Trapping...
01-31-2010, 02:18 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 1,211
Trapping...
Ok I just got done looking for a forum about trapping and never found one so if their is and I didnt see it my bad....I have a few questions about trapping
coyotes
1)How big of a trap will it take to catch and hold a coyote
2)What do I use to bait coyote
3)What kind of set...what is it sposed to look like?
4)Where do I set it...timber timber edge?
cat's...bobcat etc...
1)How big of a trap will it take to catch and hold a bobcat
2)What do I use to bait bobcat
3)What kind of set...what is it sposed to look like?
4)Where do I set it...timber timber edge?
I trap stuff like coon and oppossum and whatever will come to the trap but I want to expand my trapping area
coyotes
1)How big of a trap will it take to catch and hold a coyote
2)What do I use to bait coyote
3)What kind of set...what is it sposed to look like?
4)Where do I set it...timber timber edge?
cat's...bobcat etc...
1)How big of a trap will it take to catch and hold a bobcat
2)What do I use to bait bobcat
3)What kind of set...what is it sposed to look like?
4)Where do I set it...timber timber edge?
I trap stuff like coon and oppossum and whatever will come to the trap but I want to expand my trapping area
01-31-2010, 08:54 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 67
NO.3 or NO.4 double coil or spring traps will work fine for either bobcat or coyote the setups vary. you are going to want to stake them in the ground very well. A couple of setups i use that work great is to place your bait on a tree stump or suspend it from a tree branch
place two or three traps around the bait on the ground.
By keeping the bait up high they will circle the bait and jump up at it increasing your odds of them landing on a trap
as for bait any animal organs are top notch or dead chicken,turkey,rabbit ect. during the cold months when there are fruits, berries, acorns, or insects. They strickly seek meat as a food source to give them lost energy fighting the cold.
Another trick i have used for both yotes, foxes, and bobcats is
through out some bird seed around the area birds and rodents will congregate around your spot and the scent will drive those predators nuts
Locations- Waterways, Dry or shallow creek beds,Game trails,Pond dams,Field borders,Field corners,Groves of trees,Eroded gullies,Near animal carcasses,Brush piles,Stream crossings,Under rim rocks
place two or three traps around the bait on the ground.
By keeping the bait up high they will circle the bait and jump up at it increasing your odds of them landing on a trap
as for bait any animal organs are top notch or dead chicken,turkey,rabbit ect. during the cold months when there are fruits, berries, acorns, or insects. They strickly seek meat as a food source to give them lost energy fighting the cold.
Another trick i have used for both yotes, foxes, and bobcats is
through out some bird seed around the area birds and rodents will congregate around your spot and the scent will drive those predators nuts
Locations- Waterways, Dry or shallow creek beds,Game trails,Pond dams,Field borders,Field corners,Groves of trees,Eroded gullies,Near animal carcasses,Brush piles,Stream crossings,Under rim rocks
,Near old cowhide or bone pile,Fence Crossing
good luck
good luck
01-31-2010, 09:11 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,304
Coyotes can be caught and held with traps from 1.65/1.75 up to #3's comfortably. Sometimes there are trap restrictions based on state's laws... and sometimes by ethics... meaning if there is a small chance of catching a dog, then a smaller trap, like the 1.75 or #2 should be used because it's easier on the paw.
Make sure all your traps have a minimum of 2 swivels; 3 are even better. One at the stake end, one at the trap end and one in the middle. Swivels help keep the chain from binding and it's easier on the paw of your catch when the trap can spin freely.
Baits too have restrictions by state. There are a variety of coyote baits on the market. If you want to get your own, then rabbit, muskrat and beaver are good ones to try. Even horse meat will work well.... deer meat too. Don't use too much, just a chunk the size of a walnut will do fine.
Set your traps "upwind" of where you expect them to travel so they can smell the bait/lure as they walk by if they don't see your setup first.
As for as "look like", google "dirt hole" or "flat set" and that should help. It'd be nice if some of the members had a pic or two to share as a pic IS worth many words.
Wherever you see tracks or scat are good places to set traps. Along meadows, field edges, grass lines and trails are ideal too. The intersection of roads work good as well.
As for bobcat...
1 1/2 coils to #3's work good. Longspring traps work good too, but I prefer coils because they're more compact and easier to conceal and less work to bed.
For bait, muskrat and beaver work good. Hanging bits of rabbit fur or a feather or two on a string really draws them in visually. I like to hang a feather on a light thread about 3' off the ground with a swivel in the middle. The slightest of breezes gives good movement to the feather bringing them in for a closer look. Place it right behind the set trap. Placing a trap in front of a cubby set is a good set to use.
