I've noticed this season most of my coyote hits have been on pipe sets. Even though I have far more dirt holes. It has me thinking as to why that would be. And my theory is, in a grassy area where the grass stands up, but a small area it is matter down, such as case here, I would believe they would sub consciously place there foot where it would be matter down on the trap. One thing I've noticed lately on my dirt holes is I get alot of misses. Even with the 9 back and 2 over. I also always make the pan the low spot with just a dusting over. However, I seldow miss on pipe sets. I don't know, it just a interesting thought.

I’ve been mainly setting roads and the edges of fields and the dirt holes have been phenomenal this year. Come later the Pipes will shine again. Of course using “natural” baits is easier in a dirt hole as well, lol. Hard to stuff an egg or game bird remains in a pipe.

I get em to ditholes just fine. Seems at times they step everywhere but pan. But I don't have that problem with pipes. U use eggs? That working out good for you?

Eggs and bacon is always good.

Yeah, fresh eggs off the nest work real good. Store bought eggs I’ll buy a week in advance and leave them sitting out for a few days then roll down the hole. May just be a Southern thing, I don’t know. Its natural though, so it works for me.
I’m still considered a newbie at this, but my trap locations in relation to the holes depend on the hole itself. I put my hole facing the location of where I think the coyote/critters are coming from and then put the set where I think he’ll step. Sometimes it might be right at the hole, but most of the time I set my sets what’s considered way back or off to the side. I’m nowhere near the trapper most are on here, but I’ll catch a critter every now and then.

Seems u got a good system in place. I used rabbit carcasses after butchered in a few step down dirt hole, where the hole runs perpendicular with the ground. Somehow they got robbed.

PM

I started using pipe set in woods. I use leaves in stead of grass. I cut them up . They work good.

My sets are generally 50/50 dirt hole vs Pipe Dream sets. I always worry about the weather or deer. Although, for ease of mind, I went yesterday to check 4 sets I have out for a landowner that wanted to watch them on camera, and all 4 fired after 4”+ of rain over a day and a half. 3 were dirt holes.

I'd never be so bold as to say one way or the other......but I WILL say this:

The pipes stay operative longer for me in inclement weather, so they get the nod........

Now I will shut up!

MZ

Well the pipe set I can at least see when snowed in, so I can find them unless the snow is to deep. I pull when it snows as the trapping is less fun when it's white land.

I use more pipes than dirtholes but probably more pipes. So much rain. I just about always use the pipe's bedding technique.

Maybe why it's so effective is it's more weather proof. I just stared at one of mine and noticed how my haylage looked and blended inn. I than thought how it laid down on the trap as weed stumble and grass stood up and thought how a coyote would flow into set.

That's been the basis behind Mark's use of it the entire time. He's always said it was the weather proofing that made it work for him. As you can see from his comment above. Curious, after you thought about that coyote flowing into your set did it?

Thanks Mark for talking too me as we walked out the demo. When we was at nta. I used to use dirt holes most of the time. But I went to pipe set in woods. My sets r working in the rain. The rain dont wash cover away. I went to the pan covers. They work great

I don't want anyone to think that I no longer use hole sets.......when I do, its in a drier piece of ground that I KNOW drains well OR when I am in Kansas! LOL

Trappers who see NO value in even ATTEMPTING to try this approach very simply don't trap in the same conditions that I do, and therefore have no NEED to try it. I get that......

That said, it does NOT mean that the set is a gimmick or an amateurish-type set (I've heard both) from those naysayers......as it has clearly proven itself FAR outside of my own usage and success.

They are just easier to put in for most guys......digging holes by hand or EVEN with an auger can wear a guy out (I'm 55! :)) Carrying dry dirt in bulk, or even peat, is FAR more involved than a couple bags of grass. I can usually get 30-40 sets out of ONE onion sack full. If an onion sack weighs two pounds, I'd be shocked.

What does waxed dirt or sand, bone dry dirt or even peat moss weigh for 40 sets? 80 sets? 120 sets????

In the end, EVERYONE is always hung up on or talking about the pipe. My PIPE DREAM set is about a bedding method, and steel screen and grass or ground hay covering, and a lure/bait metering device (pipe) that ALL work in concert together to give me a "weather-resistant" approach (NO SET IS 100% WEATHER-PROOF.....even a SNARE!)

What I like best about it is the maintenance free aspect. If we get 3 inches of rain, I probably have to tweak all of my hole sets........Pipe sets? I just drive right on by!

Set it and forget it!

MZ

I get my grass off the top of those chopper boxes. It's bone dry and already ground up. Makes a great trap covering.

That's been the basis behind Mark's use of it the entire time. He's always said it was the weather proofing that made it work for him. As you can see from his comment above. Curious, after you thought about that coyote flowing into your set did it?[/quote] Yes I did make a catch on that set.

I can get all the grass I want when we mow the roads. I can pick and dry enough to fill up 3 50# corn bags in no time. Pipe is cheap. Screen is what’s hard to keep in stock for me. The screen seems to take the most abuse after a catch, lol. Most of the time it’s chewed up in a ball. I always have a pipe set near a dirt hole just to make sure one is operable during our ever increasing wet winters.

Every set has its advantages AND its disadvantages. A good trapper learns when those advantages will gain him fur and when the disadvantages will cost him fur.