Got a couple of questions for you sho-nuf trappers.

When you catch a yote, do you remove the trap from that site, or do you reset it?

If you remove it, do you wash it, to rid it of the smell of what you caught?

The only trap that has caught twice was the one that caught the skunk, and then a yote about a week later. Didnt wash it, just reset it. Figured the skunk scent would mask any other scent and it seemed to work.

Reason I asked these questions, last night I had a yote step all around 2 traps, that had caught something before at another place, but hadnt been washed. I just move the traps to this new place. I was wondering if the yote might have smelled the scent that was on the traps?

Any help is appreciated!

If I catch one I will reset in same spot and make it a walk through. I do rub the trap with dirt to remove anything attached. I will not set a trap that has previously caught a critter in a new location.

Thanks. I brought the traps home, washed, boiled, and waxed them. Gonna set them back out tomorrow. Not sure it will help, but it surely wont hurt.

I figured I had messed up.

the sent a critter leaves all over a set is a big attractor. With coyotes, I think it helps with members of the same family group. A few weeks a go I caught an alpha and there was a little blood on the trap, everything was frozen. I was rushing and rechopped the bed and dug out the dirthole. Reached down for what I thought was a dirt clod to wipe off the trap jaw....after wiping it I noticed the clod was not frozen, whiffed it....it was the tainted dobbins beaver I'd used for bait. Re-bed the trap anyway and 2 days later had the mate in the same trap.

I just reset after a catch and some times I scoop up some of the dirt the animal has dug up and mix it in with my dirt bucket for making a new set some where else.

Thanks fellows! I'm going to go by where I caught the yote yesterday and get some dirt to spread around the new sets. I will reset where I caught both the yotes this week and make some new sets at a couple of places.

Try it all, something is bound to work, I hope

I just set for fox and bobcat but, HAPPY BERFDAY!! and GOOD LUCK trappin'!

Thanks poboy, just wish the birthdays would stop coming around so fast.

The only time we replaced the trap was with a proven digger.

Catchin a skunk is like wavin a magic wand over a canine set. Dog love em, which blows my mind when I consider the olfactory capability of wild canines.

I caught 2 yotes last week and both of them dug up the site. One had dug a 6" deep trench as far as it could reach in every direction. Looked like a donut. The highest ground left was about a 1' spot where the trap was staked.
The other yote dug, but not that bad. But again, where the trap was set was covered in limbs, vines, dirt, pine straw, etc.

Should I have reset these traps? If so, at the same place or moved just outside the dugup area?

A lot of guys just move over to the edge of the trap circle and make a new set.

Hmmm... have to give that a try, too!

Thanks

Reset the same trap site.

Then make a new set, probably a scent post, on little hill or hummock about 30 yards downwind of the original set. That gets the comers and the lookers both.

Another thing to try. I guess I just been lucky and caught some really dumb yotes, so far.

Thanks

Sorry for not gettin back to ya on this. A "digger" is a trap shy and street smart canine that digs around the trap and exposes it. If they have real contempt, they will leave a calling card.

They all create a donut dig once they are caught. A badger creates new earth sheltered architecture.

Thanks for clearing up what a 'digger' is. I had it all wrong!