Silky I would agree that maybe you will have a coyote from time to time that is more skittish than others. The fact that In these pages and on my line you see pictures of doubles , triples and more on a regular basis says the majority don’t catch on too quickly. I will say that numbers in my opinion makes for competition and competition makes for fewer skittish coyotes.

I don't believe that the wariness of any one or group of coyotes is determined by the density in that area.

Pressure creates education. That education puts a coyote’s wariness on point. His nose is the lie detector.

If you put enough pressure on any group of you will eventually have problems.

A good coyote density does not guarantee multiple gang set catches on pressured ground.

All you have to do to test that statement is lay down a few dozen of those tired hole sets and your line will look like a weekday yard sale.

They catch on to repeated patterns extremely quick. That goes for visual and olfactory.

Try catching a group of pressured coyotes with one set/look and one attractant and you will see what I mean.

Many of the veterans don’t catch on because I try to constantly keep them guessing, not because they ride the short bus.

Golf, I've found that a coyote doesn’t have to be pinched to know something is up. They will dig for many other reasons besides the two mentioned.

It becomes a game to unearth traps. I think they go on fishing expeditions just for something to do at times.

When residents start disappearing and catch circles start popping up like mushrooms they know something is amiss.


Old Tripod was smart enough to stay alive in a place where hundreds of coyotes were caught and he managed to survive the minefield.

He had to make the right move every single time. I only had to make the right counter move once.

He was caught at a flat set that was 180° from the normal look and tailored to his usual approach. The set was in an area far removed from the majority of the trapping pressure.

The odds usually catch up to even the wariest of coyotes.

I really appreciate those who have taken the time to share their thoughts and insight on this thread.

There has been some good coyote conversation in these pages thanks to those who have stood up and participated.

Hopefully a few more coyote killers will weigh in before it’s all said and done.

I agree with the statement play games on diging up traps.A few years ago i was trapping a place caught 6 or 7 right off the start.Then traps started being dug up.About a half mile away i had a bobcat set with alot of guiding.Few days there she was a big old female caught in the bodcat set.The diging stop i think she seen her pups from that year and the year before being caught and the game began

The cattle guard corner strikes again!





Male – Flat Set – G-Dog Urine

Thanks for the ride along. Also, appreciate you sharing your experiences and observations.

Here is a worked set that I thought the Crew would find interesting.

I wiped the sand back to show pan placement.

This flat had already taken two coyotes, with the last catch being made just over twenty days prior.


Notice the big concentration of tracks on both sides of the set at the edge of the spur road well away from ground zero.


I see this pacing behavior from time to time, but not in multiple spots along with a commitment.

It is apparent from the sign that there was a good bit of interest as well as apprehension.

The wind was blowing directly toward the viewer in the first photo.


Left Side



Right Side



Calling Card & Miss

This set picked up a coyote two days later.


I can’t help but wonder if this kind of response happens much more than we realize.

If it does, how do you counter this type of thing?

Do you folks see this kind of tomfoolery on your line?

Way to go Tejas ! Keep it up!

I believe it happens a lot.

In my area the ground is mostly covered with grass, weeds or leaves so finding tracks around a set is near impossible until we get snow, however it seems more often than not the snow is preceded by sleet and freezing rain which puts the trap out of commission then we’re left with a tracking snow on top.

When this happens I see where coyotes have worked sets in the same manner you showed in the photos, only difference when the trap is crusted over with ice they seem to enjoy stepping right over the pan lol.

Had the trap not been iced over all the information would have been lost in the catch circle.

Tejas I believe one way to take advantage of the “ pacing behavior” you mentioned is to gang set and just leave things alone. Set more traps unscented around the area of your scented sets.
Harrell already mentioned that us midwest trappers don’t see the evidence of tracks like you do because of grasses, weeds and other ground covering. BUT I will experiment a bit next year with placing more traps WITHOUT attractors around the perimeter in my crop fields. These fields have a lot of ground that has been worked up and blending additional traps in won’t be had ...keeping them working from freeze up is another issue.
You have a unique situation with your soil type to make sets and keep them working easier due to the warm weather.

When I saw that in snow.
It's at a remake, or a set near one.

