This is my first year going after coyotes. I caught 13 between Nov. 15th and December 1st and thought I was on fire. However, I haven't caught one at all this month and it seems like the sets are being visited consistently. I know this because there is fresh canine scat on the edge of the dirt pattern at most of my sets. Also, almost every morning on at least half my traps the dirt is wiped away exposing the pan and parts of the jaws.

I'm using all dirtholes, about 8 sets and not doing anything different than I was previously when I was having success. I don't use gloves, traps were dyed and waxed before season, bloody traps are swapped out. I use different baits/lutes at each set on a property. Did I just end up catching all the "dumb" ones?

I'd just like to pick you alls brains at what may be going on? I think the obvious answer is they smell my presence and smell the trap, but i think that's just inevitable. I know I'm on location because there'll be fresh scat and tracks right on the edge of either a previous catch circle or the dirt pattern of the trap itself.

I'm thinking of pulling everything this weekend to give them a break and go to a few other properties and do what I'm good at- trapping beaver.

This site is how I've learned everything that's got me to this point so I'm counting on you guys again to help me out. Thanks for any input

Coons digging?

I had thought that maybe coons were the culprits of exposing the traps. Nothing has dug a trap out yet. Just something has been brushing off the dirt covering the trap. But literally 6 or 7 of my current 8 traps have had fresh canine scat dropped right on the edge of a catch circle or diet pattern

Check your mail box.

Time to use:
Rub sets
Compass sets
Double rock sets
Mouse hole sets
Triangle sets
Post sets
Etc etc
Sounds like you should ask a loved one for a copy of Variations of flat sets by Charles Dobbins for an early Christmas gift.

If you keep using clean traps, sounds like contaminated gloves

Welcome to coyote trapping. The ones left are on to you. Could be because of several different things but once they know a trap is there it gets fun. Ive never really targeted and caught the smart ones but I know its hard to catch them in normal sets. Its like when they smell you or some exotic bait or lure they know to start looking for that trap. I know a guy I trust when it comes to coyotes on here recommends a second trap to catch the diggers. I test a lot of lures and baits through the year and noticed a difference in reactions between test sets and actual trapping sets. So I decided to do some testing with nonfunctioning traps at sets. What I saw doesn't always line up with what we want to assume is happening.

Sounds like mice or rabbits doing it to me. I never see a coyote sweep the dirt off a trap, if it’s contaminated they’ll dig it up. Not sure about coon. Are you using urine on the trap pattern? And are you using antifreeze? Type of pan cover? All those can make rodents dig in your trap bed.

I'm not using any urine, and I'm not using any pan covers or underalls. I dig a deeper bed, put peat moss in the bottom, bed the trap solid and then fill in and cover just over the pan with peat moss. And then lastly I'll put a thin coat of dirt over the peat. I don't ever have to deal with frozen ground here. I use peat because we do get quite a bit of rain in the winter usually.

All I've ran is dirt holes. I'm thinking it's time to deploy some different sets.

I appreciate all input so far

They may not do it in Nevada but they will do it in Kansas.

Start placing a few blind sets around your regular sets.

Good job on the yotes! The ones coming back don't like you but they are not afraid of you either, this is good, you can still catch them. Go get your beaver & give them some beaver liver & cracklins at your change up sets plus some freebees too. Beaver chracklins= take your hide fleshings & put in a crock pot on low for about 24hrs, done. That oil from the cracklins might be good at a compass type set or on the end of a log but I have not used it much I've just put it in preseason rebar holes to make the k9's dig to china. Pick spots where the material is already on the ground to blend your trap bed in. Field chaff, woods duff, grass are all good. Go get 'em!

So this morning, the set they've been defecating around the most, a coyote exposed the pan and laid a massive bowel movement square on the pan. I buried two traps in front of it. Hopefully I'll have him in the morning. If not, I'm gonna have to start using some flat sets blended with duff I believe. I think they're starting to realize what a stinky hole and some fresh dirt in front mean.

A kickback set will take him. I use a little garden hoe to make scratch marks in a vee pattern mimicking a kickback with the trap bedded in the center of the vee. Squirt urine on the vee shape. Sorry for the crude drawing but I’m sure you get the point.. Make the set just downwind of the set he is wise to.
Matt

If ya think ya have just educated coyotes left then scent post sets nearby or at diff locations will take them

Don’t change a thing, especially the trap after a catch. You’ve got all that good smell going on and then you put in a fresh smell ( the new Trap ) if your going to use a fresh trap put it out on the edge of the pattern. The fact that they are working says they are not “ on to you “ they are on to the new smell .

Looking forward to an update. Did you show them who's the boss or they still getting lucky

Still catchless for the month as far as coyotes go. I am catching beaver and otter which I was what I started out on trapping a couple years ago, so my knives are atleast being put to work.

We had a good rain come through and now all my dirtholes are mudholes.. especially the ones that had a worn out catch circle. So I pulled everything that was ruined and will reset early in the AM.

Gonna use some sets other than the classic dirtholes. Maybe try the suggested compass set and sets using cow vertebrae with some lure dabbed in the nooks and crannies.

I've also caught those first 13 using primarily bait only. Our temps here are mid 40's- low 50's for the high. The "loud" lures I have are hellfire, gusto, and windwalker. As far as mild lures, I have several different Dobbins coyote lures. So I don't know if I should go primarily lure and see what happens or not.

Any advice? This being my first year for coyotes I had set the bar low and was hoping for 5 tops on the season, now I'm hoping for 20 so I'm hoping to get back in the groove soon. I definitely haven't caught them out because we have several different ones on trail cams and my sets are consistently being visited and crapped on. Maybe I should throw them all in my barrel of walnut dye again?

I sure don't have the experience or answers like most that have already posted here but O' Gorman talks about December coyotes in Hoofbeats of a Wolfer as being very tough to catch - like they forgot they were coyotes. He goes on to say he takes most of December away from running the line hard - takes a break and gets caught up on other things he needs to do (putting up fur, reworking traps etc etc). Then in January he says coyotes go back to being coyotes. I don't have personal experience really, I am a hobby guy and my canine trapping here in my state is pretty well done by December, but it's food for thought from a guy that has hammered a lot of coyotes in his life.

Beezmador, I have seen that mentioned several times about December coyotes now that I think about it. If I remember right, some of the speculation around it involved the moon this time of year and I think I've seen something mentioned about coyotes getting ready for their version of "rut". I don't know how much water either of those holds as I sure as heck am not an expert by any means either.

Every animal I've trapped I give credit to what I've learned off of this site.