Also on Sunday, a 11 lb male otter came into a dirt hole set with No BS Lures Lethal Injection bait and Elk River Lures Tonnage lure.



Today, 2/1/21 an 18 lb male bobcat came into the same dirt hole the otter was caught in yesterday with the same bait and lure.



Also today, this 12 lb boar coon was in a DP. He had cleaned out 2 others without setting the trigger off, 3rd time was the charm.

One coon this morning

Congrats guys - that’s awesome Pollwoll on the cats

My 2 coon and 3 coyote traps had zip this morning

Thanks for the pictures and info with each catch! Are you guys trapping on your own land or somewhere else?

Flemming's having end of year sale

https://www.flemingtraps.com/hot-de...wenBDK5TNzpxOBrgwfOWlo3dqv9sxE3zDZLebsBj

One coon
One bobcat

Way to go dead eye - I got zipped again 😀

One coyote this morning

Comgrats Deadeye - been long time since I caught yote - few weeks - I finally caught a coon this morning - only had 2 traps set - was too wet to set other 2 traps in better spots - 0 in my 3 yote traps today

First DP run of the year, only got 1 boar coon and one miss(cell cam told me i had one and it pulled out.) Had a dang yard dog at one triple set that knocked off all my traps. busy till Sunday, will reset and run hard next week.

Good luck sharpspur - I caught a pit bull in one of my sets about a month ago😀

One coon this morning

I pray I catch one in mine.
My neighbors is on an invisible fence and goes after everything that walks by.
AT&T guy came by yesterday to do some work but wouldn’t get out of his truck because of it.

One coyote this morning

Saving the East Limestone turkeys one possum at at time

I’ve trapped 3 seasons now on this property and haven’t caught one possum
Congrats on catching that nasty thing

3 coons
1 bobcat
1 coyote

My curs tree more possums then coons 3-1 now. Not sure why but we’ve probably killed 100 possums the last 5-6 years compared to 40-45 coons. And this is only a 20-30 acre area.

1 coyote
2 coons

1 boar coon this morning.

2 coons this morning

2 coons this morning for me and my son

About to go check mine - got 1 coon trap and 3 coyote traps out - about to get so wet it may shut me down for while and Ton of rain in forecast
Been so long since I caught a coyote - think I caught the only 2 dumb coyotes around 🤣🤣🤡

3 coons
1 piglet

Caught one possum in only coon trap I had set today - the moonshine is helping - nothing in 3 coyote traps

Unset all my traps - roads terribly wet and bunch more rain coming - may check place and reset Friday if bunch of this rain misses us - my roads almost not able to travel on

1 coyote this morning

1 coon this morning

Yesterday, this coon found 2 footholds at my dirt hole set, in the crotch of a 'Y' shaped deadfall limb. The 11 lb boar couldn't resist the No BS Lures K9 Extreme Force bait and Elk River Lures Kat Fat and Tonnage lures. This set caught an otter, then a bobcat last week using the same bait and lures.

He’s got that coon in the headlights look

Nice PollWoll - be glad when this rain stops - it’s hard to get my roads too bad to travel - but all this rain got me in that spot

1 coon
1 coyote

Sorry I ain’t trapping but we’ve killed 2 possums a a coon under the dogs this week at the house.

1 piglet this morning
Probably going to pull traps sometime next week

One pig this morning

This 22 lb female coyote found herself caught twice in the dirt hole set at the 'Y' shaped dead fall that was baited with No BS Lures Lethal Injection bait and Elk River Lures Tonnage and Kat Fat lures.

Very nice PollWoll - congrats

Hope to trap again within the next 7-8 days if roads dry out - got multiple coyotes on camera around a buck scrape - got a cat in same area catching a bird around my feeder

First dry run in 18 days
I will pull traps this weekend if not sooner

I get dry runs all time - why are you pulling traps and when u reset will it be in same area? Just trying to learn. If u ever unset traps due to wetness - do you just leave trap sitting in that spot and reset when dries?

