They are definitely playing the game.

My apologies Swamp, I realized that particular photo was taken after I made the adjustment to the upwind side.

The trap was guarding the downwind position when it was hit. Unfortunately, the coyote made it to the attractant.

I don’t believe the depressions at ten and two are digs.

Rolling

Thanks CF!

I certainly understand the logic and effectiveness behind multiple traps per set.

The most is made of every opportunity with the amount of foot traffic given.


I can also appreciate the effectiveness of gang setting as well as creating more foot traffic.

Here’s part of a five coyote gang set catch from March of last year. There are four single sets holding four coyotes.



In the end, each method has its pros and cons.. Both approaches are a highly effective means of achieving the same result.

As far as trap selection is concerned, I think I’ll stick with my MB 550’s for now

Sweet deal. Long as they’re caught its all good.

Again thanks for the thread, its a good read.

This location had traffic on the outside bend as well as the game trail that crossed the road.

The set was made in the trail with the attractant just off to the side. The wind is blowing from left to right..





Female – Flat Set – MB Fox Urine – Coyotero

Good Sunday Morning Coyote Crew!


Here is a little mayhem from yesterday.

A new arrival showed up on the senderos a few days back. It looks to be a big male

The first night he passed up a multitude of sets. On the second night he put his best paw forward.

It appears that he started fishing his way toward the set until he hit the loose jaw. Then he left a little something to remember him by.

There was no back or side approach.Two catches have been made at this set.The trap here has not been unearthed until this time.





Here is the set and adjustment.

The scat was moved back away from the pan to prompt the coyote to approach closer.

The urine was scooped up and placed on either side of the poop.

The tufts of grass on the left and right of the set hold a very small amount of bait and just a little urine..

Where is your trap in the above pic?

I marked the pan in the original photo for ya’ Tony.

Last night I pinched a non-target that traveled all the way from South of the Rio Grande to get here.

Human foot print.....illegal immigrant?

Tejas do you have a neighbor with a kid educating coyotes ? I’ve moved in on educated coyotes before but usually don’t have pre trap shy or set shy coyotes come to me. I did have a couple of diggers show up a few years ago , only to find out a kid two sections over had started trying to trap . I ended up catching two different coyotes with broken toes . Life is hard enough without help .

What are the odds? I bet that ole boy marked his shorts when that 550 went off! Lol

Thank you! I’m not good with flat sets so all help is appreciated!!

I’m more than happy to Help Tony. I will try to post up a few more set photos to give you a better reference.

Keep in mind I backed away from the main attractant in the above photo for obvious reasons.

As a general rule, I would suggest you crowd the attractant on most flat sets



JH, the same thing happened just a few years back. I bet that fella thought the biggest rattler in South Texas just got him!



There's no way to know for sure G.

There are probably a lot more adults educating coyotes than young folks nowadays.

I know I’ve certainly provided my share of Coyote Ed. 101. At least I do my best to clean up my own mess.

I’m quite positive there are certain coyotes that play hit and run. They pop in and out to pick up groceries but don’t stay here full time.

Those coyotes tend to survive the longest. That could possibly be the case with this wise guy.

When I started trapping here the coyotes had all but wiped out the grey fox population.

In the last ten years I have only called up one fox in this area.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I might be able to kill enough coyotes to help the grey fox make a small comeback in this part of the brush.

Just a few years ago we had our first litter of kits born around the camp area. Earlier this season I called in a mating pair up to five yards.

It’s a great feeling knowing you’ve made a positive impact on the wildlife in the area you trap.

Greys are such a cool little critter. They will always get a hall pass here.

That's awesome TEJAS!

When I was a kid we had a huge population of both Grey and Red fox, then around the mid 80's the coyotes really started showing up and the fox population went downhill fast.

It's a rare occasion to see a fox anymore around here and when you do it's usually around a town or close to houses where they are somewhat safe from the coyotes.

Here is a comparison of different set finishes the Coyote Crew might find interesting.

I used three different tools for this comparison.




The following photos were taken at a remake set.

A lot of folks that are familiar with old school trapping techniques have probably heard of glazing.

To me, glazing is the dirt equivalent of troweling concrete.


The convex cow rib is fairly wide, but not a lot touches the surface at the same time.

This gives the set a layered appearance.




The side of a sifter produces a much soother finish if that's the look you are after.



The top two finishes should be gone over very lightly with a whisk broom for the best look.



When it’s all said and done, a gloved hand followed by a whisk broom gives me the best overall finished look in the sand.



The smooth look with texture blends well.

Notice how the last photo has more of a flat appearance across the set.

I would be interested to hear what the Coyote Crew uses to finish their sets with.

Do you like a finished look, or do you prefer a rough appearance?

The art of blending and aging coyote sets is one step to becoming a top canine trapper,being a true outdoorsman is also another thing to get to the top of their game.But remember the more you learn,there will always be more to learn,pay attention to every little detail and never get to the point you think you know everything.If you get to that point of knowing it all you are loosing ground fast.Life is an open box,but never ignore what's outside of the box.Good trapping my friends.