Came up on a empty trap in a well worn catch circle today. No chance it was stolen, 100% pull out/etc. Was it was a coon, fox or coyote ? Here's the details. The trap jaws were shined up, lots of grass wrapped around chain, four or five shallow 3"-4" wide divots dug on outer edge of circle, edge of circle 14" to 16" from trap with chain fully extended, tiny sliver of meat in jaws, a single turd 3/4" diameter about 3" long all black semi firm/mushy, no fur inside , a couple small seeds, pretty much black mush, no tracks, no smell.

My guess is a coon based on my experience . Curious to hear your thoughts. -Thanks

I vote coon.

I just go by catch circle. Small means coon. Large means coyote. Medium I guess would mean fox.

I would say coon also.

I would guess coon. If a coyote is in your trap long enough to burn a good catch circle you can usually smell it. Should also be some hair if you look hard enough. If any meat it likely chewed out

Sounds like coon to me.

I would say coon also.

I would want to know what kind and size of trap it was, how long the chain is, offset jaw or not, end swiveled or center swiveled, double jaw or not? Lots of grass around chain screams opossum or fox to me. Opossum roll just like grey fox. Opossum also chew their feet off just like coon. It could also have been a fox. They are the diggers and you say there was digging going on at the outer edge of the catch circle. Any animal will shine up a trap not just coon. You may have had a fox by one toe and he eventually pulled it off to escape. Many factors involved here. I would not be so quick to say it was a coon.

14”-16” catch circle would be an awfully small fox wouldn’t it?

Not if it is a short chain. I just don't see much digging in the circle with coon.

Could have also been a fox caught by an elbow while rubbing the set. In this case it would be a small catch circle. I would really be interested in what trap this was and did it have strong springs.

14" from trap is the catch circle long chain or short chain doesn't matter. I've seen coons dig so much that they are setting on a mound of dirt as high as trap and chain will let the get.

My last coons circle looked like hogs had rooted up the place. He uncovered rocks I never knew were even around.

Trap was a 4 coiled Duke 1.75 regular jaws , base plated with center D ring on a 10" chain with 3 crunch proof swivels.

Yep probably a coon then that chewed. I don't think a canine will pull out of a four coiled trap of that size.

Sounds like a coon from what you describe.

I had almost the exact same thing happen to me yesterday. Good catch circle with trap empty. No hair or any evidence. No tracks as the ground is froze. About 3ft from burn circle is blood, which continues for over 100 yards on the snow. Snow is crusted, so no tracks. I'm using #3 Bridgers, 4-coiled, offset, outside lams and 3 swivels. This is a first for me.

I often have coon pull out of offset traps (especially Bridger's). On a front foot coon the gap at times is just wide enough to let them out if they fight it hard enough. I also watched a cat pull out of a #3 Bridger this year right in front of me, but that was a little different story as it somehow hadn't tangled up 10 foot of chain, and took a run at it. I had a guy send me a video of a toe caught bobcat pulling out of an MB 650 this morning after being caught for three hours. It happens no matter what trap you have at some point and time....if someone tells me they've never had a pullout I generally walk the other way.

Grab a handful of duff from the circle and smell it. Without a track to go on, this is the most full proof method I have found. Easy determination if you know what smells like what. Unless the rain has washed it enough that the human nose can't pick it up.

Most likely a coon.