Accessibility of coyote trapping information is a good thing, but a coyote trapper, especially a greenhorn trapper, may have a grueling time sorting through all the different and sometimes differing ideas. It is easy to dedicate too much time and energy to trying new things when you need to be concentrating in stead on catching fur. With the bounty of information available today, getting back to basics may be the surest way to in crease your catch.

Simple straightforward trapping skills put fur on the boards, but most trappers, could benefit from more preseason leg work.

Changes in agricultural and other land use practices can alter the coyotes habits. By making periodic checks of a trapline during the off season, you keep up with these changes. This is especially important as fall rolls around. A thorough checkup before the season opens tells you where the coyotes are feeding and traveling.

Before scouting new areas, get topographical maps and study them. Farmers, ranch owners and live stock managers are probably the best source of information. They are on the land most every day. They know where the furbearers live and where they travel. They can clue you in on any livestock carcass dumps or other things they have done that could effect where the coyotes go. Develop a friendship with these people and you will go far.

A coyote trapper should standardize with one or two traps that are proven performers. No. 2 and No. 3 coil- springs, modified with jaw lamination's, heavy base plates, and four-coiled are very dependable traps. Trap modification should be part of every trapper’s preseason preparation.

Properly modified coyote traps are expensive to buy, and it takes a lot of time to do the work yourself. But they last longer than stock traps, reduce the chance of a coyote escaping, decrease foot damage, and increase the animals comfort while it is in the trap.

Wooden stakes, rebar, and Iowa Disposable stakes provides an excellent trap anchor. Whatever stake you use, install a swivel at the stake and one at the trap. Swivels aid in preventing chain from binding. No system is foolproof, but swivels are an absolute necessity on coyote traps.

Always clean your coyote traps at the end of the season with a pressure washer . After your traps are cleaned and repaired, boil them in logwood trap dye. Bring the logwood to a boil with the traps in the dye then let it simmer for three to four hours then shut the heat off and let them sit overnight. The next day, bring the dye back to a boil and remove the traps. The traps are hot and dry very quickly once removed.

After traps have been dyed, dip them in a trap wax. Put plenty of wax in the pot so the traps are completely covered. Leave the traps in the wax for several minutes so they get as hot as the wax. This leaves a thin, tough coating that gives good protection against the elements. Make every effort to keep your equipment clean and free of contaminating smells.

Every coyote trapper has a preferred set, but few would dispute that a well-constructed dirthole set with a clean trap, firmly bedded and properly lured and baited will catch a lot of coyote.

In some areas the dirthole has been used too much, but it is a good set, and can be depended upon to catch coyotes. The customary dirthole is 3-4 inches in diameter, 12-18 inches deep. It should be backed with a low bush, rock or log that a coyote can see over. The hole should be dug at a fairly abrupt angle, and the trap should be firmly bedded so that the pan is 9-inches from the lip of the hole. Bed the trap so the pan is the lowest point in the trap bed. This helps to guide the coyotes foot to the pan. Two or three marble-sized dirt clods or pebbles may be placed around the trap to help guide the coyote’s step. Sift about 3/4- inch of dirt over the trap.

1. Drive the stake then lay the trap chain in the extra-deep trap bed.

2. Cover the chain with loose dirt then use your fist to pack it tight.

3. Twist the set trap firmly into its bed then pinch dirt in around the spring levers and push down to pack.

4. Use the palm of your hand to pack dirt over the trap jaws and levers.

5. After sifting loose dirt over the bedded trap, place the backing stone 9-10 inches from the trap pan then add a combination of coyote lure, bait or urine at the backing to finish the set.

Place your favorite bait in the bottom of the hole then add a gland or curiosity lure to the back lip of the hole. Never spray urine or place a curiosity lure over the trap. You do not want the coyote’s nose where its foot should be.

Flat sets work on many of the trap-shy coyotes. Flat sets can be made with nearly any combination of lures, baits and urines. Make flat sets on travel ways with a rock for a backing. Rocks are a common sight on any trapline. A small bush, fence post, log, or even gopher mound can be used for a backing. If you don’t find something near the desired location, don’t be afraid to move a rock or other object to the spot.

Bed the trap solidly with the jaws parallel to the backing and the pan 9-10 inches from the backing. Place the lure at the base of the backing. Urine may be sprayed on the backing. A couple of coyote droppings, one on either side of the trap, add a lot of sight and smell appeal to a set.

A scent post is a variation on the flat set. For a scent post, use a backing that stands out from the surrounding cover. A lone fence post, stump, rock, or lone bush near or on a travel way all may make good locations. Set your scent posts the same as you do flat sets, but use strictly gland lure and urine. The scent of another coyote will spark the territorial instinct in the local coyotes.

Use these three basic coyote sets with self-assurance, and you will catch more coyotes. When checking coyote traps, don’t loiter in the set area. Keep your trapping equipment clean and in good condition, bed traps solidly, and you can trap with certainty this fall season.

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