I hear u want to set up coyote traps at intersections and maybe field edges - most convenient path or where there scat r tracks. If you ever see lot of coyotes in woods - do you ever make any wooded sets? I saw 3 diff dogs in short time around buck scrape on camera and as soon as it dries - want to put trap in that area

I’m pulling them because I’ve pretty much cleaned up what’s been on our place
The last three days I had pig catches in my traps
So far in 18 days
15 coons
10 coyotes
2 bobcats
3 pigs
I’ve seen tracks of two dogs that I haven’t caught and that lets me know the deer and turkeys have a reprieve from harassment for a while
Rabbits are thriving on our place and we have a couple coveys of quail and this tells me our predator population is way down
The areas you mentioned to trap are all good but pay attention to where predators are crossing the road or maybe traveling just a short distance on a road...both these are my favorite places and where I make most of my catches....if you find their regular travel routes you can catch them

Thanks

You had a lot of catches - congrats

Just put out 30 DP's today across 400 acres......

First day's pull........

Good job CNC !!!

Thanks man......Caught them on honey and cheap dry cat food.......I thought I'd drizzle some honey onto the trigger so that some of the cat food stuck to it and so that the coon would stick to it if he tried to reach around it or anything.....Seemed to work pretty good......The dang ground is so wet right now though that its a booger getting the DP's to stick in the ground where they wont get pulled out before the coon trips it....The Z-traps help having that extra hoop on the stob but I'm still having to search for hard ground for any of them.....mostly having stick them into the roads and firebreaks
....

I pulled all my traps because i ran out of critters to catch and was tired of sloshing around in the mud......youre right....its hard to do anything with traps in the mud except get yourself and the traps muddier

2 more coons today for me......

Set 8 Coon traps today hopefully have a few caught in the morning

Nice work CNC!!!

I had 4 coon traps set this weekend and caught 1 coon yesterday and I hav 4 coyote traps set and caught one today. First coyote in about a month - I said I would post soon after last coyote so I will post fox and 2 coyote thru Skullworks soon. Moves me to 23 coon on this property since mid year last year and 4 possums. I been coyote trapping since September or so and hav 3 coyotes with 1 cat and fox. Mainly a weekend trapper until recently on the coyote - I can set traps in main road if not too wet and check before or after work.
Think I caught the dumbest coyotes in Clarke county cause it been slow - learned lot from you guys and my own stupid mistakes

Thanks!......Nothing on this morning's run......Hogs had messed with a couple traps......Gonna pull them tomorrow then redeploy again in a couple weeks

One Coon this morning

Caught 2 coons and 2 crack heads this weekend. Took the battery out of their truck and it got towed before I made it back out. I was told to just keep it so atleast I have that going for me....

🤣🤣🤣

2 coons today (1 male - 1 female).

Have a couple of my first ever dirt hole sets in the ground. They haven't been worked or dug up so I guess I have that going for me.

Put 4 DP traps out yesterday and 1 MB550 where I caught the other 2 coyotes. Didn't have time for more

Checked today and 1 coon, 1 possum in DP's

Nice Andalusia

Had 4 coyote traps out - caught coyote and fox today

Started adding multiple lures like u guys do recently and I took some of the obstruction I was putting around trap to funnel away like Pollwoll said and I started brushing trap in to make level r look better - first 2 coyotes I hav caught out of that trap and I been setting there long time and got in back to back days - rare for me - I think new things I tried helping that I got from u guys

Congrats!!
You're on them now!!
Still waiting on my first Bobcat and Fox.

Have you had any luck with your tire set?

1 boar coon this evening

No boar crack heads??

I was very impatient - I did not give real chance to tire set - but I not abandoning it - I hav few tires just sitting out there so coyote can get use to it
I also started shooting animal in shoulder instead of head - lot less blood and die as quick

I tried the bat like PollWoll does this weekend on coon - i old and fat and only got him w glancing blow and he was super pissed 🤣🤣 - I just walked to Polaris and got 22 and shot in shoulder. I think it lot better w less blood - coyote yesterday had 0 blood and not much today

Interested in results on the tire set as well

For TDog93

Great pics TDog93. Must say...Coyotes all seem to be very photogenic!

