Trapping Coyotes

[The Gray Man]

Does anyone know anything about trapping Coyotes? We have a bunch at our hunt club.

[Johnny Reb]

Forget the traps, just SHOOT them!

[The Gray Man]

I would like to shoot them but our property is older clear cuts and it is hard to call them in without them detecting you.

[Johnny Reb]

Play the wind right, get in a stand and bust them with a rifle from 150 yds. undetected!

[The Gray Man]

The problem is find a place where you can get a 150 yard shot. But thanks for the help.

[Johnny Reb]

poison them?

[Sasha and Abby]

Then you run the risk of poisoning unintended species. I'd rather see them shot.

[Catdaddy]

Greyman,

The best way is to use the same method for red and grey fox. Coyotes are just harder to catch. Most trappers use rubber jawed traps for fox because they can get from $40.00 to $70.00 for them alive.

[Island Hunter]

The trapper who traps on our property claims that if you set up multiple traps in an area, once you catch one coyote you can catch them all because the one who is trapped will start howling and attract the rest. Don't know for sure just what I've heard.

Robert

[woodduck commando]

The bad thing is that when you've got em you can't get rid of them. No matter how many traps you set, them boogers breed like rabbits. But I know some boys who trap them and put em fox pens. They get a section of five foot fence, box it off and put a chicken in it. Theyve got two boxes set up where the coyotes can jump in and jump out of it. After you sacrifice some birds by lettin them go in and out a few times. Take the box on the inside out. And like homeboy say earlier, once that one gets in, the others grow curious and come in too. Now after you get them in you could sell em or do what I would do, get an ax handle (or weapon of preference) and slaughter them fuckers like released green heads. [img]graemlins/hit_n_head.gif[/img]

[Johnny Reb]

Sasha, I am sure he would give the 'yotes to you for table fare!

[Sportin' Woodies]

trapping yotes is no easy task. dont even think about buying one of those "humane" box traps like you catch coons and possums in. #3 Duke legholds are about the right size. when you buy them they are shiny, oily, and silver. ive heard of people dying them in a walnut husk bath. this is supposed to remove the "metal scent". who knows.
if it were me, i would set the leghold, come back a week or 2 later, and place the bait using a cover scent on anything that comes in contact with the bait, trap, surrounds, etc. direct the coyote to the trap using "natural" barriers such as large rocks, trees, logs, etc. make sure the trap is completely burying with loose sand, or light, fluffy debris that matches the surroundings. place a step stick (twig) in front of the hidded trap since an animal will subconciously dodge this small obstuction.
check as early as you can every morning. see DNR handbook for rules and regs on trapping as well. permits and trapper ID are required

PS be prepared to catch possums, skunks, and coons instead of coyotes. of course in most areas this will be a good thing. good bait is anything youre throwing away after you clean a deer. good luck

[Catdaddy]

Sporting Woodies is right on. Most trappers soak their traps in boiling water with wax in it to kill all the scent. That is a very important step if you expect to catch anything but possums and house dogs. Most I know use pork skins for bait. They partially cover it up to simulate another fox burying it because it was more than he could eat. They put real fox urine scent around their set. A fox...or coyote for that matter loves to come in and steal anothers food stash.

He is also correct aabout putting a log or rocks to guide the animal to where they want him.

Also you better check your trap at daybreak the next day...so you can release the neighborhood dogs that you will catch...and get a release stick.

[just one more]

Catdaddy and Sportin Woodies are both on the right track. Leg hold traps are gonna be your best bet in my opinion. I used to run trap lines back in the mid 90's catching fox, bobcat, otter, and coons. New traps need to be dyed to remove the oil and human scent, I always used logwood crystals that you buy that will turn the metal black and remove any scent, and the wax keeps the hinges from freezing. When setting the traps out you need to wear rubber gloves and before touching the traps rub some pine needles in your hands. There are a few ways you could try setting up.
One is the common bait hole tactic. You dig a hole at an angle about 6" deep and about 1 1/2" dia. and put a piece of smoked meat in it, and then open a trap up and see the depth and dia. of it.
Starting about 2" from the bait hole dig out a hole and level the bottom so the trap will sit just about flush with the natural ground,drive a rebar stake or something equivalent thru the chain on the trap in the hole and set the trap in really easy, then take a piece of wax paper and cut out a circle to fit just over the trap
(this keeps dirt from getting under the pan)

Then this is where I used some clean play sand or sandblasting material if the natural dirt was lumpy and hard top work with, and using a sifter, carefully sift the sand out evenly over the trap. This set is deadly on any fox, and would probably work for them coyotes

Same set up as above but don't dig a bait hole.
Hang a piece of meat or something out of a tree to where it is about 4 feet off the ground and set 3 or 4 leghold traps up under the bait in the same manner as described in the first setup.
This will get em, too. The main thing is to be very clean and avoid contaminating with human scent.


I forgot to mention one thing while I was running my mouth so much was that you need some good fox scent and if using the baithole technique put a few drops in the hole and always put on some nearby trees for winding purposes but do NOT let any get on the ground around or on the trap.


HTH
greg

[Wad Shooter]

One ran out in front of the car the other day on Hwy 72 between Abbeville & Greenwood - Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to get him. However, the car heading the other direction on 72 was. It made my day!

[Mergie Master]

What rafterman said!

But instead of hauling sand around I used a little sieve (sorta like a tea strainer) and used the dirt from the baithole "strained" over the trap.

I always used Victor traps simply because I got mine free from an old man that no longer ran a line. But the Dukes traps are just as good.

Here's a good site to order everything you need--->Northwest Trappers Supply
And a good place to get tips etc-->Wild About Trapping

Trapping is a fun almost addictive game, pitting your wits against the animals your after and being selective not taking what you don't want. You can learn a lot about different species behaviors running a trapline. But it's very time consuming.

Your best bet would be to let a trapper into your club to do this for you. He's gonna have all the equipment and the know how and will probably do it for the pelts if you let him have at the fox, bobcats and coons.

[Claimer]

My pap used to trap in the late 70's when fur was high. He always just used a cheap can of sardines and poured the juice around as cover. He made a fair living for a few years til they outlawed the old style leg traps. When the price of fur goes up again , and it will, you will see less predators. I do have to say thats a tough way to make a living. You gotta get cold tough fast.

[B.S.D.]

Originally posted by Sasha and Abby:
Then you run the risk of poisoning unintended species. I'd rather see them shot.

Ole Yote' eradicator is on tha ball!!!

[deadriver]

Merg and Rafter are on the money. I have trapped two in Richland county, using similar method for the set up and leg hold traps. I used a gut plie as the bait and drug the guts back into a brush pile. One easy way in, it was blocked with few scrapps just in front of the trap. The love a deer carcass, it seems to be natural to them.

I have heard that you can't get them to take a poisoned bait.

Shooting them is probably the most effective.

[DMP]

Hey Merg. Have you seen any around your place. I have seen 2 in the last 2 weeks and sometimes when the train is going by i hear them howling. Just the other day they were howling across the road. It sounded like a good many of them. I hope to kill as many as I can.