Bobcats like higher elevated areas if they are there. They like the edges and thick areas where game is at. One thing about bobcats are that they are a creature of incredible predictability at times. Once you spot a 'cat track, most often they'll be by within 2 weeks and almost in the SAME tracks as before. I've snared several bobcats over the years and it's fun!
Hope that helps some.
Take care,
iSnipe
Make sure all your traps have a minimum of 2 swivels; 3 are even better. One at the stake end, one at the trap end and one in the middle. Swivels help keep the chain from binding and it's easier on the paw of your catch when the trap can spin freely.
Baits too have restrictions by state. There are a variety of coyote baits on the market. If you want to get your own, then rabbit, muskrat and beaver are good ones to try. Even horse meat will work well.... deer meat too. Don't use too much, just a chunk the size of a walnut will do fine.
Set your traps "upwind" of where you expect them to travel so they can smell the bait/lure as they walk by if they don't see your setup first.
As for as "look like", google "dirt hole" or "flat set" and that should help. It'd be nice if some of the members had a pic or two to share as a pic IS worth many words.
Wherever you see tracks or scat are good places to set traps. Along meadows, field edges, grass lines and trails are ideal too. The intersection of roads work good as well.
As for bobcat...
1 1/2 coils to #3's work good. Longspring traps work good too, but I prefer coils because they're more compact and easier to conceal and less work to bed.
For bait, muskrat and beaver work good. Hanging bits of rabbit fur or a feather or two on a string really draws them in visually. I like to hang a feather on a light thread about 3' off the ground with a swivel in the middle. The slightest of breezes gives good movement to the feather bringing them in for a closer look. Place it right behind the set trap. Placing a trap in front of a cubby set is a good set to use.
Bobcats like higher elevated areas if they are there. They like the edges and thick areas where game is at. One thing about bobcats are that they are a creature of incredible predictability at times. Once you spot a 'cat track, most often they'll be by within 2 weeks and almost in the SAME tracks as before. I've snared several bobcats over the years and it's fun!
Hope that helps some.
Take care,
iSnipe
01-31-2010, 09:21 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Trempealeau, WI
Posts: 1,138
Trapperman.com Join it and you'll learn alot. Very helpful people there. Great forum, have fun trapping, its a blast although you will get super frustrated going after yotes as a begginer. Mix a bunch of coon sets into your trap line to learn, have some fun, and catch some critters. Youll get grinners and coon fairly easy. Yotes take alot scent control and knowledge to outsmart. They are a super smart animal to make step on a 2x2 trap pan but once you figure the tricks out they are a very rewarding critter to catch. Heck all critters are rewarding to catch. Outsmarting an animal and getting them to go in a specific spot and catch them is awesome. If you have water availability give water trapping a wirl to. Much easier than land trapping IMO and beaver and rats can be very dumb unless you educate the beavs then they get tough. Good luck have fun. WCL
02-01-2010, 07:28 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 1,211
I have trapped amost anything from a sparrow to coon and anything in between but I have yet to become what I call good I am looking into getting more trap's and what not I have spot's for coon and a spot that if I go out at night I'll here yotes amost at a regular time.I trap a average of like 3 animal's at most in a week which I know sucks but I also only have three trap's.I have six but two were broken by who knows what kind of critter and a coon ran off with one!I went checked the trap saw the coon went to get my dog when I came back it was gone!Anyway thanks for the help guys
02-02-2010, 12:51 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 189
Ok, for coyotes I would set snares (if legal) in paths, under fences (if legal) and around bait sets (also if legal). I use just homemade 3/32 snares. Now for bait I have used birds, almost any meat scraps will work. Also another very effective way to catch yotes is a dirt hole. I have caught several dozen yotes in dirt holes. Go to were I talked about dirt holes on the post "Fur Info Needed" that will tell you everything you need to know about dirt holes. Also I use a Duke 1 3/4, it will catch and hold everything from mink to the toughest coyotes, I don't care what they tell you it will work you may need to laminate the jaws and center swivel them but thats very little work.
For Cats, you can catch the cats easy if you know where they are. I like to use a simple path set with a 1 3/4, I just bed the trap down in the ground sift over it and put step sticks 4-5 in. from the center of the pan on each side and he will step over them sticks every time! You also could put some Dobbins purrrfect out on a one of the sticks you put out for the stepsticks.
If you need any other help just pm me.
For Cats, you can catch the cats easy if you know where they are. I like to use a simple path set with a 1 3/4, I just bed the trap down in the ground sift over it and put step sticks 4-5 in. from the center of the pan on each side and he will step over them sticks every time! You also could put some Dobbins purrrfect out on a one of the sticks you put out for the stepsticks.
If you need any other help just pm me.