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Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? #6621906
09/21/19 11:41 AM
09/21/19 11:41 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
K
Kingcuda Offline OP
trapper
Kingcuda  Offline OP
trapper
K

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
Hello everyone, New guy here... I'm going to start trapping this season and it will be my first year doing it. I will be focusing primarily on fox and coyote using dirt hole sets but will also be going after a few coon mink and muskrat on the side. Just wondering if any experienced predator trappers could give a new guy some advice and tips or maybe tell me some of the things you learned during your first few years of doing it and what to avoid. I've been wanting to start trapping for about 5 years now and I'm excited to finally start doing it.. Thanks eveyone

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621907
09/21/19 11:44 AM
09/21/19 11:44 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
T
The Beav Offline
trapper
The Beav  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
Where are you In WI?


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: The Beav] #6621908
09/21/19 11:46 AM
09/21/19 11:46 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
K
Kingcuda Offline OP
trapper
Kingcuda  Offline OP
trapper
K

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
Yes northern Wisconsin.. limited farmland heavy forest

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621913
09/21/19 11:58 AM
09/21/19 11:58 AM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 3,842
Pennsylvania
The hammer Offline
trapper
The hammer  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 3,842
Pennsylvania
Probably not my place to say this but welcome to trapper man you came to the right place for information. There are ton of really nice guys/girls on here with a ton of good information. My advice is get a few videos or YouTube some videos. Books also help. If going the YouTube route since it seems to be faster and easier I suggest looking up wolfernation they have a ton of info on coyote trapping. Management advantage is another really good one. One thing I can say from my experience when younger till now is keep things simple stick with one or two type of sets and master them before moving onto another type. You mentioned starting with dirt holes here is one I use alot that's just a big deep hole and simple dirt patern. [Linked Image]
Again deep I make my hole for coyote 3 to 4 inches wide 18 to 24 inches deep. I'm sure you are going to getting a ton of information on here so find what works for you and is simple for you to do. Best of luck and be safe out there.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621916
09/21/19 12:06 PM
09/21/19 12:06 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
T
traprjohn Offline
trapper
traprjohn  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
who is mentoring you locally?
….Here’s what helped shorten my learning curve by decades. Join your state trapping assn, Google it. Then contact officers off their site and ask for a mentor to ride along with. This gets you in the info loop of FREE trappers ed classes and meets and fur sales/pick ups, and conventions. Then attend ALL YOU CAN, this shows folks you are serious and will be a good student. It sure helped open many doors for me and it could for you as well. ALSO, get several different trapping supply catalogs, like MTP, Sterling Fur, FandT, PCS, Schmitt enterprises, Southeastern outdoor supplies, rpoutdoors, etc etc, THEN circle gear you need, and give the catalogs to loved ones to buy your Birthday and Christmas and July 4 and Anniversary gifts. Explain to them, you want their money to go towards what you will use and need, as opposed to another sweater hanging in your closet. WORKS GREAT in our family.

Also, we have an amazing Archives here: https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/9/1/land-trapping-archive

welcome aboard!


www.sevenoakstrappingsupplies.com for trap mods and gear
The 10 Commandments are not suggestions.
Buy a soldiers meal EVERY chance you can.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621919
09/21/19 12:09 PM
09/21/19 12:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
B
Bob Offline
trapper
Bob  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
Set location is the key. Set on fresh sign, and pay attention to the prevailing wind direction, so that your lure scent is blown towards the path of travel and not away from it. Make sure your traps are clean and bedded solid, no wiggle at all. If you have access to tools then night latch your dogs so that you get a crisp break and No pan travel when the trap fires. Make sure you use a sifter when you cover your trap, and remove any small pebbles or sticks from the area where the two jaws connect to the trap frame, it doesn’t take a very big stone to wedge right there and keep the trap from closing. Canines would always rather step on a low spot than a high spot, so bed your traps just oh so slightly lower than the ground surrounding it, causing a slight depression where your trap is. Stake your trap to hold the biggest animal you could possibly catch. Pan tension is important, I like mine at 2 pounds for a mixed species canine trap. If a spot is good enough for one trap then it’s good enough for two or three, sometimes up to six.

You will miss animals and make mistakes. Don’t get discouraged. The critters you miss will teach you more than this forum ever could if you listen. Take some time to study the miss, go through what happened and the sign will tell you how to fix it.

These are some of the things that I learned the hard way lol. Every tip I gave you I learned by making that mistake and missing animals. I hope this helps you get a good start!


"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621929
09/21/19 12:46 PM
09/21/19 12:46 PM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,951
rogers city mi.
J
jeff karsten Offline
trapper
jeff karsten  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,951
rogers city mi.
You've already got good advise now a little work and a lot of patience will pay off don't overthink it there is a reason a life long trapper got a start on muskrats and coon


olden tyred
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621983
09/21/19 02:10 PM
09/21/19 02:10 PM

W
Wylee
Unregistered
Wylee
Unregistered
W



Welcome. I can’t add a lot of advice as I still consider myself green. When I first started I wanted to target predators, coyotes in particular. Word spread around my elders and a man called Magoo took me on. He asked what I knew to which I replied not much. He asked what my plan was and I replied coyotes, he laughed. He told me we were muskrattin. I was a bit disappointed but after getting out to his spots and learning some muskrat sets and making connections, I was hooked. While I was still trapping with him that season he showed me many other water trapping techniques. I suppose there isn’t a whole lot that crosses over from water trapping to land trapping but I feel cutting my teeth on muskrat taught me a lot of other things like patience and the value of lure and bait. I also had no idea fox and coyote would hunt waterside. I guess my point and advice would be don’t put all your eggs in one basket..

