Yes, it is probably a little "low". So is the actual pan placement. I like em flatter. However, cats and coons don't mind it.

Good looking sets Gobbler! Glad to see you back posting. It's been a while!

Looks like you get really detailed on the stepping sticks. Looks pretty good.

Ok. I finally got a chance to set some traps today. I put in 16 mb550s and 10 freedom brand DPs. I'm not as experienced as a lot of y'all so feel free to kindly critique these sets if you feel the urge and think it'll help me improve and catch more critters. I had to throw in one of those compass sets to try it out. Photobucket is slow so I'm only going to post 5 right now. The guy I'm trapping for has lost 35 chickens and a turkey to coyotes so I used feathers at the mouth of a few dirt holes. I can't wait til daylight.

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My only advice on your sets is they look a little unnatural. A little too neat. The dirt hole should look like something has been digging at it. Spread the dirt around a little instead of smoothing it out so much. You can use the dirt to help foot placement without using stepping sticks as much. Good luck though they look better than mine when I started.

Sets look great T_K! No reason those shouldn't produce.

Check them without getting too close and adding more human scent. First nights are never great but after they've had a day or two to weather and season a bit you should really see good results if the critters are there!

Had a coon in this one this morning.
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Had a fox in this one. I knew it was a good area, but I wasn't confident it the set. It's my first try at a scent post set. I was unsure of where to place the pan, but turned out ok. At scent posts are you looking for back foot catches?
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Looked like someone shot the fox before I got there. Small wound right behind front shoulder.

He says he is covered up with them. I guess we'll find out.

Good deal. Those feathers probably caught that coons attention. I get mostly front foot at scent posts but any catch is good. Try to get out earlier to check if other people are around is the only advice I can give you for the other.

It's private land and landowner is surprised. He said no one is supposed to be out there

An animal bouncing around in a trap draws a lot of attention. At least they didn't steal your trap. If there is a road you can see that trap from it could have been someone just driving by. I would keep an eye out anyway. Good luck.

Caught a bobcat in my remake of the coon catch yesterday.
Remake after bobcat:
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Caught another bobcat in a different set. Here's the remake for it.
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I found 5-6 piles of scat in about a 50 yard stretch of "road" that goes through a cutover. Put 4 sets in that area. Dirt hole, scent post, compass set, and blind/flat set. It's my first attempt at a blind set but it's on a really good game trail where 2 directions meet up to enter a thicket.
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Reminder - keep the larger clumps of dirt away from the pan. Animals avoid stepping on them. I use them to help guide the foot to the pan.

On your flat/compass sets use some of the thatch and leaves to help blend it in, rub it through your screen to break it up. Let your lure do the work on those sets. You want the coyote to be sniffing around and shuffling his feet smelling, not looking at the odd pile of dirt that smells weird.

There aren't any big dirt clumps near the pan on any of these. Not sure if you were talking about any picture specifically or just in general.

Yeah, I could blend it better, but the compass set location was already exposed bare dirt before I started so I just left it. Do you think I should blend sets that are bare dirt to begin with?

I was hoping on the flat set the coyote would just step over that grass and be caught before it had time to think about it.

I try to make them look like the surrounding area. If you have trouble finding it when you check them, you know they are blended good and shouldnt throw up a red flag to a coyote.

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Made another dirt hole set today. Now the bottom fell out so I'm not expecting much.

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Step down dirt hole set

Just in general. Sharing a mistake I make until a old timer thought me.