Thanks man!!

I will try tire set in time - just got tires sitting on land now w no sets

2 more coons this morning. I need a week or so of dry weather. My place is a muddy mess right now

Nice pic- I see more rain coming - my place messy

Another coon this morning. He's the 10th one in the past couple of weeks for me.

I have never trapped except coons and squirrels in live traps, but I can speak for the tire set. We had a guy that trapped 7 yotes and a bob cat off of our farm. He put a tire set out and had a catch in it the first night. He said he used them to keep the cattle from tripping his sets.

Caught 6 coons and 1 opossum this past weekend. Getting a dozen coyote traps ready this week.

Nice on the coon catching Crenshawco & Cchoque93

Had 2 of my 4 sets the bait hole dug up and trap not stepped on - been putting hole deeper and deeper which I think increase chances they step on trap - put those 2 sets little deeper today

TDog93..are you putting your hole up against some type of backing? Like a clump of grass, rock, chunk of wood? I know that when you put the hole up against something, and drill it at a 45 degree angle it makes the coyote come from the front to see what's in the hole and makes it more likely they will step on the trap.

You probably already know this but I was trying to think of how they were missing your trap?

Yea - I usually hav bank behind r peace of wood r grass

The trap against the high bank - I think the animal just hit it from the side - I put hole deeper to make it work more

The other trap had more backing before I caught 2 coyote off it in 2 days - they wore some of backing down - I put a few dirt clods around that one this evening to semi direct dog but it is not obvious and I put small clump grass behind the worn down hump- I put hole at angle always and I made that hole deeper today

I've got a question for yall from the coon this morning. So I've got my cell camera on this feeder so I can monitor it. I went yesterday afternoon to dispatch those 2 coons and reset them. This morning I had pictures of the coon and I noticed this other little blob but just figured it was mud the coon had stirred up.



So when I went at lunch today to dispatch this coon I get there and there's a dead possum in one of the traps too. The only thing I can think of is the coon killed him. Any other ideas? If you look at the picture above it looks like the coon may be standing on him. I anchored the 2 traps far enough apart that they had a gap between them but the two animals could definitely touch once in the trap. I've got limited dry ground to work with so they're closer than I'd like

I’ve found dead coons laying next to traps still baited....the only I can figure is two coons fought over the bait and really neither won
So you may be right in thinking the coon killed the possum

I wonder if the coon attacked the possum thinking the possum was causing him to be trapped?

Good news is you are getting interest in the hole, so hopefully more coyotes will go down soon.

That was kind of my thoughts. I don't really have another explanation. The dang thing was so muddy it was hard to tell much about it

Caught another coyote this morning in one of my four sets - same trap I just caught the last 2 in - that’s 3 in 4 days - I ei try r got a bunch of stupid coyotes in 🤣 or the stuff I started using from u guys is paying off

One of my other sets had cat step in between bait hole and trap - just missed my trap

Congrat!!

1 coon today

1 coon for me too

2 more opossums yesterday. Pulled all my DPs. Moving to another property this weekend

Back to my old self - didn’t catch squat in 4 coyote and 1 coon trap 😀

1 more coon today. Pulled all my sets on my place for a few days, need to dig out wet marshmallows and swelled cat food from the dps. My dirt holes have been unproductive about a week so I'm moving them after this little wet front comes through.

Another coon this morning

I had one possum this morning

I had DP triggered and wrapped around a tree. No animal. That’s a first for me. Something is limping around out there now!

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Nice SJ22

After a week I had 10 coons and 2 possums.

Very nice squadron - the coons and the dogs gave me the middle finger this weekend - one possum was it - will check 5 dog traps n morning - got one new set out where there was lot of poop and some pics - we will see - then rain coming like 6 am tomorrow

Been running DPs hard for about three weeks now, only been able to scratch out two coons. After taking 56 off the place last year I think our population is way down. Also put out 3 coyote/cat sets Saturday and had a nice female Sunday morning. Put three more sets out yesterday as well. Nothing in them this morning.

