Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping Coyote trapping advice

I'm thinking of trying my hand at thinning out the local coyote population this winter. Is there a thread here that gives me the A-Z on coyote trapping? How far apart should traps be? Lures? Sets? What type traps? Or, should I use snares?

I have 40 acres and there's another 125 acres right behind mine that is mostly wooded, with the rest being a part time gravel pit.

I'm pretty much a noob at trapping, unless you count the time I caught the neighbor's wandering tomcat when I was a teenager.

Thanks.

bruin,

A few years ago I read a few articles on trapping at trapperman.com and you would learn a lot from there as that website is dedicated to trapping. I am in the same boat as you. I just picked up 4 MB traps from Cabelas that were on sale and itching to try them out once the snow falls or when its very cold.

Thank, valad.

I'll check over there for info.

Good luck with your upcoming season.

Trapperman.com is a good source for info and there are many utube vids that are good.

The place that I learned the most from is Gutenberg online books. Go to gutenberg.org, scroll down to Site Map and click on Book Search, type Trapping in the search bar.

There you will find many e-books on trapping. Most if not all were written years ago, but the information is priceless.

Pick and choose through all the ideas and use what applies to your situation.

Yotes are careful critters, sometimes they won't touch a set for 3-4 days, so you have to do a good deal of driving to catch them.

It may be better to call and shoot'em than trying to trap them.

Sounds like you have private to trap, that should give you the luxury of making obvious sets..Like in a crossroads, and yes i mean the crossroads that you drive your truck on..set them.

Read the sign on the property and set on it, make at least twin sets, meaning two traps per spot..no need to crowd them, play the prevailing wind always,from there set for eye appeal/changing wind. Use a simple dirt hole and anything from a modded 1.75 Vic up to a #3. I prefer a #3 Vic RJ or a SJ #2 northwoods/bridger.Honestly an area the size you are talking, one or two properly located sets will get every dog on the place..After getting the dirt hole down, practice with some flat/blind sets for the ones youve educated, which is bound to happen.

Start simple and develop your own style..in a nut shell

Thanks for the advice, guys.

What about snares? Anyone recommend them.

Bed your traps solid.

If you are in michigan, entanglement snares are illegal. Personally if I was trapping MI, I'd steer clear of snares. Both because of regs and the deer issue.

I share something that I experienced years ago when I was trapping coons back in the late 70's.If I caught a skunk,I'd shoot it and leave it in the trap.It would usually spray,so I kept my distance from it for awhile.Everytime I did this,in three days,the coyotes would eat the skunk and roll and tear up the ground where the skunk and trap was.I remember an old coyote and Texas red wolf trapper during that time period use to brag that he would bet a man any amount of money he could catch a coyote within three days.I've often wondered if that was his secret.If I was after coyotes these days,I buy some skunk scent and give it a try.

Bald, skunk lures and urine are sometimes used in my arsenal. I can't even begin to think where to start with the OP's question.

First off I guess is where do live or where the hell is mitten?

You got alot to learn starting out going for yotes, but everybody has to start sometime.

Off the top of my head, while a few drinks into some Basil Hayden.....lol.... learn to hide the trap smell and try your best at covering your scent, although I believe they know you were there no matter what. Your job is to make it irresistible still though or be able to distract and get em with a hidden one. There's tons to learn grasshopper.

I will say this, love him or hate him, when I bought Ogormans reads my trap catch increased significantly. I can't give him all m the credit though, although most, some has to goto Clint Locklear reads as well as videos. Get familiar with those two names man. Goodluck looking for those tight chains brother

I actually picked up a tip or two from Mark June as well. Helluva guy and full of knowledge. Start going to some local trapper events and meet some pros like Mark and Clint and if you got thencash, Clint will come to you for a weeks worth of lessons along your trapline. I almost took him up on offer after PTA'S event one year, but the Mrs. Wasn't budging on the cashola. Plus I heard "you already got piles of fur in the shed" what's he going to show you--women--they just don't understand.

Thanks again for the responses, guys.

Pittu, several years ago Michigan allowed snares with certain parameters. I'm not aware of that law changing, but I'm going to take your advice seriously and look at the regs again and make sure I don't break any laws.

Molon41, the Mitten is the lower peninsula of Michigan and I'm about 8 miles due South of the tip of the lower peninsula.

Bruin, heard you got snow up there!!! Cool here, but no snow.

Got another question for you gents. This one is about coyote behavior. I found a spot out back where one or more have been crapping. It's a little 2' diameter hump of earth that I scalped the top off of with the brush hog a couple months ago. Yesterday I found very fresh droppings in this spot that are almost certainly coyote, and a few inches away from the fresh droppings there is another set of coyote droppings from a week or so ago.

Would you guys say it's coincidence or do coyotes mark areas like this? If not marking g territory, maybe it's just a convenient spot? Any ideas on this?

I'm considering setting up a hundred yards away in a brush line and trying to wait the canine crapper out and bust him.

If you keep finding multiple piles in same spot I'd say it's a boundary line or not spooping inside of den where it sleeps. Since you've been here and tampered with area I'd rule out the den because it would have relocated. Dont set trap 100 yards away, set it right where the [bleep] is. Play the wind and try to naturally funnel him down towards trap. That doesn't mean remodel area. Try to tamper as little as possible and place trap around 9inch Mark away from bait/lure. I sometimes setback 9 over one to three. Depends on location every set is different once you get good. Measure his stride if you can find is footprint nearby.

Take pics and I'll give as many pointers as i can before and after set. Dont put alot of [bleep] down like fox trapping if it's in a real open area. They don't like big huge backings or fall for the sticks all around the trap eliminating everywhere possible to place foot accept on top of trap--they're way smarter than that. They don't circle the trap either like fox. Atleast not the ones in the east. They come into a set and leave you either string him up or he roles

One of the biggest newb mistakes I would make when starting out was tampering with area trying to guide him to pan. Your job is to find out where he steps naturally. You have to remember he hunts same boundaries all the time. That's like his living room. If when you came home from work and your couch was moved a little you'd notice something w a snt right and somebody was there

set on the sign..You already made the eye appeal with your brush hog, without even knowing it..

Yotes dont so much make a "toilet" like a cat will,but the turds are certainly left as calling cards.

Wanted to add, if someone came in and cut a 4ft area of grass out of your front lawn, you would certainly go check it out and spend some time seeing WTF happened..That is essentially whats going on with that bald spot from the bush hog.

Prominent features in the landscape that catch your attention, will also catch predators attention.

[bleep] I just reread your post. Your not talking about trapping him now are you. You mentioned hiding in brush to ambush him

Yeah, Hazen, we got some snow, but nothing that lasted. Too darned early for that stuff and I have too much to do before winter hits - as usual.

Hope all is well with you and your Mrs.

Thanks for the info on the scat, guys.

Molon, yes, I am talking about trying to shoot the coyote. Sooner than later I hope. I don't know if it's the coyote or what, but something has the deer around here acting very strangely. 2 weeks ago I put a few apples and carrots that had gone a bit soft out in my food plot about 75 yards from the coyote restroom and 1 of the apples and all of the carrots are still there and judging by the coyote scat, it was the coyote eating the apples. The deer just won't touch them.