Shortline asks-
...some more tips and set pictures of flat sets. I feel I'm missing something on that as my success is not what I expect it to be.Flat sets... set under their nose, where they travel or stall out. Set at predominate object, grass clump, stone, piece of wood, cow pie and such. Very little disturbance when constructing a trap bed. Pounding in trap bed (no digging) works find before freeze up. Premade beds for winter use (frozen ground) is nice when you go to set. Keep bed the size of trap.
Blend well to natural surroundings. This is where folks may have problems. Blend in set.
Guiding is with droppings, dirt clogs, pebble, small twigs and such combined with backing.
Predominate object (backing) can be placed ahead of the season during your preseason scouting if need be. This is part of preseason work when dressing up/preparing your locations.
Preseason scouting I notice a dead grass area along this farm lane. At that time, I transplanted a tuff of grass, for backing, in this dead grass area, for later use.
Here's the finished set with trap in place...
...and how a transplanted tuff of grass works at a flat set
Here's a spot near the local airport.
Lots of droppings here when I was scouting. Right for flat sets.
Finding plenty of grass tuffs here, backing & trap placement is easy while blending with grass clippings.
Runway Reds
Natural grass clump was used as backing for flat set at this spot. Trap covered with dead grass from area. No before picture.
Tuff of grass took this tough guy...
Preseason scouting, I noticed a bare spot. Farmer mowed high weeds and turned at post. Mower dug up dirt creating a bare spot. I then place small rock and Fox dropping in bare spot (before season opened).
Classic Wolfdog91 (his picture) flat set well blended in bare dirt, was used here...
a closer look...Coyote