Set my first coyote sets Sunday. Will definitely be a learning curve. Have cell cams on both spots

Another coon this morning.

Nice Crenshaw and Coosa

Had one fox today and one trap thrown - I am a rookie here w traps but feel like that one may be hard to catch again - rain had washed away tracks and trap was laying over in road

Cchoque- took me a while to catch my first dog and guys on this site hav taught me ton about trapping dogs

Another coon today

Last night

Nice work!

Nice SJ

Caught my first coyote this morning, it was a small female

Nice sj22 that's a good night. How many days are you running?

Mostly Friday-Sunday, sometimes I get home in time to set them on Thursday evenings

1 coyote, 1 coon and a oppossum this morning

Congrats JohnV

I got kicked in the nuts this weekend - nothing in my 5 coyote traps and 4 coon traps on Saturday and Sunday 😀

coyote

Well dang I'm trying to figure out how to post pics

Female we got Saturday

Male we got yesterday

The one in Red??

Just kidding, nice work!!

Nice work JohnV

No catches for me - tracks around few of my sets

1 small coon today. The longer I trap the more youngins I got going with me. 5 kids from ages 5 to 8 today. They make it interesting for sure

One more coon today, probably gonna pull some traps tomorrow and move them

Awesome pics JohnV

Nothing again today in coyote trap and 2 traps that been set for 8 plus days and been stepped around different days were completely uncovered today

Coon traps or dp trap emptied or cleaned out - still set - guessing a rat

Found where it killed/ or ate a turkey next to where I caught the coon yesterday. I used the feathers and some bobcat gland to reset the trap. It worked anyway

Been slow the past 4 nights

Caught my first yote last night! Now I’m at 36 coons, 15 opossums, and 1 coyote

There’s a pretty cool group on Facebook called Down South Trappers

Cchoque that’s awesome - u putting hurting on em

I had something happen to me that sucked today - i was approaching one of my traps as I topped hill - coyote was heading for my trap and saw me and bolted - was within 10 yards of my trap 😀

One possum yesterday and one coon today - had been about 2 weeks on the coons w out a catch

Set 11 DP traps on the 9th and pulled them today. Caught 8 coons. Hopefully will be able to get back after them next weekend

+1 opossum

+1 coyote!

One coon this morning - with all the rain coming tonite - i unset my traps - may reset Friday

Pulled all my traps today, gonna wait till after the rain and try something different

Got this big female today

Shot this female yesterday and crippled up another one. Tracked it for aways and jumped it a couple times. Figure it wont make it anyway

Got a few this weekend

Nice pics John And SJ- thanks for sharing

I got my first dog in several weeks today then got lucky on a turkey

Good job, congrats on the turkey

+1 coyote

Another big male today

Nice pic JohnV and congrats

I got to reset all mine - maybe tomorrow after turkey hunting

Reset 6 coon traps and 2 dog traps today - first time I had traps out since around 3/22

Check road camera today - hav 3-4 coyotes on cam routinely - wish I would hv set my other 3 traps also - will see how long it takes me to catch yote

Another female today

Lov seeing that John - congrats - I just had one big male possum this morning

Thanks, gonna keep on trying. I made 6 more sets on some fresh sign today. All mb650's, so I'm curious to see how it goes

I thought 550s were the largest land foothold we can use? I could have read wrong

#2

Nice beaver - dang - that sounds weird saying that to a dude 🤣

It’s a line I usually save for females

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It's been slow but I finally got another one today. Female on some homemade bait caught in a flat set.

Heck yea - way to go

Mine slow - just unset mine - bout to get more rain and my roads I thought u could not hurt about shot they so wet

Between the ticks, ants, mosquitoes and weather it's been tough. Polyfil, peat moss and permethrin definitely make it alot easier

On 9 April, this 18 lb female coyote was caught at a pipe dream set with Caven's Predator Bait from Cabela's, Elk River Lures Tonnage bait and BTO lure.



On 10 April, this pregnant 31 lb coyote was caught at a dirt hole set using Caven's bait, Elk River Lures Anomaly lure and Southern Snares Red Fox Urine.



Both caught on Redstone.

