Okay. I'm needing advice from you more learnered among us.

I'm working a depredation job right now. I have a customer who has lost a bunch of sheep in the last couple months. He's loosing sheep at the rate of 4 or 5 a week. Down to a herd of 40 from 58. And the last attack occurred just Wednesday night. Seeing as how I started my trap line in there Tuesday,.... That doesn't make me look good! The grounds keeper there moved the dead body outside the fence yesterday and last night they came back for another snack off of it.

Okay... The sets I'm making are trail sets and dirt holes. More dirt holes than anything else because the grounds are well manicured, the tress have no undergrowth and everything is mowed and kept clean. This means there are NO discernible trails. I'm using food baits in my dirt holes with curiosity lures such as Murphy's Hole Digger and Dobbins Skunky Back Breaker and maybe a couple that have no label left in tact. Although I know it's the wrong time of year for this, on my flat sets I'm using some gland lures such as Dobbin's Coyote #1 and Murphy's Sinky Pinky.

Part of the problem, at least I think, is that the stench of death is heavy everywhere due to shallow graves where the dead were hastily buried. It is overpowering anything I put out there.

So.... Here's my question: What can I use to get their attention in this heavy air zone, and what other sets would you recommend when a trail can't be found?

I REALLY need to make a catch BEFORE the next sheep falls!

If snares are legal in your area, look for crawl unders, under the fence and set snares on them.

New coyotes always move in. The sheep farmer needs to keep some livestock guardian dogs with the sheep. Anatolian Shepherds and Great Pyrenees work well.

Keith

If he is coming back for the sheep he already killed then i would use that. Dont know what your laws are for setting next to a carcass but that will be very effective. The stench of dead stuff is not affecting in a bad way. I would put the traps away and get a call and a gun, that coyote lives fairly close and can be called in.

Predator call and shoot?

shove a carcass under a log or back into a bush so you limit the approach to it and blind set a bunch of traps in front it on drags. Then set your dirtholes and use better bait and lure.

Thats what I'm suggesting

last months discussion; https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads....te_#Post6230076

Plus, I'd urge him to invest in a donkey.

No crawl unders to speak of. Split rail fence with dog wire backing. Low enough that a coyote could stand flatfooted and jump over anywhere he chooses. Snares aren't legal here. I will suggest the dogs, though.

Thanks!

There are no logs or brush to shove it under. This place is well manicured, even in the woods. Non of the usual forest floor debris.

But thanks for the suggestion.

He has two donkeys. The kills are being made in the same pasture with them.

I believe, however, that he needs to separate them. Put them in separate pastures. I have made that recommendation to the groundskeeper.

But thanks anyway.

I did ask about calling and shooting them but the owner does not want shooting around his sheep. As the problem persist, it may be more likely to talk him into it. But I have to make every effort with the traps first.

Back off the sheep in the direction you think they are coming from and use a pup distress sound.
Pups are in the den now or maybe even out in your area.
Set up Smart as you may only get one chance!!

Then go where they are digging up the carcasses recover the carcasses and bed traps over it on drags. add some sort of guiding even if you have to bring it with you.

You may need to find adjacent properties to work from. Find where they're camping at. Catch em between there and the food

What bucksnbears said

If you are dealing with dogs with young they are working from dens so some night time howling will help you locate the den and you will have your starting point. Now you want to look at how they are getting from the den to where they are killing find the draws gaps creek bottoms then look for the pinch points and blind set as much as you can. The places where the lambs are buried scratch up the grave and back up 4 or 5 feet and start setting traps on drags maybe 4 to a grave you can back them up a little more if need.

The owner won't allow shooting in there and drags will not work. Again, everything is so open and clear around there that he could literally drag a half mile in any direction before finding anything thick enough to snag a drag.

Can't work the adjacent properties either. According to state law, when working on a depredation permit, I have to trap where the depredation is occurring.

I know, I know... With all the rules and restrictions it seems that they don't want us catching problem critters. It's a challenge, but I deal with it all the time.

I do thank y'all for the advice. I'm headed back out there now to try some different tricks. And it's pouring down rain to start with.... Lovely.

First thing I would do is put up 2 or 3 trail cams to try and see where they are coming from.If it is as clean and open as you say the coyote sees the sheep as soon as it crosses the fence and its mind is on the sheep and nothing is going to change that.If the farmer wants to keep sheep he better start putting up fence to keep them safe or hes in for a long road of this.Are you evan sure it is coyotes? If not trail cams would tell the whole story.

You got to set outside of the pasture where they are killing.

this time of year you need to find the den. kill em all right there. pups included. if you kill mom and dad the pups will starve. even coyotes don't deserve that.