You say “Definitely possible on the contamination.”
You explain why.
At that point nothing else matters.
You are educating animals.
They are smelling the contaminated traps.
Pull everything.
Scrub, wash, scrub, wash.
Clean and boil your tools too.
Boil in walnut hulls.
Wax properly.
I would wait from pull to reset a week.
When you reset stay away from where they were set before.
Others will disagree, clean gloves and tools to set clean traps.

Each of my “dig ups” were sprung traps. How can they dig and spring the traps each time without getting caught even once? I would think out of the 6-7 times it happened that one would get caught - even if only by a toe. Or maybe that would just take a LOT of luck - someone more experienced tell me.

I stuck my hand in my trap and it holds pretty well. Especially if I’m caught behind my finger joints. I also run shock springs which I would think helps with holding.

Good call on cleaning my tools. That’s probably more likely what’s contaminated more than the traps

Are u sure they are being dug then sprung? Maybe deer firing them?

Cameras tell the tail. I’m setting on a trail the landowner swears he sees coyotes on. All I’ve got so far is the trap tripped 5 out of 9 days and all by deer. May not even set it when we get back from the beach if I don’t see anything besides deer and turkeys.

This is a possibility too, That one slipped my mind. Used to happen to mine all the time when I trapped areas with a high deer population

Usually if it’s a deer the trap bed will have minimal disturbance, trap sprung, chain pulled tight, no catch circle or claw marks. If you’re using urine at your sets, try a few without it. They like the salt.

When you pull up to a catch look first at the hold. This is why my Rugar 10/22 is dead on at 20yards. Good swivels overtime pay for themselves over and over. I had a rear paw toe held energetic coyote escape last season as I pulled up even though I had it rigged right. I missed lol.. Steeltraps is correct, you trap long enough stuff happens , and you loose some coyotes no matter what trap you use. The key is use a good trap that is set up right. I've lost more coyotes with 1/4 inch offsets that all combined. That's why the Alpha has 3/16th offsets. And no I have not lost any coyotes in Alphas out of 65 coyotes but it will happen, maybe... The trap must move with the animal and not put excessive strain on the paw especially when some roll. At times long springs won't allow that reason being the springs stick out too far.

I think OG mentions in his book that it was standard procedure for him to approach every trapped coyote with a 12 gauge at the ready back in his 3N days.

Personally, I don’t get the hoopla about them. Sure they’re a historic trap (they were the best option……..50 years ago). But why one would use them today for coyotes when there’s so many better options out there is beyond me. Whatever floats your pole I guess.

Amen Boone. When I am loading the truck for a winters worth of coyote trapping the CS traps and snares get to go and the LS traps stay home. You may not believe this but with good CS. traps and waxed dirt toe catches are quite rare!! OK we can Fight Now, Lol

No argument here Mark. I think it was Ray Milligan that told me that you'll lose some coyotes no matter what trap you use. The key is use the best trap you can afford and set it up right to control it. We now have the best choices in the history of trapping. Make you choices wisely...

Well said Trappergbus. When you have and use good equipment/traps then you can concentrate on all the other challenge's of trapping. Yes we all miss some and loose some. I enjoy the challenge!!!

I wish I could tell you that never happened to me . . .

I now approach a trapped and/or snared coyote with a .22rifle, ( and on nuisance coyotes, at times a 12 gauge ) for that very reason.


I've lost more coyotes using B.A.D. s on trail snares that I care to admit. . . some of them, as I approached.

It's not a good feeling, to be sure