I'll try to help LDW what length of snare are you using, size of loop and distance from the bottom of the loop to the compressed snow ? I'd walk right down the trails I'll guess you're setting near a tall clump of grass or some sort of weeds or ????

When you set the snare step over it and continue to walk down the trail let's say 25-35' before turning around and going to the outfit.
When your at the gas station try not to step in spilled gas or diesel if you do stop at a set of corals and get some cow crap on your boots.
Wear clean chore gloves when setting snares or clean leather gloves if the cotton chore gloves get soaked in sweat swap them out with another pair.
How have you treated your snares ? Did you boil them in well water and baking soda ? Or what then did you hang them up outside the " air out "
Then what type of snare support system are you using what I make and sell are 1/4" cold roll with 12 ga wire welded on them these work very well I'm not real crazy about #9 wire but I've used it in some situations.
Allan

I'm using 7ft snares with 5ft extensions. 10in loop, 10in off ground. I approach trails from the side. Snares have hung in a open front shed for the last 3 years. Have tried 5/8 rebar kill poles and 9 ga supports drove pnto the ground. Even zip tied small cedar trees to the kill poles placed well before season. Snares have been dipped, bought from Dakotaline.

LDW, a 10x10 loop is minimal for brushy areas, I would question it for open areas. Maybe a trapper that snares in open, low grass, areas can help. I have read that in such ground conditions a larger loop, such as 16" to 20" 12 to 15 inches off ground reduces refusals. You and I posted at about same time, so I edited this.

10in loop, 10in off the ground

Most greenhorn snaremen set the loops to big and too high for the animal they want to target.This results in walk thrus,inhumane flank catches,damaged fur,live animals in snares and in certain species a chew out.
Set a smaller loop and you may get a couple knocked down snares-no big deal-it doesnt spook them-and they will more often than not be in the next snare down the trail,and when you connect(as long as your snare is supported correctly) it will be a high neck humane catch,and a quickly dispatched animal with no fur damage.

In wide open areas like your talking about where a coyote is on the move and not hunting In most cases It's head Is going to be up. So I would have the top of my loop at least 24 inches off the ground. I have to disagree with boco on loop size. It's a lot easier to guide a coyotes head through a 12" loop then a 10" loop and 14 or 16" loop would be better. And In my opinion a larger loop Is going to be less visible then a smaller loop.

I agree with Boco this time on try a smaller loop 8 - 10 " above the ground 12" if there's a chance of snow .

There's something the coyotes don't like if you have only caught a handful in 3 year's , I've seen where coyotes walked around a snare when I had done the same thing so maybe it's because you walk from the side of the trail to make the set .
Or that you added a tree with your kill pole , try a 2' stake with 4' of wire wrapped around it coyotes are used to seeing wire laying around out in the hills even if it's a barb wire fence someone replaced but never picked up.

You may want to go with 1/16" snares don't underestimate them .

In the open and/or wide timber/bush trails use a large 14" loop set 14" above the walking surface. As "The Beav" said a large loop is less noticeable and generally blends in better. Most of the time a coyote holds its head up while travelling. No additional blocking than that which already exist.

How do y’all keep from catching deer? Or if you do catch one, how is it released? We can’t use snares here except in water or within 10 feet of water. I’ve always wondered how in the world I release one if it ever somehow couldn’t get out of a foothold. Then again, that’s why we can’t use anything larger than 5.75” jaw spread.

If you're not placing a loop this small and this low in hole through brush or grasses, it's too small and too low IMO for coyotes. It should be good for fox or bobcats if its a fast loaded snare. I much prefer a coyote loop be at least 12" up and often 14-15" up off the ground. IMO you want the bottom of the loop to hit them just under the chin, then fire shut fast when they get a little pressure applied to the cable. A stiff support is a must IMO to hold your loop solid until the lock can be pulled up slightly over the top of the loop, then hold it solid as the snare fires shut fast. This is like adding pan tension to a trap, you want them committed to pushing through before it fires shut.

There is so much info here based on where the guys who are using it that it has to be very confusing. For example beav has to use cable restraint type snares and specific setting instructions where as bctomcat can use real good dispatch snares without even a deer stop added to limit their effectiveness, however high or big he wants to. I fall in between, I can use real snares but they all have to have a stupid deer stop and maximum loop size of 11" wide, so if I use lighter cable, coyotes that the deer stop wouldn't allow me to kill, chew out. Other factors too such as what coyotes encounter in their daily travels effect your snaring methods. Plus simple things like camoing your snares, take for example the dakota line dip, I found it on the dry side when applied to snares and it slowed their action somewhat, they still work but maybe not as well for one guy as the next based on lock choice, cable choice, support wire, etc.. That said, my advice is to find a successful coyote snareman in your state and beg and plead to go ride with them one day on their line. It'll be worth it if you have to drive halfway across the state.

Catch pole, get them laid down, then you just cut the cable off them and let them go, same way you release any animal from a snare. You can limit incidences by using break away devices or deer stops, by avoiding trails with deer tracks or using a pole leaned at a steep angle so the majority of them go around.

In my case I essentially use bait stations only for snaring coyotes and set them up in very low deer activity areas like thick timber with no deer browse. With the snare bottom set at 14" above the ground any deer that may come through will miss stepping into the snare and just knocks it over with its body as its head is also usually up above the snare.

Gotcha, bet that would be a heck of an experience. I’ve watched does fight before and decided I wanted no part of that, lol!!

I caught 2 deer In the last 10 years. Both were stone dead. No catch circle the BAD didn't release but had a dead deer. In both cases I could have reused the CR. I don't know If the deer choked to death or died of stress or broke It's neck. I think the deer just kept backing up and choked to death. Both were adult does.

Geez, beav and you're hoping to get real snares there some day?

Over the years I caught a good many coyote in 8x8 bobcat loops. When setting for coyote I found 12 to 15" loops more productive.
My preferred cable for coyote is 1/16" 1x19. Korean 3/64" 1x19 is rated at 400# breaking strength, so where legal that could be used for non-springy-fastened coyote dispatch snares if desired.

I've cut cable off several leg-caught deer, but not in last few years because I started putting 280# S-hook BADS on all my snares. BADs are now required in my state.

Regarding visibility, imagine a coyote trotting down a trail. He would see all of a 10" loop as being directly in his line of travel. With a 15" loop he probably would see it but sides of loop would not crowd his path.

No ADC that will never happen In my lifetime.

I don't believe you really missed my point though....

This is the terrain I'm trapping in.

Oop's, can't figure out to straighten out.