Very good information form Boone, SW, and others that should get the job done. But here's a thought, the yote is accustomed to you and your smell. If you have a wife, child, or good friend that knows how to make a good set, just let them get out at the area and set a good flat set with a genuine coyote turd for backing and shot of coyote urine if you so desire.

Landmines. He'll only dig once lol

Maybe try setting a trap set. Put some lure on an exposed trap in a different location and set a trap on a trap. Might throw him for a loop.

On the dug sets, pull those traps, bed fresh one far back and down wind, no scent.
Set dp with sardines in original bed.
Catch your "diggers". Send prize to a kid on here.

Many have been through this, it's fun lol.

I agree with Boone.....if he comes that close that often, he's killable. The one's that wont come any where near your equipment and/or leave no sign are the tougher ones.

Canids can't help themselves when it comes to checking out other canids, scent marking, etc.

I'd consider bringing in a coyote turd from another area and using it downwind of the sets he's digging at. Blend your trap in first, sweep or blend in local duff to make it look like its been there for years! Use a backing that's already there, don't move anything around. Short grass tuft or rock or whatever. After trap is blended to look exactly like the whole area, THEN place your turd. If you place turd first, it will grab all of your duff from sifting and sweeping and not stand out as much. It can be old and white or black and fresh, it matters not. I like the extreme colors because they stick out. Here in wet New York State, I don't find many white ones like I do out West. So, around here, mine are usually black black.

If adding anything to that turd, I'd only add good urine. Just a few drops. In theory, if he's coming right by there, he will see it before he gets to other sets (assuming wind is still right) so you don't need to blow his nostrils away........

This method works great not only for smarties, but dummies to!

MZ

I want to get in on this. I always go to Mark June's bucket method when it comes to smart canines. It doesnt matter what it is, those pesky dogs will fall for it. You throw your steel in the ground and put a bucket over it with a rock on top with lure. Use anything that smells enticing. Beaver castor is a go to for me. You have the trap bedded under the bucket with lure on top --- leave for a few days --- and then remove the bucket. Dont do anything else. That canine will come in to see where that stinky weird bucket went. Blind set. I have used this set for only educated canines for ages. It works.

Try dipping a Q-tip thats cut in half in good coyote gland that you have never used in the area and stick the cut end of the Q-tip in the ground up wind of one of the sets that is getting in covered blend it in so good you have to look for where you set it! Just gland nothing else. I want some more of that bait! Boys and girls hes not messing around that bait is the real deal!

I dont know that it is as well tested as some of the other options but this has worked several times for me. I remake the set as normal or try to get the trap out from the dirt hole as far as possible in your existing trap bed. Blend the trap in as good as possible. Like 18" circle or more that all looks the same. Then i put your favorite urine on the back of the hole like normal but the key is to sprinkle urine all over the blended dirt. Not enought that the ground is wet but enough that each drop is no more than an inch from the next. Make the urine the only thing he can smell.

Schmattz

That hay set is a little different than mine , but should work. I make two mounds of straw about 4’ long and 8” apart , with the traps on each end. Think walk through ! Urine and gland , one on each side along the inside edge of the walk through. I use a variation of Zaggers bedding method that works very well with an MB650 and really shines with this or a bean straw set .

P.s. send the bait to a kid on here .

Added a fresh trap on each side and filled the hole full of meat.

Have you done anything with the bait I sent u? If not u send urs to a kid. I tested the stuff u send me.

I’ve got it in 6 holes as we speak and no takers . I’ve caught six coyotes and 2 badgers anywhere from ten to 30’ away with no takers . I’ve caught one on the beaver tail chunks and should have had another but ran into the same problem your having right now. I tried to tell you competition makes a bait look good .

Funny u just now brought it up when you've had it 7 months. Yours didn't test so good here with competition. I think you just are a little sore from the results I sent u 6 months ago buddy. You're not the only one I sent it to. They can chime in if they want. Side by side comparison and testing pretty much voids the high population bs.

Ps I ve seen a lot of bait people think are good test poorly here with competition

Yes Sir I used your lure and bait a couple years ago and did well with both. I will buy some bait if for sale.

Thank you sir. I will say those were my formulations and they tested well. But what I've sent out this year (including what was sent to Golfball)isn't mine and it beat everything I've made or tested.

Make the “digger” commit...Post hole set. Except my version is deeper. Find a decent backing or bring one in. Dig a hole straight down about 10 inches. Bed trap on bottom and be sure to use a longer chain as a short chain and disposable stake will be use of no use...will not be able to reset trap. About two inches from bottom hole above the trap use a screw driver and make a pilot hole for your skunky or minky smelling lure.
Negatives with this set....hard ground and when it rains hole fills up.
Try it

This will get him. I call it the poor boy. If he’s a digger get a rib bone or something flat and pat the dirt on top of the bedded trap firm. No loose soil anywhere. If he is that bad of a digger I would just put fresh scat on it and nothing else. Bury the 1” thick rock past half to 2/3 in the ground. Don’t just set the rock on the ground. Good luck here’s what it looks like.

Just saw this, Seth. I’ve used a set in the past, called a sod set, that is a good change up for them. sounds like you have plenty of advise already, but Boone and Zag pretty much covered it, so good luck with your trained engineer! lol. Just bury your trap deeper!

Lee
I remember you talking about that set awhile back. Waiting to move some calves off the wheat behind the house then I have a good place for that set. And yes a lot of good information shared with me here. A few guys including yourself that I was hoping to hear from on this thread (still waiting on Danny to post but what he would add might have been covered already). Thanks everyone! Targeting one coyote with two traps at most sets and using sneaky sets that require more blending is different than what I was doing with just 5 minute dirt holes to keep it fast and focused on #s.

Update. Put urine on a natural scent post I bedded traps at 3 days ago. Put in Gary's dropping set with fox gland a couple days ago along with a hay mount set using existing wheat straw and bean residue. Put in another dropping set with just a drop or two of fresh urine as Zag suggested ( on a rock for you Pawnee) and a compass set today.

Since posting this thread I've shot 2 young females and caught a mature(but not real old by my guess) female in a blind set this morning all within a half mile of my house. That makes 7 taken within that radius this year. Saw another while feeding this morning. From tracks I'm still looking for a big old male I'm thinking but who knows it might be the female I caught this morning. So far the blind set is in the lead. Snares go up tomorrow and maybe a few other suggestions. We got 550 mama cows and calves within a mile of my place so there will be more coyotes coming and going.

Terrain is mostly along fence rows between pastures and fields. No trees. Tall grass in most pastures. Cows are in most pastures and some fields so limited where I can set.

Not sure what this set is called(flat?)