New to trapping, old guy.

I put some sets out, 3 drit holes and a flat set. They froze in, as I really didn't know how to freeze proof, and the yote stole the muskrat in one hole, danced on another set that never went off, and fired the flat set but must've pulled out or it could've been a deer.
What should I interpret from this experience other than always make my sets freeze proof.

A. Don't quit my day job

B. Stick to possums retard

C. Other (your choice)

One other question, do you think this yote is educated now (there was a large yote seen in the area) or will I have to wait and see?

C, you found the right location, just learn from your errors. No the yote is not educated.

Learn to use the silver necklace! It works on the educated ones.

The laws in Michigan make the silver necklace a non effecient tool, from wht I understand, with the relaxer and deer stop.

TTT thanks for the replys thus far gentlemen.

What's the silver necklace

My guess is snare.

Snares.

I say C also, if you didn't pinch him he will be back, like you said, try to freeze proof your sets better next time.

I'm gald no one said A or B

Yeah I backed out after that and went to a fox area and basically worked on improving the freeze proof (cover hulls and poly glycol). Did end up with a mink after that.

Freepop, (C) that yote was telling you that your sets were frozen! Now is a good time to put up some dry dirt. sounds like you have found the location, you just need to work on getting in some good working sets. Another thing you may consider is a trap cover, I use wax paper cut to the size of my traps. You may also consider using them under your traps too. You may look into using peat moss mixed with your dry dirt.

Good luck,

Will

I had one take a dump at the trap last year, I figured it was a political statement!!!

I have about 500 lbs of dirt put up now. This is from a pond at my buddies house. It's black dirt about like peat, sheds water real good. I plan to bed on dirt at the set, wax paper in bottom of bed, dry dirt, then a light cover of dirt from the set. Maybe a little glycol. Might try some waxed dirt too.



Did it look like my girlfriend? (That's what I always tell her)

Was the trap pulled from the bed? If it wasn't it could have been tripped when the coyote stepped on it but couldn't close because of the frozen ground,but later during the morning when the sun beats down on it,it thawed it out enough for it to completely fire allowing the jaws to come up.If it was pulled from the bed it could of pinched the coyote or like you mention it could have been a deer. Just my $.02

Yeah, it was pulled as far as the chain would let it. I had prayed with glycol but the dirty was pretty saturated with water at that point. I couldn't find any hair, so I hoped deer as I don't an educated yote. I need a dumb one to help build my confidence. I had urine at it and many problems with deer at sets with urine lst year.

My guess would be a deer too,there heavy enough to sring a trap in frozen ground.I use very little urine while trapping less than a quart a season,sometimes less than a pint.Deer and rabbits are attracted to that stuff.

How come when people have pull outs they never see any tracks or sign around the area, even up or down from the set?? I see this all the time on here, the answer is there all the time!!

A tripped trap will tell you why if you look hard enough and study it long enough. Most will be either pull outs or tripped by improper setting technique. What pulled them out is the question, and it's answer is usually there as well.

My guess, would be C as your location manifests activity but your set can't produce thru inactivity due to improper setting or preperation.

Is the dog educated, depends, was it the same dog, how do you know this, was it pinched, does it need to be pinched to be educated?? Well thats a very good question probably worth it's own thread I would say!!

How close together were the sets? On the same line within eyesight, yards away?? What?

Would freeze proofing do the ultimate fix or would moving to a different area on the same turf suffice. Would a different type of set do?

I'm not a large fan of using materials not natural to the area where a set is simply because of the introduction of un-neccessary smell. Could be a positive move for working the set, could be a killer to activity as well.

I think most underestimate the ability of a dog(coyote)to learn from just one mistake that we make while trying to harvest them.

Don't mean to belittle or berate your questions, I'm just trying to encourage more thought at the time of check, it's very hard to go back and try to answer something when your now away from the set, and have to work hours on other parts of the line as well.

I agree,even deer will leave a small amount of short hair in the jaws,or tracks at the set.Also some critters will pee when suddenly snapped in a trap and urine from fox,coon,coyote all smell different.Alot of times I'll smell the trap to see who was there.

And no I'm not a pee smelling addict,only lure.

Well for one, the ground was frozen, oh I think I already said that. Doesn't lend well for sign.
Second, yes there were deer tracks all around that area, why do you think that yote hangs around there?
I did investigate but the set was way out in a field and I had been checking it with binos. It had snowed and blowed quite a bit in those two weeks.
No hair that I could see or find. Sniffing traps thats a new one on me.
Sets were all withing 60-70 yards.
I used fox urine at the flat set that was tripped.
I believe I stated in the first sentence that I was a newbie.

There ya go getting riled up cause of the answers you got!!

Coyotes don't have to have deer to hang around an area, yea it's a good supposition to assume they are their because of the deer, but it's not a needed thing, they could be around just cause, or have been just moving thru, could be that some other interest held them there. There's no easy answer for coyote movement, there are easy ways to tell they are moving.

The ground could very well have been frozen, there still is sign there, if not at the set then close by, probably was the deer, and you just missed the aggreement between them and the set.

I don't actually smell the trap either but do once in a while check the set for droppings or urine also, it can tell you whats moving thru.

Lots of animals will leave sign at sets when passing thru the area, not just target animals.

Don't get so bothered when some one answers so directly, no one is knocking your attemps at education, just cause you get a more direct and to the point answer does not mean any one thinks less of your education at trapping!!

The guy that deer hunts it watches a large yote come out and lay down watching the deer. He's not exactly sure about their sizes but he said it's a big dog. When the coyote gets up the deer go bye bye, it's cost him a few deer. Correct there are other food sources mice, mushrats, rabbits, etc etc in the area.

Man I must an extreme white man and you must have some indian to see sign that may be two weeks or so old under snow etc.

It sounded at first Grit that you were telling me the answer is "B"