Anyone have here have a lot of experience in this area? Is the risk worth the reward?

I have a great opportunity to catch 4-6 yotes eating pets. I am getting permission from the land owner to trap roughly 100 acres which lays between several hoa's. One of the hoa's has a golf course where the yotes are entering other hoa's are at the base of a mt. So yotes have a lot of options.

The problem is a lot of people trespass onto the vacant land (to walk, run, bike, frog gig, etc...)even though there are plenty of signs posted.

If I take the job I would use cable restraints only.

Is the risk worth it?

You price it so that it is or you don't do it.

Explain the risks and equipment restrictions that limit your probability of success to the customer. Estimate accordingly, and let the customer decide.

Thanks. My main concern is pets and people, which means multiple checks throughout the day. The last thing I or any trapper want is to be on the wrong side of the news story or in front of a judge because their pet got caught even though they trespassed.

Funny you should ask. I just read an article in a local magazine that says we can be issued permits to shoot over bait for coyotes in

our city. That will give you some idea of how bad the problem is getting. We will still not use footholds. All of our publicity has

been positive and we intend to keep it that way.

Controlling access to the property is your first priority, with out that the headaches get worse! I prefer to set my traps on private property with a fence and gate. while I believe you can be effective with cable restraints, the foothold can be concealed better and has a greater capture success. Gang setting is preferred, with my standard being 4 traps in a back yard. My goal is to have captures on first night, or at least activity in area by the second night. I do unset for the weekends, less public activity during week and it give property owner use of their property.

Go with your gut feeling, if you think there will be problems, then there probably will be.

That's awesome. Too bad it's gotten that bad. It's only a matter of time that's the case here.

I'm glad to hear its been good publicity, that's what I'm aiming for in this.

I'm ordering me some Michigan approved cable restraints. The tricky part is gonna be to get these yotes where I want them, especially since people are constantly trespassing, I want to keep the yotes "out of sight".

Longuner the area is half fenced with barb wire the other half that boarders the property is unfenced as the golf course has access to look for golf balls. The area with barb wire hasn't been maintained as fence posts and barb wire have been destroyed by these trespassers.

I'm gonna gang set and would much rather throw some offsets in there and be done as that would allow much more opportunity for capture.

Make sure you are working in full cooperation with local law-enforcement and conservation department as well as HOA's.
Cage traps can be an incredibly useful tool as well if you know how to use them on K-9s.

The bottom line is, be professional, charge a true professionals fee, and operate within the law with complete transparency.

If you follow the simple guidelines there is no risk.

I have done several high-profile projects such as this and have never had a problem.

If you have any doubts about how to handle this project, hire a consultant or decline the project.

The area Adam is talking about is within city limits which means the ordinance called HEART applies to any device and action taken to capture wildlife. It precludes use of any spring loaded device and in reviewing it is broad enough to technically allow you to get a violation for any device quite honestly including the cable restraints.

In terms of our state and city, G&F do not have anything to do with coyote and other "unprotected species" those without seasons of take or restricted take (skunk, squirrel, coyote), unless a non target protected species is captured (bobcat, lion, bear), then they must be involved unless you have a permit to handle release of those species.

The HOAs in this area never gain consensus as at least half the people bought their homes in this part of town to see wildlife including yes the coyote and other native predators like bobcat and fox.

Every board who has asked us to look into this type of project in similar parts of town has backed off after looking at the opinions of their members.

This is a state where everyone is out all the time hiking and walking and nearly all have dogs and if caught despite trespassing the laws and media are going to favor the dog and owner.

Animal welfare Dept and other associated law enforcement know about the ordinance above and would be bound by it and other laws and would not get involved.

Knowing you are just starting to dabble at wildlife control in the city, this is a big leap from the skunk, squirrel and cage trapping style work.

Front page of the newspaper is just waiting for what comes of this type of action being found here and this area you outlined to me even at 100 acres is a speck when it comes to being within a heavily trafficked area by so many dogs and pedestrians.

Just my .02 I know you are excited about this "opportunity" but I would consider heavily what the outcome will be.

I agree with those who state you must have all the details worked out and that even then "stuff" can and will still often happen.

Other than ourselves no one is in this city area as you and I are, they can't see the landscape physically, politically or legally.

