Are the coyotes a little shy oner there?

In the past, the guys that lived on the ranch I’ve got them setup withmb550’s and toughly them a crash course. They catch regularly now and have taken an interest. The owners I usually work for are absentee and don’t care to learn too much. I know it’s a valued service I just want to feel honest about it at the end. 600 a day here would be unheard of.

They are customers that have become friends. They have seen me trap in the past for different ranches and asked if I’d do the same for them. I’m with you though, just want to be fair. Currently, the two ranches would be about 1800 acres.

Only to calling. A subtle set works great

Heck. you can't even cut up a tree limb. man card revocation!

If you’re already getting $150 for each coyote and based on how many sets you’re putting in, charge a setup fee and per catch if you’re that good.

I work a full time job and just trap on the side. At the plantation I’m paid hourly even when trapping…but I have a lot of perks there too, lol.

The other places are a $50 setup fee, $50 per big critter, $25 per small critter. I’m trapping everything. They’ll generally let me know what they have on camera and where they’ve seen critters.

Biggest property is only 2500ac the rest are under between 500-750ac. Been trapping these places for years so I pretty much know where to set. I’m not in it to feed my family, just to cover my turkey trips.

If I get a call on a place I really don’t want to trap I just double everything and if they agree, fine. If not that’s ok too. You build relationship with folks and other perks come along…fishing, hunting, tips, etc. I’ve never got the total money I send them a bill for, it’s always more. I take pics of every catch and keep a pic with each documented catch in my notes section on my phone. I send pics at the end of each week just to keep them informed. Probably isn’t necessary, but there was a “well known” trapper around these parts that got got when he couldn’t produce any critters after reporting outrageous numbers.

I'm based out of San Saba, just north of you. Your time/skillset is worth something, as is your investment in equipment and bait lures truck wear and tear, gas ain't cheap! I charge accordingly, as others have said, charge low and they either don't expect much or disrespect your efforts. 1800 acres would be around $200 daily rate on my ranches. I charge a bounty fee also but the association will cover that for you.

I have decades of experience as a fur trapper and a professional trapper.
Here is my take on charging private landowners for trapping services.
Hopefully this will help some people to understand.
In my wildlife business I trap professionally.
Nuisance animal trapping and predator management trapping.
I have excellent people skills, excellent trapping skills, and excellent equipment to accomplish the goals.
I know what I need to charge to cover expenses and also what I am worth and expect to be paid.
When I make a quote for my services, I always explain the charges, but will never defend the charges.
If a customer thinks my price is too high, I tell them to call me when their project is more important and financially valuable.
I also tell them that if they hire someone else who fails, and they then want to hire me, the price will be higher because the work will be more difficult.
I treat my customers with courtesy and respect, and yes my customers treat me with courtesy and respect.
They also recommend me to other landowners.
High standards of honesty, integrity, courtesy, discretion, and professionalism are components of the services that the landowner customer is purchasing.

So what would your charges be?

So how many of those association members will let a guy onto their property? For 250 a tail if the coyotes are there, that would work. If not there, well thats a different story. Every cattleman in the world claims to have a coyote infestation problem if he hears one yodel twice a year.

I stay on the ranches 24/7 so my time is priced as such. I don't work on a per animal basis because a plumber doesn't work per pipe and neither does an electrician work per wire hung.
I have either a daily rate or a project fee structure and I don't work cheap because 14 days on the road sleeping in someone else's bunk isn't hobby trapping...
I have a vocation and it's called trapping.

Same as a welder, or a construction person.
My truck is expensive. My trailer and buggy are expensive. My traps and gear are expensive.
So it is with those who are serious about what they are and do.
If this is a one and done deal, than whatever, however is workable.

Almost every trapper I follow has priced themselves INSANELY too cheap.
If you bust butt, have them pay you as such.
If you catch $200 worth of bounty fur per day and if I was on that ranch for 24 hours, I'm clocking in at $8+ per hour.
Ah, no way.

Blaine, you get paid like an attorney. And you should. I get paid like a trapper should whose top-shelf in what they do.
If you're not yet top-shelf in what you do, get there asap.

Blessings,
Mark

I was gonna say, 1800 acres ain’t much!

I Can tell you first hand. Coyote bountys in West Texas DONT allways get yoy paid ! Becarefull ! Read the fine print !! Some countys want let = a professional collect bounty. ONLY land owner ! BUT its in fine print. Have turned in 20 coyotes to find out = O we have been broke since = August. Thanks for telling US that. I speak FIRST hand about being beat out of 2000 grand on 100 dollar West Texas coyotes. Do with this info as you will. Get a good daily rate. And go catch coyotes

This is the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you to all that replied. This isn’t a full time gig for me, just something I have done on the side and thinking about maybe turning it in to something. All info is appreciated.

You already have been given good advice and I have no clue what to charge, BUT...................................................



If it was me doing the trapping
I would figure out what it was going to cost me weekly, gas, trapping supplies (disposable stakes/lure/bait/urine/etc), add some wear and tear on vehicle (oil change/tire wear), figure out what my time was worth (what could you be doing if you were not trapping someone else's problem coyotes and what that would pay) and add some money for what you are going to tear up (I can guarantee I will tear something up)
It will surprise you how much money it takes to operate, then add how much you want to pocket and charge that.
Definitely keep all the bounty $$ for yourself

And all of that would be if I could trap from my truck. If I have to ride a ATV/UTV around in the cold and rain checking/setting/ resetting traps double it

Good luck

This is kinda what I was thinking. I’ll be trapping from the truck, ranch roads mainly.

Well that didn't pan out lol. It appears some chose to chest puff instead of actually answering the OP's question. If I could help I would.

I going to say this again. BE Careful of bounties ! Read the fine print ! Make sure you will get paid. Re~embersments may NEVER come. The forms you fill after the ears are punched MAY suddenly change. OR the county MAY suddenly run out of = alicated money for the coyote bounty. On other words = Until they hand you a 150 dollars. You ant got squat

Yes sir I know some counties like to slip out on the fine print, ours aren’t like that. They pay for what we turn in and have for at least the last 20plus years I’ve been here.

Good! Glad to here. I may have some work around the that area in the future. Have been ask about trapping a place. In that general area. Will see.