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Post by ebenezer on Apr 14, 2020 6:14:08 GMT -6
I was curious about the recommendations of traps, sets, bait and such. Some older magazine articles had information and I can pull them out. The most interesting was a trap hooked to a car tire. The trap was set and baited inside the tire and the guy claimed more success. And there are as many opinions on brands of traps and sizes as there are opinions. I'm not looking to make it hard but if I take it on I want decent success. Thanks.
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Post by okie on Apr 14, 2020 7:25:54 GMT -6
My son has managed to catch the family dog and the neighbors calf. I can ask him for tips to relay if you want. Otherwise I will defer to Dave.
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Post by highgrit on Apr 14, 2020 9:12:31 GMT -6
A piece of cable with a treble hook crimped to a fence line baited with venison will catch a lot of stuff. Keep the bait 32" off the ground and you won't have any possum problems.
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Post by ebenezer on Apr 14, 2020 11:14:59 GMT -6
My son has managed to catch the family dog and the neighbors calf. I can ask him for tips to relay if you want. Otherwise I will defer to Dave. Only if he has also caught a finger or two. Then I'll know that he has good advice. |
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Post by dave on Apr 16, 2020 16:59:42 GMT -6
I have caught more than a finger or two. I have caught every finger I have at one point or another. And in a wide variety of traps from a #1 muskrat trap to a 330 conibear. The most coyotes I have ever caught in one short span of time was 54 in 10 days.
So for coyotes use a #3 or #2 coil spring or a #3 long spring. Bigger Eastern coyotes you might want to stay with the #3's. Three feet of chain on the trap and 2 feet of stake unless you have sandy ground. In that case go with longer stakes. I made my stakes out of 1/2" rebar. Don't use rotten bait as they will roll on it and spring your traps. You want something they want to eat not roll on. The vast majority of coyotes I caught were in either dirt hole or flat sets. But the three most important rules on coyote trapping are location, location, and location. Think where are they traveling. Set as close to that as possible.
Stay as clean as possible without going over board. It is more important to have a stable set trap. The only thing that should move is the pan. But be quick in making your set. The less time making the set the less scant you will leave behind.
Want more info just ask. Books have been written on this subject. I could write one but my fingers are too sore from being in all those traps.
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Post by ebenezer on Apr 17, 2020 19:00:48 GMT -6
Dave, Your finger comment made me cringe! I looked at a few You Tube pros discussing traps and such. Are there better brands of traps, more opinions than fact or some to avoid? Are there advantages to coil or long spring traps? You can tell me a good place to read or a book if that is easier. Thanks.
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Post by dave on Apr 18, 2020 8:15:06 GMT -6
Coil springs take less digging to get them placed and less dirt to get them covered. Thus less dirt they need to push up when sprung. They work better if fighting with frozen ground. It use to be that long springs were more available but I don't think that is true any more. An awful lot of traps are made in China anymore. Good old Victor, Blake and Lamb, or Newhouse traps were the best. The Newhouse traps are more collector items now. Last I knew you could still get new Victor traps. It has been a lot of years since I read a coyote trapping book. I knew some of the guys who wrote them. Some were great trappers. Some were full of BS. I will do a little research and see what I can find. Books by Ray Milligan or Jim Helfrich were written by men who knew their stuff but I don't know if they are available anymore. Like I said I will do some research for you.
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Post by dave on Apr 18, 2020 8:27:09 GMT -6
I found Coyote Fever by Ray Milligan is still available. Several books be Tom Krause. I know that I read his book on coyote snaring and found it to be very informative.
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Post by franklinridgefarms on Apr 18, 2020 10:11:48 GMT -6
Haven’t done it personally but have friends that have set snares and had some success. I’m not sure if the legality of that everywhere though so SSS would apply.
I have heard of folks trying to live trap them using live chickens in part of it as bait.
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Post by dave on Apr 18, 2020 15:36:29 GMT -6
Pretty tough to live trap a coyote. They don't like to go into tight places. My old trapping partner had a billy goat he called CB. That was short for Coyote Bait. He would stake CB in a small clearing and set a snare on every little trail leading in. Worked for a couple of years until one summer the neighbor's dog killed CB.
At a set you want a back stop that directs the coyote to the trap side of the set. But I found it worked best if it was small enough that the coyote could see over it. Just a clump of grass will work.
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