I think the excitement will go right out of it the moment that first jogger is standing there with their cell phone in hand and video and photos of their dog caught in this area...

We discussed these ins and outs yesterday on the phone but I can see your still thinking of rolling and ultimately that's your call.

Too many years behind me to not see the negatives before the positives on this one.

**I should add that this forum is regularly traveled by many groups including several in our area so be aware of what you are discussing I know this from personal experience. Folks forget how public a public forum is...**

Thanks everyone. Justin I honestly respect your advice and appreciate it. I was hoping the guys you mentioned would chime in as I couldn't find their posts on the subject. I woke up this morning and don't think the risk is worth the reward. The owner would need to to put a wall up around the property to minimize trespassing.

Adam, take every precaution, get your work details in writing and raise your rates again..lol...lots of headaches doing this kind of work around people.

Thanks I appreciate it. I'm not gonna do it. Although it's doable keeping people and pets out is gonna be impossible. Even if the property owner builds a wall all the way around the property the yotes have other access points to get in which are more visible to numerous residents. The last thing I want is a law suit for me and the owner and to be in the media in a negative light. Even if i charged $10k it's not worth it having someone recording it, blasting on all media. If the yotes had mange or other dieses it would be more understandable as to why.

I was trapping in a forest and caught a dog in a 1 3/4 os and the story hit the media about a week later. The dog owner took my trap and her dog called game and fish then a few days later the news.

Could you imagine the firestorm that would occur if this happened in a residential area?

I finally was able to talk to the customer last night. Needless to say he was upset and sounded heart broken, but he understood and the last thing he wants are possible law suits. I even mentioned if we did cage traps there still might be bad pr as a result especially if someone's pet get in.

He wanted the yote that killed his dog in the daylight hours and planed on getting it mounted. I'll get him a non-urban yote later in the year when prime and he will get it mounted.

I have a job to start soon a little like this, Its a vacant lot bout 2 acres thats in the coyotes route to the nieghborhoods.Rough getting in and out ...but it still makes me nervous knowing Im still pretty close to the public...Cant use cable on dry ground here so foot traps will be used..

SS, Yeah that was a huge factor into declining the job. Have you done any game trail camera surveillance yet to see how many pets will visit the lot?

Adam, its sealed up pretty much,the neighborhoods are gated and high fenced pretty much. The way coyotes are getting in is through creek system that runs into river 3-400 yards from the neighborhood etc. Huge pinch point I found that is littered with coyote tracks in a place where I feel safe to set......No human tracks present. By the way leash laws are followed here better than Ive witnessed anywhere.....but Im still not setting in the neighborhood.

Man that sounds like a sweet job. Get r dun

Art Lee,- I have never heard of folks having what I would consider “cost effective” results using cage traps to capture coyotes in a urban environment; in fact not even in a rural area. Can you please expound on how they “can be an incredibly useful tool” for anyone depending on cage traps to capture coyotes.

1. What are your suggestions as the best cage trap to use and how to set It, camouflage, bait/lure?
2. How many traps at a time?
3. How many trap nights is average to catch one coyote.
4. How many coyotes have you caught at a single location in a 30 day period of time?
5. Will you please show some pictures of coyotes that you have caught in cage traps? I notice that there are no pictures of coyotes in cage traps at http://wildlifecontrolsolutions.com/wildlife-removal/coyote-removal-and-control/

The number of traps varies by situation as does the number of trap nights. I try to keep the animal photos pretty generic on my website. I lost most of my coyote photos when my last computer quit on me. I will post some of the next project I do.
As far as methods, equipment and sets, I'm [slowly] working on a book.

You know what I find disappointing about what I have read here?

That trespassers and people breaking the leash laws are not prosecuted and we as trappers are vilified

I know it is just how it is, but why?

Why should someone who breaks the law get a pass and though we operate within the law we are the bad guy

My thought - entitlement , some how it has become "public property" because it's not "used by the owner"

Sorry just a rant. I have caught one "possible domestic" and I was so P O ed at the owner for letting thier "pet" run free

It is 100% the fault of pet owners if their animal gets caught, yet the trapper is blamed

I accept the fact that if my dog/cat is not kept in my yard, it is 100% my fault if it gets in a trap or hit by a car. If it chases deer and the DNR puts it down. Again my fault