How are you using the spiced beef ? Or should I ask how are you spicing the beef ?

The South Texas Barbacoa Set


Here is a set back from 2019 that I used to keep the birds from depleting a bait.

The post hole is 3 - 3½’ deep with the head dropped in and nose pointed up.

Any coyote that looks down the hole knows exactly what is staring back at them.

The cabeza looks within reach which is what helps keep them digging.

The coyote also knows this is a big "to-go” prize if he can get to it. That alone is a huge incentive to keep working the hole.






Wile E. and his kinfolk will camp out at the site if you set it up right. Gang flat sets on the perimeter do extremely well in this situation.

Like in many instances, the excavation crew worked the money pit solely with the wind at their tail.

This is after only one night of digging for buried treasure.




The more the coyotes dig, the more dirt fills in around the head.

That makes it almost impossible to pull out once they are able to get a bite on the nose and put it in reverse.

Being able to grab the nose and not get the happy meal must be a little more than most coyotes can bear.




Only after digging past the bridge of the nose will they finally have enough leverage to pull the skull out.

By that time, most of the participants will have already been given a free Polaris ride to parts unknown.

This photo was taken after several nights of hard trenching.

Looks good Tejas! Whatever it takes to continue to hammer the predators.

I like that . The most dominant of the bunch will do most of the digging and his wingmen will investigate your other offerings .

What a great thread. There is not a lot of real coyote control information out there. Most info is focused on fur trapping. Control trappers modify the info and try to apply it to control work.

The rubber hits the road when a rancher is having kills every night and I’m out there trying to get the ONE (or more) doing the killing. It is even worse when the killer has been educated by previous trappers.

I start to get a little superstitious after a while. I never really know what makes a difference and what doesn’t. But seeing the situations and sets for control work in this thread has been great. Keep it up! Thank you.

Thanks for taking the time to chime in again CT.

As you know, the insight shared by a host of good coyote trappers on this thread can go a long way if you keep an open mind.

There are little gems to be found that will work for all of us if we just take the time to look a little closer and give them a fair shake in the field.

Many are way too quick to dismiss new thoughts or ideas solely because what they have been doing has worked well for them in the past.


If you continue to play the same tune over and over again you'll never get any better.

As with any one trick pony, it won’t take long for the audience to get bored.

As you can see in the above photos, the post hole is really more of a draw than an actual set.

I rarely ever bed a trap at the location. If I do it is after the bait has been taken.

Trap placement depends on how the coyotes have worked the bait up to that point.

Keep in mind that after the hole has been looted there are a lot of interesting smells left by multiple coyotes at the dig.

The excavation site is a draw in itself, but the scent left behind by the previous visitors’ turns up the volume up to ten.


This series of photos shows how I set up a hole that has been trenched out in one direction.





The big mound on the right was from digging the hole. The coyotes never stepped on this area.

You might keep that in mind and use it to your advantage.




This photo shows the steep angle of the trap that mirrors the grade of the trench.




To give you some scale of the site, the tarp is 5x5.




Finished Set:

Chunk bait was thrown down the hole and a little dirt kicked in to cover it.




A natural funnel made by several fence corners at this location made it an ideal spot for a drive - thru.

How long did it take for them to make that excavation?
That would be worth doing just to put a few cameras around to watch the frustration caused antics.
Of course around here the soil is not dry, pre-sifted, or even red!

Looks similar to a badger catch circle...even a badger den set.

The Benny Hill theme song would make for an appropriate soundtrack I bet.

It could be just a matter of a few days in early season on a good location to make the site look like a bomb went off.

If you really wanted to have some fun you could anchor the skull at the bottom of the hole.

That will hold coyotes there quite a bit longer, but they will quit the site once they realize they can’t take off with the prize.

That’s a good observation MC.

To me it looks a lot like a badger excavation when digging a pack rat midden.

The rat is usually smart enough to avoid being lunch for the most part.




I don’t usually set digs like this because I rarely see coyote sign after the fact.

Notice that there are no coyote tracks on the fresh mound of dirt




What I find interesting is the rat will apply his own brand of Homeland Security after an invasion.

He places tasasjillo cactus over the entrance to deter any unwanted guests.

This pencil cactus has long needles that are equipped with barbs so once the go in they don’t want to pull out.

I'm with Tejas on setting badger digs. A big waste of time in opinion. You'll see guys advocate setting them but they aren't generally on a good travel corridor. Sure they check them out once in a while but they aren't a big producer either. Set up where the coyotes are traveling.

Every set has its time and place. I find the more sets I make, the more “luck” I have.

Im mostly a flat set guy where I live, but if I went to another region of the country I’d change my sets to fit the situation/geography/pressure etc.

That goes for baits, lures, sets, traps and snares. I’d try my sets from home, but you can bet I’d be talking with trappers from the area for methods that work there. That is part of the fun of trapping.

Natural holes like woodchuck dens have great appeal to predators, badger holes not so much. Every prey animal uses woodchuck dens. They are the first place I look on new ground to verify predator presence. Flat sets on the apron or bait the hole itself has been a killer for many years.

Good stuff. thanks for sharing

Mac

Here are a few examples that might give folks a new look or idea for their dirt hole sets.

Many trappers like to mimic a more natural look.


These are all active holes made by ground squirrels.


Notice that the angle of the hole is much more parallel to the ground than any traditional hole set.




All of the entrances have a sharp edge like a punch or auger hole.




Take note that there is no fresh or piled up dirt at any of the sites.




An embankment is not needed even on the slightest angle.

This old girl from the 2022 season had a good run compared to most. She had seen many a sunrise in her day.

Even with the relentless pressure of trapping, aerial gunning, calling, snaring, and random “Hail Mary” shots,
she still managed to put tracks behind her on those same senderos year after year.




Coyotes don’t get this old by making bad decisions and throwing caution to the wind.

She lived longer than most pressured coyotes because she reacted a little different than the others.

Her longevity was due in part to the education she received along the way.

Coyotes are a lot like wolfers in many aspects. Some apply their schooling a bit more than others.




That education comes in the form of repetition.

A trapper that continually repeats looks and smells along with dismissing scent control will catch fewer educated coyotes.

They will inadvertently continue tutoring the upperclassmen while at the same time introduce the first-year students to the game.

This trapping mindset creates and breeds a lot of problem coyotes. Over time this leads to multiple generations that have masters in avoidance and mayhem.

Many of her pups have probably gone on to join that elite group.




In the end, reducing your scent and avoiding repetition kills more problem coyotes and educates less of them.




A shout out goes to my good friend in MT.
Hey old timer, that male coyote gland reeled her in !

Here is a question for the Coyote Crew.

Any amount of trapping pressure creates education to some extent. That fact is unavoidable.

Aside from trying to catch every coyote that works your sets, what measures do you take if any to prevent further education and stay one step ahead of Wile E.?

Nice,she had seen a few sunrises,by the looks of her teeth,guessing her at 10 to 12 years old did you cross section her canine to age her?Bet you didn't catch her in a dirt hole set,unless she was on the verge of straving to death,Good job killing her.

Those older females in most species keep their bloodline going for many many years. Collectively, those older, wiser gals all contribute to re seeding and ensure their species survival for the future generations.

Their ability to survive, adapt and learn is what makes them such a challenge at times. Even with all the pressure they receive in some areas they find a way to move forward and thrive. Their diversity and continued expansion into new areas is big part of their life's' cycle to continue their species as well.