I am looking for input on a good bait/lure combo for yotes.

I have no problem snaring the jokers, but when it comes to trapping them that is a totally different story.

Have no problem catching fox at dirt holes or haysets, but the yotes either walk by the set or don't commit.

What works for you?

I have never caught a coyote I have to admit but I have caught lots of wolves. If there any thing like wolves I found natural bait is best never had them approach store bought stuff or anything I have created. Moose, caribou and even bear bones ,hide head stuff like that but I don’t set right on either. About the only thing I set right on would be a (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) post set . I do have some coyotes on my line this year so might be a first for me .

The best set I love to do for wolves is a sand bar set drive over a sand bar with snow go and on both sides put a 9 right on top edge of sand bar slap bait in middle. As birds and everything else makes noise Tearing it up wolves just have to check it out but in order for them to see what is going on they have to go up on edge to check out . I presume there paying attention to bait not were there stepping.

I have never taken an Alaska coyote, either, but quite a few in my younger days in central Oregon. Dirt holes worked, as did pee-posts, but on bait sets, as mentioned above, they ALWAYS took the high ground before coming near bait.
Once I figured this out, I would look for places that allowed me to dump carcasses or whatever in a low spot, and would place traps on the higher ground. Might be just a bump, a couple feet higher, or a mound 10-20 feet. If it was the highest point within, say 50 yards, I knew they would use it to check it out.

Most of my trapped coyotes come in pee posts. Even wolf pee posts. I often think that's one brave coyote peeing on a wolf pee post. Next thing I know, I catch one there a few weeks later. I also catch them in blind trail sets. But making some sort of dirt hole or flat set seems to be a challenge.

Natural bait salmon head, grouse guts etc in a dirt hole in between the roots under a big spruce will produce from time to time. Blind set where they poke around a bait, esp exactly in a track where they walk around an obstruction like a deadfall, hole punched in moss to bed trap in, etc.
Son in law holding one from spruce tree dirt set early season offset #4dls had her by the left front

Also have had some action with fresh weasel, mink or marten musk just blend in a trap right where they're going through anyways with a little smear of the fresh musk right under their nose. Again I try to find a place with some shelter under a tree and blend in with leaves etc. With the variable weather we get, especially so on the Kenai, bedding the trap in grass, spruce tips, leaves etc that keep it from freezing is a big concern.

I too have had the best luck on natural baits. Like large kills AFTER the wolves are done with them. NOT fresh kills; nothing says "Don't come any closer" to wolves, like a coyote bouncing around in a trap at a kill site.

Also had good luck with urine. Coyote domestic dog urine.

And at the risk of giving away a closely guarded secret, domestic house cat is a fantastic coyote bait. Or at least so I have heard!

Pete

You made me smile in stating there is a difference between snaring and trapping coyotes, as my uncle learned that back in the day and from that he taught me the virtues of snaring. i admire men like Milligan and Leggit who put up numbers with traps as that is a completely different game. Just as it is a different game in Alaska, than in different locations in the 48,

As you have that white stuff, sets under the hanging protection of what you have a great deal of in evergreens is where you want to set traps. You can rig some braces to help prop up the branches on heavy snow loads, but sometime you are going to have to sweep it off.
You can do better with bait up there to draw them over the trap, but any of the weasel LDC's will get them on location.

If you get a big enough tree, you can do a good flat set coming and going with the bait in a trail underneath. That is an old Texas set where they used sheep gut, cut into short pieces.

Lot of work for yotes, compared to snaring, but your prices are good. But you have the jackrabbit factor of your rabbits are fox, wolves, wolverine that will mess up your hard constructed sets.

Hope that helps some.

Thanks for the input guys!