Nice cat Ken. Original question open to all critters!

When I trapped in KY, it was against the law to have two traps close enough for the same critter to get caught in both. I think it looks bad from a public relations standpoint whether it's legal or not.

If the traps are on drags, you're not likely to catch the same animal in both traps. It seems greys usually approach from the rear. Put one trap on a drag behind the backing, and another trap on a drag like a normal set and maybe catch to animals at the set without having something tangled up in two traps.

I made about a hundred dirt holes this year testing lures with no traps set. Most all the holes got dug at some point. No foxes here just coyotes. Some had tracks behind hole if no backing but all the holes got dug from front side. Personally I'd rather make more sets than add two traps per set on coyotes. Even if its blind sets in same area as the lured set. I've watched Clint's videos and you will never convince me the cameras didn't affect the coyotes. Think he even said that himself in the video.

Its reasonably easy to control were a coyote steps at a dirt hole if it's in the right location and constructed well. Step down dirt holes and double dirt holes as stated previously are great for this. Use the mounds of dirt to guide the feet.

I've come to the conclusion you're not going to tell them any different. As Ken showed that's about the only time I would find myself digging for two traps. For a coyote I can't say I ever would and I surely would not be placing a trap on the back of a dirthole. If you're continuously getting worked from the back you're doing something wrong....only my opinion I guess.

Thanks grey55
Imo there is lot difference in a k9 and a cat once caught.
Where it's on a drag or stakes solid.
Once a cat is caught and he gets away from set on a drag becomes quite ,settles, in till you get there.

What I have noticed here in the northeast is that the flat set is a better coyote and grey fox set. Once trapping season opens there are a lot of un-natural holes in the ground and it puts the animals on guard. Being conservative...if 1000 trappers hit the woods and fields and each puts in say ten dirt hole sets that is 10000 new holes that weren't in the canines territory yesterday. They got to be saying...what is going on? You might get a few before they realize what is going on but by the second or third day they will be on alert. This all depends on how much competition is out there of course. This scenario might not be a problem in other areas of the country but here in Pa. it happens.

Grey I get what your saying. From what people post I believe coyote behavior varys somewhat in different regions. I also belief it is harder to control where a coyote puts its foot at flat sets.

You really believe canines are that aware??

Definitely!

Yes, no doubt it is harder to guide a yotes foot in a flat set. I count on the target animal, be it a coyote or a fox, to make several passes thru the set area to get pinched. I have better luck doing this. I guess I don't have the knack of guiding their foot at dirt holes. When I do try to guide them the set looks too obvious to me.

I intend on setting 12 traps 20 foot between each next season down one line fence. Have a couple large packs running the area and I want to see how many I can get bouncing around at the same time.

I caught a coon by the front leg, and back leg. After he was caught by the front leg, he was bouncing around trying to escape, and his back leg bounced into the 2nd trap.
I won't do it again. Too much work, when 1 trap would have sufficed.

He was 1 (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) off coon. Barking at me like a pit bull.

In my opinion, setting 2 traps together as standard practice is not a good idea or necessary. With a digger or other problem customer, yes. Then it is time for multiple holes or multiple traps because they can only count to one. Two dirt holes confuses them. A second trap pulled back can work well. Or a stealth set upwind to catch the animal off guard while it is focused on the problem set.

The dirt pattern is unnecessarily large. Have you ever seen the digging of a fox or coyote? Small, narrow, and messy. They don’t ever sift the dirt!

I would much rather cover twice the locations, or have a reserve of clean traps ready to go.

Actually, since these are my opinions, this is what I do.

Are you trying to trap yourself, or the critter?

I think a lot of guys would be surprised at the look a NEW, naked hole can get. Even without something smelly down it. The smell of fresh dug earth is an attraction in itself.

Now a hole they’ve been by 500 times without change, sure, they’ll probably ignore it.

I’ve got sand ridges here with literally hundreds of holes in them. Badger holes, gopher holes, p-dog holes. Pick one, throw something stinky in it, catch a coyote. Dig a new hole amongst all those other old holes, catch a coyote.

Ten inches back gives a lot of room to work the set between the trap and the hole.

I want one lever IN the hole.

I love that last sentence. The whole offset, 9-10 inches back because (enter here) said it works etc. always perplexed me. Watching multiple coyotes on cameras they would always lead with their nose, and their front foot would be right behind it. I've moved my traps closer to the holes rather than farther away. When they bury their head down the hole as I generally want them to with a quality bait they step right outside the hole. There is no need to guide, and the stepdown seals the approach.

Also to coyotes not investigating new holes is false. I'd be willing to bet a guy could catch a coyote with nothing but a fresh hole and a trap out front. I watched where coyotes had worked dirtholes I'd pre-dug over and over in the snow. Not a single bit of lure or bait down them. I wasn't able to get to those locations due to 5-6 foot snow drifts from the road for the first week. They saw the indentation where the snow went in the hole which is all they needed. We have badger holes around every corner, and even if not in use they get worked regularly which is especially evident after a snow.

wanna be says-
back half of dead rabbit in a hole with the cottontail sticking out,
My guess is the culprit walked the trail, saw/smelled the rabbit, and...you guessed it. That sucker came in from the back side of the grass and made off with a free meal, all the while my trap sat out front unmolested!!
Your hole wasn't deep enough, first off. You are causing your own problems.

Many times a Coon will be in front of set, sit down and lean over trap bed and clean out hole. Other times and Fox or 'Cat, from front or side of set, will hook bait with toenail and clean bait from hole. Clean hole, trap not fired or disturbed.
With an empty hole, All this leads folks to think they were robbed from behind. Folks can't figure why the trap isn't fired or a catch made. It's all on the missed animal, what the animal did wrong. At this point, Trapper's thought process begins & ends with- set was worked from behind.
Trapper doesn't recall what went right or how set was made with the last catch or last couple of catches.
Trapper forgets a deeper hole (with correct angle) usually solves problems from bait robbers.
If there is snow, then the animal will clearly show you what you did wrong, more so in detail then I can write.

-A couple of things to remember wanna be & others...Dig hole deeper.
Stuffing whole Squirrel or Rabbit into a small hole is easy pickings (hooking with toenail) for a predator to steal your bait. Pin lager baits in bottom of hole.
-Another thing...dig a deeper hole. Some folks don't dig a dirthole deep enough (creating their problem) and wonder why bait gets stolen. Set construction, location or shift in wind is possibly making critter work hole assbackwards. Dig the hole deeper to begin with.
-Learn proper set construction.
-Another thing- Learn more about the use of paste baits and lures to place in dirtholes.
Don't put anything in hole they can reach easily. Dig it deeper.

Hern - Learn more about the use of paste baits and lures to place in dirtholes.

I have learned that bait or lure sticks are a no no. Too easy for the target to get them out of the hole and then they lose interest and are gone. By using paste bait and smearing it around the hole as deep as I can get it makes it work much better. It gets impregnated into the dirt and makes the target animal work the set much longer. Lure use is the same way. By pouring it into the hole is gets into the dirt and does the same thing. Creates more interest and holds it longer. I also never leave a hole "naked" without at least partially plugging it with leaves, grass, whatever is natural to the area.