On 21 Apr 21, this female coyote was caught in a dirt hole set using Coyote Claymore I and Fox Urine.

Congrats Pollwoll and JohnV - Nice pics

Put my line back out on my place yesterday. Caught one female coon.

Finally had a chance to do a little trapping last 3 days. Managed to trap 3 opossums and 1 coyote with dirt hole set.

Nice Andalusia- congrats

Thanks TDog93

Always good to see a coyote wearing some jewelry

Andy I can say that dog looks much better than the two I caught.....they nasty looking

Congrats on a good catch

Over the weekend through today, we got 3 coons and a possum.

Still nothing on my dirt hole sets and not a fresh track around them. Still haven't caught a coyote in my short time trying to. Not sure if there just isn't many around or I just suck. Never had one dug up or missed either. Do y'all refresh the bait in the hole or just let it soak?

If they’re not messed up then leave them alone
A dogs nose will smell anything in the dirthole no matter how long it’s been there
I’ve have sites dug up months after I pulled sets

^^^
What he said

It probably took me 6 weeks to catch my first one and I hav gotten better by listening to guys on here. I noticed - my coyotes are not on my roads every single day - they make rounds is what my camera shows - they may come thru 2 straight days then not hit that road again for several days

I watch trap catching u tube and read lot of stuff PollWoll has in here and what Deadeye said and watch what they use for bait and lure

Two dogs this morning
Both male

Congrats!
Rain has shut me down for a little while.

Awesome Deadeye

My place so soaked also - hope I can get out Friday - May hav to wait till next week

I'm still checking but it's wet wet and nothing is getting in my sets.

One genuine mud dog this morning

I bet!! And probably you too!

But still one more down

You are correct on all counts sir

One muddy coon this morning

Congrats Deadeye

I Finally got 4 coon and 3 coyote traps out this evening before scheduled dinner - hope to set few more tomorrow - storm cloud coming in - hope don’t freakin rain

Catch’em all before we start getting charged for catching them

Sadly - u prob right

They should be paying a bounty or at least give a discount toward hunting/fishing license fees when predators trapped or shot.

If they offered a discount on hunting fees, I bet we would see an amazing impact on reducing predators and improving turkey and deer populations!

The explosion of the predator population is a product of our G&F admin over regulation instead of conservation
The practice is now to squeeze ever but of $$$ out of the hunter and I do believe the trapper is next

I agree Andalusia - catch discount for catching nuisance animals is good idea - doubt we ever see that though

Did not hav crap in my traps this morning - set out 2 extra coon traps today - got 6 coon 3 dog trap out - work to busy to set out another coyote trap - May do that tomorrow - back to salt mine now

Been slow the last 3 days. Set a few more for Bobcats today.

Yep
I’ve been 4 days and no catches
I know there are 2 coyotes and 2 bobcats still operating in my area...oh and a red fox
Probably pull traps next weekend

Caught 1 coon Saturday - not crap today

I got coons and cats and possum and coyote will come thru from time to time - pulled some of my coon traps today for shorter runs on work days

I've caught 11 coyotes off my dads place since march. Still have alot of bobcat tracks on all the roads. I've only caught one bobcat. I gotta get better at trapping them

My cats kick my butt - got multiple - they step around my sets - very difficult - I need to double set more - got 2 traps about ready - prob use both as double set. My cats very tuff - my coyotes travel thru sporadically - I still got handful of coons - they tuff - they will eat down to trigger - got to change up my bait some

I only caught 1 cat - and I run 3-5 coyote traps

Yea, they do the same stuff to me. I made a cubby set yesterday. I'm up to about 20 traps but it's hard for me to get em all in the ground. I'd like to put in some blind sets in the roads this week. Might be the only way I can get them

I just put a set middle of road Saturday

They piss me off - I got some big cats and they consistently step around one of my sets and it varies which one. I had a couple catches that got away early in my trapping career last year - Dug out ground bad - big struggle - afraid it was cats - they may hav their pHD now 🤣

I had a coyote pull out of a trap on my buddies place. Pulled my traps after 2 weeks of nothing. Really makes you wonder if they don't go and tell all the others or something

