I've had quite a time with critters not stepping where I'd like them. I do credit this to mostly going to flat sets/gland lure or dirt holes flooded out. I've had success with compass set and putting the whole bait jar in a whole. What are some go to sets for a for sure foot placement?

Try a trench set

X2

More important to get more foot action at the set or look more closely at your locations to figure out how the animals will come into the set.

Set your traps where the animal wants to step rather then trying to get the animal to step where you want it to.

Pretty hard to read a critters mind. Some type of guiding Is going to up your chances of making a catch.

The most inviting spot should be at the pan location a little guiding goes a long way, a slight impression over the helps also. I have had traps froze down that looked like the yotes did a hat dance on the pan so keep them interested so they hang around longer.

10 4 on the hat dance. I've forever been ingrained to make that slight depression at the pan. Lots of snow melt has changed my mind about that. Waxed dirt and a slight depression just keeps a slight puddle. Live and learn I guess. I love dirt holes, trench sets, slight depressions when weather is good. Now I'm thinking trap on top of mound and put scents up higher to make them want to get to the highest ground to smell it. Any good sets like this in mind?

Rub sets when you can find the right situations. IE a limb offf a fallen tree at about shoulder height or to the target animal. Hard sets to come up with naturally, course after the ice storm we just had they should be all over the place. Logging roads that have high banks on one side where you can make dry pocket sets are good too as they only have a 180* cone to work the set.

I went to a more course dirt to wax just need a windy SD day and that’s common here. That blows the smaller pieces and dust away leaving course dirt, when that is waxed it drains way better then then the finer sands a dusty dirts. Makes a big difference when it needs to drain.

THAT is why we frequently make our own by propping a downed limb at the height wanted.

Subtle guiding with pencil dia twigs, small pine cone, turd you have picked up elsewhere.

Give water a place to go under the trap by driving a stake at least 16" in the ground several times in the trap bed.

And I bet no one uses face guiding.

Try a double dirt hole , keep your holes about 18” or 20” apart and your trap about 9” out so the two holes and the trap form a triangle.
I like to use two different and subtle smells, one in each hole. In case you can’t tell the holes are angled towards the pan .

I caught several coyotes this year on double dirt holes and will be using more in the future.

Dig another dirthole under the trap to drain your trapbed. Move the stake away and use extra dirt to cover the chain.

Do you drill your dirt holes towards the backer or back out to the front? I will try that

If you was to put a long stick in each hole they would make an X over the pan .