Lost a coyote and a trap this morning. Posibly a big male based on his track, straightened j-hook at mid chain swivel.

Guess it's a lesson learned and I'll weld j-hooks from now on.

Oh man, that definitely stinks!

I've never had a coyote straighten a j-hook and I don't weld mine shut. I use the heavy 6 gauge ones though. I'm not going to say it could never happen but are you positive it was a coyote. Maybe something bigger was caught and did the damage. Then coyote came by and investigated the area.

How long was your chain on your trap and how was it anchored down

Weld them shut piece of mind and no worries of the trap being gone. I've never had one straightened out before I started welding them. Silkyplainscoyot is probably onto something that could very well be the situation.

When you pull traps do you pull on the trap and chain or do you pull only on the anchor or stake itself?

and never reuse them

Taxi has experienced or seen this happen before. It's happened to me in the past and I noticed what was going on before a big mistake happened. If you pull on the trap or chain you will be opening up those j-hooks without realizing it. Can be an easy over sight. Then when they are partially open a coyote could easily finish stretching them out.

I always pull from below the swivel. I'm thinking it was not a heavy hook and had been opened to change out a bent anchor (wolffang).

I've switched to chain instead of cable and I think they are 15 or 18 inch chain anchors. The ground is very hard and only have 10-12 inches in the ground. That left about a foot of chain to the trap.

I bought HD hooks the last time I bought and plan to change out the rest ASAP.

Lesson learned

Never reuse a J hook if it has been opened, I've felt your pain. I've also been quilty of hooking up above the swivel when pulling, Lost 2 before I figured it out.

learned both the hard way myself.

X3 on never reusing. My bolt cutter is how I remove J hooks.

Brian

Like a Johny Sneekum.

Same here. I use the 6 gauge hd hooks and I don’t weld them, never lost a coyote to an opened hook. Could it be that a two legged creature bent the j hook and took the trap and coyote? That would be my suspicion

Highly unlikely on this tract. Well managed property and a long way to other property owners. If I was next to the river that could be a possibility but I'm in the hills right now.

Like others, I’d be suspicious as well. Thousands of coyotes and I don’t think I can recall a single coyote that straightened a rivet.

But, you’re the one at the scene. You’ll know better than us.

6ga j hooks are mighty strong. It takes my 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler to straighten one at a dead standing still pull. In two wheel drive I cant straighten one! Ive thought the same things a few times but it always comes down to foul play.

I've had a stake puller open them in frozen ground. That was a bad morning.