Maybe, they sense a hollow spot under pan or unfrozen spot as trap bed.
When the set does freeze they dance all over it.

Maybe, the fox trapper in me made low spot over pan and it's avoided.

At one time I thought maybe, it was the poly fill. Nope.

No maybe about one thing, at that point they are in my head.


Nothing absolute I'm no expert,
just had nards enough to throw some kindling on the best fire on site.


One thing that did work a few times.
Maybe add few hidden sets close like mentioned.
Tampering in snow seemed taboo so NESSESARY to cover the whole area
with, anything to create a new clean slate.
Even chainsaw chips or ashes or, anything, after remaking the set that was froze or on it's way to freeze.

I'm right there with you W. Brothers, I'm far from an expert and they sure get in my head too.

I have seen the nervous pacing around remakes several times too but also have seen it around fresh sets with no remake in the area quite a bit also, but several of those sets hit shortly after the ice was gone.

Also while hunting yotes over bait piles through the years I've seen this same behavior with them approaching a bait pile, acting nervous pacing around and doing a lot of looking and sometimes will leave and return a little later or leave and not return.

It's worth noting though that when watching them approaching a bait pile it was often a single or sometimes a pair that showed this behavior, three or more usually don't waste much time digging into the bait.

My thinking is a lot of the time it's not anything we done wrong at a set it's just coyotes being coyotes and pacing around a set before they commit those critical few inches to work the set. Maybe a pecking order thing since other coyote smells are present?

Thank you TEJAS for starting this thread and sharing your knowledge with us and thanks to all the other coyote killers that have shared their knowledge with the group!

Good Stuff Fellas!


I’m not much on toy-type sets but I thought a few folks might be able to put this Idea to good use.

You can apply it to any item you want to keep in place.

In this case it is a small piece of scrap deer hide I found in a catch circle.




A little smear of lure and/or a shot of urine and you're good to go.

Minnesota Red & MB Fox Urine were used at this particular set.




When I keep my visual attractants on the subtle side I get better results.

This set is within a foot of a well used two track.



On a side note, I've found that sets in this category will usually pick up pups and juveniles.

The reason for the pacing is coyotes are naturally in a degree of caution all the time. I see it in snow all the time especially with a low population. I compare it to a traffic light; Coyote's light is seldom green. Mostly yellow. I see it the most at locations that have caught a few. Sometimes they'll avoid the location for weeks. Time to set another location. Or go 50 feet away and try a fresh set or both.
Bones work better than hide for toy sets for me anyway. Deer vertebrae staked. When they grab it and it won't come it agitates to the point they forget where their paws are.

Good insight and analogy G.

I have no doubt I could pick up additional coyotes if I took the time to put in more new sets after the original line was established.

In this area toy sets of any kind have been a tough sell no matter what the visual is. Coyotes here show very little interest in them for the most part.

They must work well in certain areas because they sure seem popular. I’ll hazard a guess and say they probably preform much better in lower pressure areas or an environment with a sparse food supply.

It would be nice if I could get them to work here because they're sure easy to make, remake, and refresh. From what I’ve seen the biggest hurdle with novelty sets is finding a visual they will work.

I guess it’s just a matter of showing them something that will interest them as well as something that they haven't come across before. Even with that accomplished you are only half way there.

This has been a very interesting thread! Lots of great discussions and idea sharing. You all have pointed out things that have been happening on my lines and I didn’t even know it! Makes a guy rethink things for sure.

Watch the night vision shoots for yotes on you tube. They act like hyenas at times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B42SlwfMhr0

some good footage in his channel, not sure if it is this one

I don't think habituation has been covered yet. I'll use my own experience to explain that. When GH2 first was offered coyotes didn't what do with it first. They'd do backflips to get at it. Set type didn't matter, it took all ages. The whole county smelled like GH2 LOL. After a couple seasons the attraction diminished to where they practically ignored it. It wasn't the lure, I overused it, it lost its attraction. Coyotes had become habituated to GH2. Lesson learned, Diversity in your attractors and set types pays off big time.

TG I had the exact same issue with GH2. First year it was dynamite but fell off bad after that.