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621989
09/21/19 02:36 PM
09/21/19 02:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,063
Marion Kansas
Y
Yes sir Offline
"Callie's little brother"
Yes sir  Offline
"Callie's little brother"
Y

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,063
Marion Kansas
Learn to bed trap perfectly solid every time, find a micro location for set that has natural guides to control were
coyote steps, checks sets from a distance (only as close as u need to see if you have a catch) every 5th maybe go close enough to see if trap is sprung or uncovered. And patients. Check out Ed Schneider YouTube videos.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6621999
09/21/19 02:59 PM
09/21/19 02:59 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 9,914
Arkansas
J
J Staton Offline
trapper
J Staton  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 9,914
Arkansas
Learn to blind set trails. Works on mink and coyotes.


James 1: 19-20
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622022
09/21/19 03:47 PM
09/21/19 03:47 PM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,131
Kentucky
K
Kyt Offline
trapper
Kyt  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,131
Kentucky
Diversify and learn how and where to use snares. Fence crawl throughs, trails in tall grass and brush, other funnels. They work in deep snow, freezing conditions, they're cheap,need little attention except checking, need no bait or lure.

Learn about how to avoid exposure to ticks and control them . I don't know how it is in your part of the country, but I've seen a considerable increase in ticks in the winter months. Some coyotes will have a thousand small crawling ticks on them. I've noted ticks active in the brush at 40 degrees F here.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622024
09/21/19 03:52 PM
09/21/19 03:52 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,112
Three Lakes,WI 72
C
corky Offline
trapper
corky  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,112
Three Lakes,WI 72
You can learn an awful lot about your target's behavior by following coyote tracks after a fresh snow.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622025
09/21/19 03:55 PM
09/21/19 03:55 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,759
Central, SD
Law Dog Online content
trapper
Law Dog  Online Content
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,759
Central, SD
Learn about location or the learning curve is tough! Nothing worse then having traps and supplies and no clue where to place them that will catch anything.


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622046
09/21/19 04:32 PM
09/21/19 04:32 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,912
Idaho Falls, ID
G
Grandpa Trapper Offline
trapper
Grandpa Trapper  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,912
Idaho Falls, ID
Go get ‘em.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622056
09/21/19 04:43 PM
09/21/19 04:43 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,103
7mtns of CENTRAL PA
GROUSEWIT Offline
trapper
GROUSEWIT  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,103
7mtns of CENTRAL PA
3 most important things about coyote trapping: location, location, and location. Put it where they are travelling making sure prevailing wind is blowing across trail. I like Hammer's example above.


NRALIFER,PRPA LIFER,HUNTER,FURTAKER
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622061
09/21/19 04:58 PM
09/21/19 04:58 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
T
The Beav Offline
trapper
The Beav  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
Once the snow flies CRs will be your best friend. Find a coyote track and hang a CR.


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622070
09/21/19 05:13 PM
09/21/19 05:13 PM
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,738
carolina, Alabama
The Possum Man Offline
trapper
The Possum Man  Offline
trapper

Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,738
carolina, Alabama
Set on sign is the most important thing you can learn. You can catch a coyote in a bad set if you are on location. You cant catch squat in a perfect set if there is nothing to catch.


"If you're gonna be stupid you better be tough"
Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622071
09/21/19 05:14 PM
09/21/19 05:14 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
T
Tray Offline
"Wilson Jr."
Tray  Offline
"Wilson Jr."
T

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
When first starting I recommend learning on making a dirthole and forget everything else until you have mastered it and can make the set quickly and efficiently and you learn to have confidence in the set. Too often I see guys trying to learn and use trick sets and don’t really learn the basics first. Very few coyotes that can’t be caught in a properly made dirthole, just need to be on location with a natural looking set.
Later in the season once snow starts piling up then switch to CR, once you start looking for tracks you will find natural travel ways that can be set the next year with traps.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622098
09/21/19 05:50 PM
09/21/19 05:50 PM
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
B
Bear Tracker Offline
trapper
Bear Tracker  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,740
Wisconsin
My second year of coyote trapping. Set on sign, be patient. I actually watched and watch a lot of you tube video. WI Trappers convention is incredible for information as is the association. Great people on here as well. I PM'ed a lot of folks here for advice.

Re: Any advice for a first year coyote trapper? [Re: Kingcuda] #6622177
09/21/19 08:00 PM
09/21/19 08:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
B
Bob Offline
trapper
Bob  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
If you’ve got a couple bucks buy one of mark junes or Andy weisers videos. I’m sure there are others that are great too but those are the two that have given me a lot of great advice that I’ve used to put a lot of fur in the shed.


"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
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