I would like for everyone who sees this and catches coyotes to give information on what to look for when setting coyote traps. Not just set on sign like we have all heard because sometimes it's almost impossible to find tracks and or scat. This is for all the trappers that have trouble picking location thanks everyone.

Here the 1st trap I set was on a pile of material the combine pushed up in a been field. That hump you could see from a long ways. Set it and 2 days later had a coyote.

I trap plantations or plantation type land. As you mentioned most of the time finding tracks or actual trails is slim. Deer down here have trails every 50yds and are abundant, so setting on those would require thousands of traps and more hours than there are in the day resetting after the deer trip them.
My best luck is intersections. Whether it’s a 2 track or what we call “feed trails” (plantations feed year round) I always have a minimum of 2 traps generally caddy corner to each other. And always mix it up as far as sets. Some are scent post and some dirtholes some pipe dream sets. I’ll even have traps opposite of each other sometimes based on our predominant E/NE wind.
On long stretches between intersections, if I can find tracks, I’ll set dead center of the 2 tracks with a pipe dream set or a compass set. I’ll have a trap in the normal spot for those sets and a blind set a few feet back...why I don’t know. Just incase he wants to circle it. It works for me so I’ll continue. I use a flag set off to the side of the road just so the manager knows to stay on the 2 track, lol.
And thanks for posting this, hopefully I’ll learn something else to try.

And I’ll add that not every intersection produces. I have some I’ve learned it’s a waste of time, and others where I’ll set all 4 corners. Learn something new each season too.

My first two this year where off a field road across a pasture. Swamp on one end of the pasture and woods on the other. Coyotes use this road to go from one to the other. Made a trench set about midway and scored two within a week.

Intersections/transition points/where things come together.

it takes time to get a feel for it. after you watch the videos and read the books you have to go trapping.

I used to think it was impossible in certain situations to find scat or tracks also. I used to set where I thought they should go. This resulted.in many trips around a line of empty traps. I have since become better at finding that one track in a hard to see spot or the scat that was in the grassy part of the trail. I now only set where I find sign. I am still learning e set day and I don't run a bunch of traps or a hundred miles line but I will say my catch ratio went way up when I started setting only on sign. Let me also add that one type of sign I set on is trail camera proof. Where I trap I don't have agricultural fields or any special terrain. I trap big woods. Sometimes sign is scared. Now I will tell you where I look for sign. Fence line, main highway, rivers,lo g running features of any kind. Power lines included. Pinch points, funnels, geographical changes. One of my favorite spots is the fence along the expressway. Almost guaranteed if you find a break in the fence you will see sign. You might even find a crawl under. You must put boots to the ground and scout. Ghat is how you find sign. Look at a map of the area you will be trapping and pick out features and go look long and hard. Trying to do it all during season is impossible unless you have snow like I do now. There is sign places even I couldn't find any before. That being said, set on sign and only on sign. Quality over quantity.....just my 2 pennies.

Out here i set when driving 2 track roads, stocks dams, creek xing, by big lone trees , saddles, and when the road tops a hill. Water tanks and wind mills. Also any taller cover areas than the grazed pasture. Natural edges. Abandoned houses or empty buildings. Also always remember, food , cover, and water.

A guy at our convention that runs a commercial lure business and traps full time said during his demo you dont set on sign you set on locations. Around here you can find coyote tracks about everywhere. You want locations that bring several travel ways together. Takes a little learning to know what kind of features coyotes like to in your neck of the woods.

Ooops i forgot the most important spot to always set , any dead pile just set back away 50-75 feet at least away .

I definitely prefer to set on sign, even if it means just one or two tracks. However, have caught many a Coyote on no sign, but a location that just looked like it had to have coyotes. Depending on how much land you have to cover, you should probably do both otherwise you may not learn about some hot locations!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed this has helped me out alot and hopefully will help many others like me. Keep giving that info and once again thank you you guys can give more info than many books and DVDs.

Artrapper16, are you in the mountains or delta/lowlands area?

I personally think the coyotes in my area have really poor taste and should listen to me on what i think is the best location to trap them in. They don't understand they are not in the right spot.

Blakspot, I live in Northeast Arkansas Independence county in the Batesville area

Ah, you gotta mix of mountains and farmlands then. If you're near the river, that'd be where i would look for some sign.

I like edges and farm lanes. If I find sign I set those.

Edges, crop changes, two track intersections, saddles, outside corners, and I have had good luck with open field high spots.It takes some practice but you will figure it out.

Keep track of were you make catches and eventually a pattern will form. Ounce ya get to the point were you verify a location by sign then your on your way. Think edges were two habitats meet and ease of travel. The richest edge is were land meets water. The first high ground along a waterway for instance.

Any pictures would help tremendously ya know a picture is worth a thousand words looks like Larry knows this lol. But really any pictures of good coyote locations would help me and many others.