3 coyotes and 1 pig

When cats are walking around your sets then place two more behind your dirthole at the 10 & 2 position
Place them about 6” from the hole to the jaw

Thanks Deadeye - I about got 2 trap ready and I will focus on one of the most consistent traps they step around

Congrats on catches Deadeye

Beats nothing I guess

Those are two good catches
Always good to get rid of those nest destroying pests

Thanks, good job on yours to. 3 coyotes in a day is definitely a good day and a pig to boot

3 coyotes is a haul - I b happy to hav coon and possum tomorrow before work JohnV - I got blanked this morning

Heck getting skunked makes the good days better. I'm gonna try to get some dp's and more foot holds out over the next couple days.

Congrats Deadeye48, nice work on those yotes!
You caught in one day what I have caught in my lifetime on yotes

I decided to put out a few dirt hole sets Saturday since I'm still catching coons on my chufa patch and caught a young male last night and another coon. I'm up to 22 coons now.

Congrats! Healthy looking yote.....or at least he used to be!

Congrats Squadron

I got blanked today - about to get some fish oil - I did put some moonshine w my corn this morning in dP which helps

Nice shot on that one squadron!

Squadron that dog looks very healthy compared to the ones I’ve caught
He must’ve been eating good
Congrats on the catch and kill

Nothing for me today

Finally

Nice!!
I have yet to get a bobcat.

Congrats johnv
Another turkey killer eliminated

Thanks yall, this is what my little buddy has been wanting. Proud to make it happen

Heck yea - way to go John V - congrats

Just found out my place getting cut - they grated one road and got one of my traps - but excited they thinning

I caught a chipmunk this morning - then ran back out this evening to get traps - funny thing - i had cat print in center of my pan - I put peat moss in it - guess dirt got under toungue anyway

John - did u catch cat on center road set? That is where he stepped on my pan at my new center road set

No, just a regular dirt hole set with some soul taker, cavens feline fix, and bobcat urine

I use polyfil under my pan then peat moss. Seems to work good for me

Good info

Another one in the same spot, and a small coon today

Sounds like you caught the mating pair
Congrats and the deer and turkeys thank you

Both of the last 2 were Tom's. The first one I got was a female. This one was a very pretty cat. Probably the prettiest I've ever seen around here. I'll try to post a better picture my wife took. My lens on my phone is busted

I've got all 3 within a 2 acre spot on 190 acres. Hopefully I see more turkeys next year.

Congrats John - very nice

Pulled all traps this morning
Was a good season on predator management
Totals were
18 coyotes
18 coons
7 pigs
2 bobcats

Keep up the good work guys

Nice work Deadeye

I want to start back when I can for 3-5 weeks

Do u use the same baits for coyote in the summer ? I never trapped coyote in summer - I May sweat too much to do it - May hav to wait till October (don’t want to sweat on my set)

During the summer months bait will draw ants
If I trap during the summer I just use a lure and sheep’s wool

Thanks Deadeye - good to know

Congrats to all! Deadeye: How many traps were you setting out? Just curious. I have had anywhere from 2-6 out in my limited time of trapping this season for dirt hole sets. And up to same number of dog-proof traps. Rain and limited days hurt me this year.
Thought about getting and setting more but until I have more time, just haven't done it yet.

In February I had about 60 sets
In may I had 23 sets

Wow....that's a lot of work setting and checking/resetting that number! Until I set a few traps, I did not have a true appreciation of the work it takes to set out and monitor that many traps. My hats off to you sir

It is a lot of work but the benefits we reap every deer and turkey season are well worth the effort and it gets better with each passing year
Wish we could get some of our G&F people to listen on the importance of predator management

Awesome job, fixing to start pulling some of mine today. I'll probably keep trapping behind my house though

I got bout same number U got Andalusia

6 coon and 7 coyote (4 Duke and 3 MB) - got new coyote trap coming - trying one I saw PollWoll using - K9 Extreme

I pulled all of mine today and gonna take a break. Gonna just stick with training my dogs till it cools off.