My nephew and I have recently discovered coyotes in the area. First week of gun seaon, he got one with his rifle. Since then we have been trying to trap them with no success. We boil the traps in walnut hulls, then dip them in parafin wax with a nail in between the jaws to cover everything, wearing rubber boots and gloves and we are having no luck. The traps are either being robbed or tripped and robbed. Any advice would be aprreciated.

Can you give some more info. What kind of sets are you using, what type and size traps, are they modified, etc? If your sets are being robbed and/or tripped then there is definetly a problem somewhere. Could be a coon or other critter tripping and robbing them.

Are you seating them level in the set? If you press on any part of the jaws and there is movement you are not seating the traps level. Maybe that the traps are too small, or the animal is not putting it's foot near the pan. Do you use guides to guide the animals foot into the pan?

Could be that the traps need to be modified. File down the dog, take the travel out of the pan, put a spring on the chain, etc. Lots of different things could cause this to happen. My advice is to get some good trapping videos or books, and read them BEFORE you educate the target animals. Once they know your sets they will be much, much harder to catch.

Ohh by the way check out this website: www.trapperman.com

Do not use bait.


Use a scent post set - Every watch an un-nuetered male dog - he absolutely has to mark his territory - same with coyotes (actually male and female) - but it helps to think about it like a dog on a fire Hydrant.

A set that I've been told works real well, is a Deer skullor other large bone - in a field near a hedgerow opening where the coyotes will cut through at night. set both sides of the "bone" and apply Coyote (or even fox) urine.

I stopped trapping years ago - (no time) - but I can tell you that Bait - is NOT the best way to trap a coyote.

FH

I agree with the bait comment. I found a hole set with nothing more then your wife's vanilla extract on cotton balls in a empty film container has worked well for me. Trap size should be thought of too as alrready mentioned.......

Traps MUST be bedded solid. If there is any wiggle at all in the trap it will result in alot of sprung traps and alot of trapsmart coyotes. www.pbase.com/mlo3135127 & www.wildturkey.smugmug.com