Golf ball said a mouthful there. Not if but when it IS going to change.
So when you find it set, because it will change. Deer same way.

I have learned new things by taking friends on my line. Two heads better than one even if one's a cabbage head lol. What County are you in 1989?

I'm not sure we trappers realize how much the wind changes. I documented the temp, and wind direction, and any major weather events (snow, and inch of rain ect) this year in the morning before I pulled out of my driveway.

I was amazed at the directions I recorded. Talk to any trapper around here and the predominant wind is North West, and I have always set accordingly. The wind varied that much, that next year I am going to intentionally set a few sets in other directions, and see what happens.

I'm in Lancaster county, you?

Butler

You can only catch what is there. Hard to catch 50 coyotes if the areas carrying compacity is only 10.

If you see sign of animals, tracks and scat where your making sets....then your in the right place.

I have only been trapping 6 yrs on my land. Something that really helped me is what others have hit on.. Taking advantage of the predominant wind direction. I’m down in a valley so to speak, which makes wind direction difficult to predict, so I started setting multiple traps in what I think to be good locations, to ensure the critters smell one of my sets no matter the direction of wind. I know you stated you would like to minimize the amount of traps but this helped me.


As far as location, Something which helped me pick good locations was boots on the ground. I would (and still do) pick up tracks in the snow and follow them. Try to understand why the coyote went this direction or that direction. Some I just could not understand why they walked the way they did, however, most of the tracks I follow almost always led to areas where multiple habitat features or travel corridors intersect.

Because of the ever changing wind direction, I try to make 2 sets at each stop. I make One set on each side of the path so I have it covered when the wind shifts.

patrapper1989, am from Pa. too.
Make more then one set per location.

Here's a few locations, in my area, that produce each season. Hope this helps.

Location is where the point of the brushy ravine stops, dead ends in field. There is also a swale in field, running from brushy point to left.
Two sets located 25'-30' from point.


Same set, different year. Bingo


I think this location is what folks call funnels.
Am standing in funnel neck, high fields on both sides, brushy below.
2 sets on crop change left, 2 sets at tractor path between trees.
Once in awhile there will be 2-3-4 critters waiting.


High, high atop an open field, in the middle of nowhere. Why? Why?
This location, I liken it to a Beaver dam crossover.
Woods & Brush 80 yds. to right, Woods & Brush 100 yds. to left. Fox/Coyote 'crossover' right here.


The Lone Tree location.
Lone Tree = fur



Brushy Hollow dead ends into a field. Swale running up hill to diversion ditch (left, not in pic)
2 traps 20' from brush, 2 traps at top of swale, on diversion ditch (not in pic)


Good location is the longest crop change or fence line in your area.
Corn field runs for 2 miles with ole canal on right. Tractor lane next to brushy canal.
Long travel way.


Another long travel way.
Crop change, property line runs down hill, then up hill to woodlot. (same view behind me, not in pic) Longest crop change in the area.


Same location on long travel way.
Forgotten fence post is the spot


Hope those pictures help you patrapper1989. When you find some locations and get the hang of it...
I'll tell you how to catch Fox/Coyote in the Corn fields.

Hern that is some beautiful country you trap.

Hern, thank you for posting that!

Awesome pictures Hern, I would never think to set out there in the middle unless it was a crop change. That is awesome.

X2

Thank you guys.
Am sure these locations are in everyone's area here in the east.
I trap all private property. Rural area.
Open field trapping one has to read the terrain.

This property butts up against our local Mall. Only property I've have not caught a Coyote.
Here's an open field behind the Mall Movie Theatre.
600 yds. open field behind me, no tractor lane. Groundhog hole was the attractor at this location.
In Pa. we must legally set 5' from a land den, so I put sets 6' from hole, on each side. GH hole is between Fox.
(If you look close, the farmer spread manure & saw the Fox. I pulled those sets so he could finish manure the next day.)


Same set
Better view of terrain in open field. Slight change in terrain, swale with GH hole, let's set some traps.

Hern a GH hole is my go location for fox. Following fox tracks in the snow will lead you to almost every GH hole in their range. And following tracks in the snow can teach you more about location than any book can. IMO

Thought this might be a good thread to ask the question in.

Have been trying to branch out and try new things this year - and in hindsight it probably wasn't the best idea as my season has been pretty quiet - but one thing I'm trying to learn is how to better set natural scent posts. I think the foxes at my site are wary of my flat and dirt hole sets at this point of the season as they've come close, but not committed. At the farm, the foxes always run the edges of the Ag fields along narrow wooded/scrubby strips and in the snow, their peeing behavior is obvious. They are usually about 2-3 feet away from the edge then suddenly move closer and pee on a spot. Go back to 3-ish feet away, walk a ways, and do it again. Based on the prints and the area where the snow is stained, I believe they are males.

Long winded preface to the question, but will these males urinate on the same location over and over or because their markings are frequent that they just pee where they feel like on any given day? My hope is these natural scent post locations may be enough to convince them to remark their territory, but not think much of the disturbance and overall lack of lure/bait scent at the sets.

Used some info from books and other threads on this forum, have some sets where the pan is directly under where an old track was and have nothing more than fox urine on the marking location. Or am I thinking about this all wrong?

Yes palogan. Approach the pee post from the back side and put a trap on a drag with 10' of chain in the footprints where it was standing when it urinated. They show you where to place the trap. Dont track up the place. Walk away in the same footprints you made. The less disturbance the better.