This last season when checking snares I would find my loops drawn up tight with coyote fur in them but no yote, what am I doing wrong?

Just a guess, but possibly your snare is closing slowly and the yote senses it as danger and is backing out. Do you load your snares, how large a loop, loop bottom height above ground, what position is your lock at when set etc.?

Lots of times If your stabilizer Is to wimpy the snare won't close as fast as It should.

To over simplify, a snare needs to be made in a way that it closes fast as it falls, set with a sturdy support with loop size and height above ground appropriate for the target animal. An "all purpose" snare is a waste of time.

What size is your loop?

Man that's tough. If you have fur in the snare but no coyote then you were so close! It seems that if your snare closed far enough to get fur that you should have had the coyote. I'd have to guess with others that the lock is falling too slowly. The question is why?

Go set a snare in your back yard or wherever as you usually would and then run your hand through it catching the bottom of the loop with your thumb and see how the lock drops. Adjust/replace until it's fast and go from there.

Loop to big and or too low for the spot or setting in.

I do a 10 or 12in loop and 10 from the ground. I use a 10 in piece of wood with two holes in it. I run the wire through both holes for stability. I drive the wood into the ground, using 9 ga wire.

I have always associated a snare pulled tight with a foot catch and being set too low.

After reading some of the comments I think my stabilizer is too flimsy and I may need to raise my loop up some. It's funny but after I reading your feed back a light came on as to some of the problems but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me on my own, O'well. Thanks for the feed back!

Look at your lock as looking at a clock. If your lock Is In the 1 o'clock position it's going to take a lot to get It to fall. If It's In 11 o'clock position It's going to fall a lot easier.

Here In WI we have to use CRs the loop can't be any bigger then 12" and the bottom of the loop can't be any higher then 12" of a hard surface. That size and position seem to work Ok but I would rather run a bigger loop and be setting a bit higher.

I most always keep my loops on the smaller side.And I like to set low.I don't care if a couple snares at a set get knocked down before one connects.A knocked down snare does not spook an animal,and I would sooner have a few knocked down loops than a bad catch.But even so stuff happens.The tighter the cover you set in,the smaller your loops can be.Some guys that set in more open cover will set bigger loops.I will do that on occasion but prefer to set up in tighter cover when possible.
I would say if the snares are consistently pulled out with hair your loops are too big.

So you use 9 gauge support wire. How, and how solidly, do you connect snare to support wire?

IMO height above ground is more important than loop size for wolf and coyote. Basically fit the loop size and height above ground to fit the situation. In general tail situations I would set my snare loop bottom 14 " above ground level for coyotes and have had great success with this. The key to getting a good high neck catch with a large loop is to use a WELL LOADED snare with the bottom of the loop 14-15 inches above the ground or snow level for coyotes and 18-20 inches for wolves, so they hit the snare just under the jaw. Some may walk under the snare, but coyotes and wolves do not always travel with their heads down; they often travel with their heads up. If one goes under the snare, on the next trip it will come through with its head up, or another coyote will come through with its head up.

Good advice.

Ya want the loop held tight with a wammy either wire or vinyl so it fires before it disconnects from the support wire.

Spot on.

I also believe a loaded 1x19 closes faster and easier then other cable types.
I use rubber gas line for my whammies It never freezes and It seems to hold tighter then plastic or those dumb wire coily things.

I agree beav I hate vinly tube in below freezing conditions its a act of god to get a3/32 cable and #9 wire tight and solid. by the time I get a cable supported ive about got the trail trampled down! I like the gas line idea or im going to 14ga wire

Not necessary in my experience with using 3/32 ferrules as a whammy. If you angle your support wire tip up through the ferrule a loaded snare will easily fire before it disconnects from the support wire.