I can't catch a coyote. I live I NW Ohio. We have coyotes, but not tons. Have had plenty of success calling them over the years, but this is my first season really trying to trap them. Have tried many combos of bait and lure as well as set type, to no avail.
I made a set in front of 1 of my deer trail cams because of seeing coyotes every 5-6 days. Most times they seem like they have no clue there is a set in front of their face and a couple times seemed to smell something but never get anywhere near close.
I have been pretty successful trapping coon and muskrat but no clue what I am doing wrong for coyote?

I just started setting dog specific sets in the last few weeks since the coon success has died. Thinking maybe they are getting into breeding season and just not interested? I always run a meat bait, but have switched between also adding urine, pro mix urine, or gland lure. Our weather has been very up and down, but I am seeing coyotes near my traps but making no real effort to commit. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Are uou making new sets when adding nore bait or lure or just adding it on top of what's there?

Second, make sure you're playing tge wind with your sets.

Lastly, get rid if the camera at the sets. Almost always a jinx

How far away are your sets from where the coyotes are walking? If the wind is wrong and you’re 10 feet off location you might as well be ten miles off location. Scent doesn’t travel upwind.

If your confident you made good sets on sign and used quality lure then leave them alone and check from a distance.

I have the one set on camera because the camera has been there since June and keep seeing coyotes thinking I might be able to learn something from watching? I have remade and only rebait after a heavy rain which has been frequent. Have caught coon and possum in these sets and even had a deer last night that definitely showed she could smell the bait and lure,but coyotes don't seem to care. This is a 200 acre property, so rather small, but have other sets spread out with no cameras. When weather permits and I can see tracks, seems like the same thing is going on at every one. They pass by but never get anywhere near coming into the set/ trap. I have only been putting out coyote sets since Christmas.

I understand the wind, but am I unrealistic that a coyote won't smell the lure or bait from 3-5 feet away? We have no fence rows or heavily used trails. These coyotes are crossing open fields and I am making sets along the woods edge where they typically cross. Have a couple times that on camera the coyote circled a set but that was it. Never got anywhere near the trap. At the same time there was a live rabbit on camera that I assumed stole its attention??

Field edge and 20 feet out into the field are very different for a coyote set. If I can see that the set looks good from the truck, I don't even stop. Staying away from my sets instead of tinkering with them helped me increase my success.

If you got the wind right a coyote will smell your bait from a long ways off. If they’re not working your sets and they can definitely smell it then there is something they don’t like about your set. Human scent can make them leery. Make sure your sets are blended well, and check them from a distance and be patient.

I prefer a good quality horse meat based bait, slightly tainted, a quality food or gland lure and I don’t really use urine much anymore.

One tool that really does well for me in certain situations are blind trail sets. A well placed, properly guided blind set can be extremely deadly.

Are you allowed to use snares? That is another very effective option once you learn how and where to use them.

The one set I only watch from the trail cam and it was out for 2 weeks before catching a coon. During that 2 weeks, coyotes came around and seemed like they smelled something that got there attention but never made an attempt to investigate my bait or lure.
I have other sets that I monitor from the barnyard that are 300-600 yards away with binoculars. I don't physically go to these traps unless I have to remove a critter or after heavy rains to make sure my sets are still operational.

I’m far from one to give advice, but don’t over lure or over urine. Excessive bait down a deep hole is fine. If you can smell the lure after you place it, then you used to much.

Thanks for all the replies. Will take all advice and see how I do moving forward.

I feel I have used urine and lure very sparingly. I might use too much bait, but have always aired on the side of caution with lure and urine.

I’ve had more success with no bait, no urine, and just lure. Set on sign, bed well, very small backing, and blend in everything. Leave it alone. Foxes seem to tolerate tinkering with sets; coyote do not.

Sounds like your not really doing anything fundamentally wrong. I don't know how often its raining and your having to relure but I'm still pretty slow about doing it despite rains. My experience is every time a coyote smells ur set and walks by and isn't caught your odds fall pretty good. And I don't have much luck on remakes unless they are coyote remakes so if u have caught other critters in a set it might be working against you. I also believe some lures just dont have enough attraction to be consistent and it might be a regional thing. I also believe the residential coyotes can catch onto the game after awhile. But the guys who have to clean them all out might have more knowledge than me on this. I know there's coyotes in area I just can't catch with my normal approach. For the number guys they just catch what can be caught and roll on. Staying on one property makes it tougher if they are being cautious. Might try some scent post sets with just good urine. Hard for coyotes to pass good pee especially this time of year. Catching coyotes that are one to you can be a little frustrating for most of us.If you get one I like using a back foot with a little pee as my sneeky set.Keep after them.
Just some random thoughts, maybe something will be of some value to you.

Check your mailbox.

Can't figure out how to post a picture, but did get my first redfoxon this mornings check. Was caught on a different property than where I see the coyotes on camera. Excitedthat maybe I am doing something right and finally atleast caught a fox.

Fixed it…nice catch!

Love those little reds! Congrats!

Thank you!!

Nice color on that one. Our western reds are much paler than that usually

Thank you for all the replies and PM's. Was a big confidence boost to catch a red this morning and with all the knowledge I have soaked in from this post, I feel like I have a good idea what changes I need to make. Thanks again!!

Keep catching reds once the coyotes are there the reds will mostly be gone. Sometimes it takes several days for a dog to make his rounds be patient and leave the sets alone.

That’s not what I see on my line. Reds, greys, kit fox and coyotes have been inhabiting the same country here forever.

Same in the south. Coyotes = NO red fox. Most QDMA places that are high end have had me eliminate the greys and bobcats. The greys and bobcats especially just dont rebound well. I can remenber when I started on 35000 acres down south. Caught as many as 9 bobcats in 1 = 14 day trip. Now its trapped = 3 times a year. 21 days a trip. Southern QDMA is serious about deer fawn population and turkeys

Congratulations!!!!

Coyote will run the open field along the woods edge. It's habitual for them, it's easier and they can still scan the woodline as they wander. You may want to set additional flat or post sets 8'-10' off the wood edge in the fields. No baits, just lure or urine at this time of year.

Nice fox by the way!

Fox live within the margins between coyote territories here in northern WI. Any red fox living within coyote home territory generally has a short life span.

Probably so but here in farm country that is not the case red fox are scarce and greys are gone haven't caught one in 30 years before the onset of wiley e 25 -30 fox were common running a dozen sets in high school .

Finally caught a coyote. Nice sized male. Saw him on camera when I got up this morning. Was so excited I went to work late so I could go get him.

Nice catch! Now stick that trap back in the ground, feather in/out your catch circle hard line and #2 will be along sooner than later. Congrats

Unfortunately, there are many inches of snow coming tonight through the rest of the week.

That’s alright. I catch a lot of fur right before and during a big storm.

Congratulations

Super nice

Now you will have to change the name of the thread! Congrats!!