Hi everyone. First thing - great site, great folks, wealth of knowledge on here. Nice work!
On that note - had a question for some of the more experienced predator trappers (you guys know who you are) about the feasibility of running a combo coon / coyote line. Mainly, I set very heavy for coon in the places I trap with mainly dog proofs. I typically run three days and move them, so every trail on every fencline gets set. The same area is also some great coyote country. Am I wasting my time making sets for coyotes amongst all the loud, smelly coon sets I’m making (I use loud baits and plenty of fish oil)? Am I putting these dogs on high alert due to all the coon sets and smells? Not to mention, when coon trapping, “clean trapping” is difficult at best. Am I better off doing one or the other at different times? Looking for any advice as to whether or not setting for both species at the same time is a good idea or not - and of course any other advice you guys may have.

My 2 cents.... 3 days and pull will hurt ur catch rate on coyotes. Ur coon lures won't spook the coyotes but you will need to keep it and the smells from the coons off the coyote traps. If your having to get out and walk through the thick cover every day to check the coon sets that activity and odor you leave will hurt ur catch rate on coyotes if your coyote sets are in the vicinity of ur coon sets. But u probably can still catch some coyotes if u have a good population. What u will find on an open forum is peoples idea of effective and efficient vary.

Coyote trapping has a learning curve to it and if your trying to learn it under the above conditions just keep in mind it might be a steeper curve so mentality prepare for it. Put the only way to learn is to get started. If u like challenges coyote trapping might become your main target. Good luck.
Ps if u can get Boone to talk coyotes, pay attention

Will all that coon trapping activity spook coyotes at those locations?

Depends on your coyotes. Depends on where the locations are.

A good percentage of MY coyotes here would just leave, or shut down with all that activity at a location. But these are very heavily exploited coyotes.

Some locations coyotes expect more activity (near roads, farms, etc), some not.

I set DP’s near my coyote sets hoping to catch a coon/possum in the DP rather than the coyote set. Have pics of coons and possums clogging up a set and a coyote comes by sniffing at the DP, lol.
As stated, all depends on your location.

Thanks yes sir. Totally agree that a three day soak is too short for coyote sets and I hadn’t really factored that in. Thinking maybe I should leave them in place another 3-4 days when I move the coon traps. A lot of times I’ll be at the same farms. I don’t walk through a lot of brush, mostly fenclines and timber edge on a 4 wheeler. I think I could do a better job building compartments into my 4 wheeler to keep baits, critters, traps, etc. away from each other on the line.

And maybe put coyote sets in where your going to be in the future for coon trapping if u can check them. Maybe make coyote sets one day and coon sets another to help minimize odor contamination. If u stay at it and keep an open mind you will find a system that's effective for u.

Thanks Boone. Heavy ag here and most places there’s daily activity by the farmer feeding cattle. But I’m sure that’s something the predators are accustomed to versus a mine field of dp’s…very little (if any) pressure on these coyotes as far as trapping / hunting, which is why I need to get my backside in gear and get after them.

Wanna be - same here! I thin them out, but still have coon, possum, and skunk clogging up the few coyote sets I have in. I have seen plenty of times in snow or mud when a dog will check out my catch, or even coon set, but at a safe distance.

I run coon sets alongside coyote sets here in Central Texas all the time.

In my opinion, your coyote sets will benefit from sitting longer. You might consider leaving your coyote sets in for a few weeks after you pull your DPs. That will help.

The best tip I can give you is to run 4-5 pounds of pan tension on your coyote traps. That will reduce the number of non target catches some. And learn to enjoy every catch, even if it is not a coyote. Have fun!

Indeed Centex trapper! This predator stuff stuff has got my curiosity on overdrive. Feel like I’m 7 years old and trying to get a rat to swim through a 110 again!

There’s only one way to know what you can and can’t get away with when it comes to your coyotes.

And that’s to go try it.

They’ll tell you soon enough whether you need to change things up or not.

Find some tracks and or poop. Set right on the sign. Throw in some sets and see what happens. Keep it fast and simple. Then try to sleep at night wondering if you caught something. That’s the beauty of trapping.

Set your coyote traps where you can check them from a distance, and leave them there as long as you can.

I have run two small lines like yours for 2 years. I hope to do it more in the future as with a truck and 4-wheeler it is an easier line to run then rats etc. when one is a few weeks from 75.

I used body grippers for the coons in their trails. My thoughts on this would be 3-5 days on the coons (set heavy say) and twice that time for the yotes. I would pull the bulk of the coon sets in the 3-5 days and set out another farm or short line. The other thing I am learning (our farms or fields are smaller here) that moving coon sets 1/4 mile to a mile finds new coons, but the same yotes most times. I would set those up a few miles apart and sort of leap frog over your planned line.

We have alot of activity in our fields here until freeze up with tillage and liquid manure. The chisel plowing makes for rough travel with a 4-wheeler. I try to access through hay fields and or field roads if I can. We have a lot of rural housing and residents around me so one is never far from domestics either.
Actually coon and coyote on a dryland line makes pretty good sense. I am hoping to do more even with our poor markets.

Bryce

My line is always a combo coyote and coon line. We have so many coon here and I use them as a way to help pay for gas.
I started setting yesterday. About half were coyote traps and other half were DPs and 160s.
Some years coon were worth more than coyotes, some years the other way around. When I tried to just set for coyotes, I still ended up with about same number of coon season after season so I figured just set for both on purpose. It has been working for me for a long time.
We just have so many here I will end up with more coon than coyotes every time. I don’t have a lot of areas I set. When there is a cold snap the coyote catch is up. Warm spells the coon come out. I don’t start until start of December here. Our season season started a month ago but that’s way too early for good prime coon or coyotes.
Anyway, that’s my line and I’m set up for both.
Jim

FYI yesterday it was very windy the last two days and will be again today. Nothing in any of my coyote sets, but I picked up four coon, a possum, and a skunk. I don’t usually pick up coyotes first check especially in high wind but it was a warm up from previous two days and I fully expected coon movement.
If I hadn’t put in a mix of coon sets with my coyote sets I would have drove home empty handed except for the skunk…the lone coyote set that caught anything. But by putting in a bunch of DPs and 160s at nearby coon sign at those same locations, I had some animals to skin last night. All nice big december prime SE Nebraska coon.
Jim

Gibbie. Only one way to go from = Inexperience Coyote Trapper to a = Experienced Coyote Trapper ! Go out and set traps. Boone - Yes Sir -Wanna Be and others all make good points and give good advice. Someone said on here = You MUST find out what works in YOUR part of the world. In some parts of US you can set bare handed dirt holes. But in sheep country = dirt pattern or disturbing ground or stuff out of place? Causes coyotes to leave the country. Keep working at it and YOU WILL be an = Experienced Coyote Trapper

Gibbie, cold start to day here at 6 degrees. Got a coyote and a bunch of nice big prime boars.
The coyote and this nice dark coon were about 50 feet apart. DP on the coon, dirt hole with #3 Bridger on the coyote.
PM me if you need help running a mixed coon and coyote line.
Jim

check your mail box

Thanks for all the input guys - I knew I could count on this group for some insight. I’m definitely going to do a few things different the next go round, but I’m encouraged by the number of guys running their line similar to the way I’m running mine.