Try a well blended compass set.

I'm just following what the local state trapper said to do and it's flat out not working. I'll start taking pictures of my sets and you guys can critique them. I know there are coyotes around but I don't know what I'm doing. I do feel like some of my sets have too much blocking but not enough to warrant a peek or 2, I'm using a normal amount of lure like I should be, maybe I should try some sets with less.

I might try a couple of those or twin hole sets with just straight lure. The new place I'm setting also has a lot of posts, so I will probably try some post sets. Do you guys think having urine would help? Most of the time it's frozen so I don't get very much on the set.

I wouldn't go down the rabbit hole of thinking different sets are going to fix your problems. The sets your using should catch the large majority of your coyotes. Only time I change up sets is if I'm trying to catch the ones that are super cautious and have wised up to the game. Better off figuring out what the real problem is and fixing it.

This right here.

Take a look at the picture you posted on the coyote set. Ask yourself as a coyote looking at that what you would say. No way I am going near that. It's no natural or blended in. Coyote trapping tips:
1) location where they travel - stick it out in the middle of a corn field you will not catch anything. Trap the edges, corners and where they are hunting for food.
2) clean gear a must!
3)blend the set even a dirt hole make it appear more eye appealing and natural
4) the right lure on a piece of wool stuffed in a dirt hole which is on an angle
5) make sure the trapped is bedded correctly and spaced the correct distance
6) staking - drive a set in the soil away from where you are setting and pull on that with all your weight-if you pull it up or it moves its not good enough
7) double cross stake helps
8) ?? ask

I feel like as a coyote, quite a few of my sets I would go too. I'm always worried about having too little backing I guess.
1. I have it all on edges, crop changes, and the new place I'm going to be setting on two tracks.
2. Yep, all of my gear is dyed and waxed and stored away from any odors.
3. I blend as much as possible but I'll try to do more of it.
4. I use wool so I should be covered there.
5. What would be the correct spacing? I was just told to put the trap in front of the hole by the state trapper.
6. I've only ever had one anchor pulled and that was on that dogproof, and not even I could pull it up.
7. I'm only running anchors as my chains are set up for double staking.
8. Yep, that's the plan.

It was not too much of an exciting day, I got out of school at 12:20 for Christmas break. I got to the first property around 1:00. I got all 19 of my dogproofs pulled without any struggle and started pulling coyote sets, the 1st one went easy, and then the 2nd had a big boar coon in it so I got that dealt with, it weighed 28 pounds 4 ounces. I put it in the freezer since I'll probably get it tanned. Then continued, and ended up cutting one of the anchors on the other 2 coyote sets. Everything else went easy except for 2 of my NO BS chain anchors, I straightened the J hook on those with the puller, I will go back in the spring and pull them. I did end up finding an old shed though so that's nice. So now I'm down to 1 property until I go and set another one which will hopefully happen on Friday. I have the truck all loaded with my starting gear I'll throw out and then bring more out as needed, I think it's 1 full section of ground that I will have access to by 2 different landowners. On the 2nd property, I ended up putting in 1 120 in a dry run, and 2 colony traps. There's some old beaver sign in the ditch that borders the East side of the ground so I might get a glimpse of him. I need to get my dozen 110s that are brand new degreased so I can set those since some of these dens and runs need them. I'll put spring clips of them for use with my fiberglass poles. Nothing in these traps today, found some raccoon tracks that I'm going to set with a conibear box nearby. I also found some coyote tracks walking a dried up slough so I'm going to make a set nearby on Friday since the mud is still very wet and not frozen. I also made a hanger in the topper Anyway, enough rambling, here are the pictures. Also the picture of the flat set I put in last check.

U need to weld those J hooks shut on ur earth anchors. I'd lose half of mine every time I pulled them.

no need to degrease rat conis. just set them as they are.

Coyotes are like real estate: it's about location #1-if they are not there you not gonna catch em period.
You could post some photos of your sets and locations in the fields.
If you are not catching fox or coyote then they are none there unless you are getting refusals which would mean you have a problem with the set itself.

That's why mine are unwelded so that way I can still pick up my trap. I just go back in the spring and pull them.

That's the problem is that I can't set them because they're so greasy. Just going to take them to the carwash and give them a quick rinse.

I usually post photos of my sets but not of the locations around them but will start doing so. I know that there are coyotes in both locations because of fresh tracks.

Where are you seeing the coyote tracks? Are they passing by your sets?

Our sloughs around here are down a little bit and I'm finding them in the mud after it freezes at night.

you should not have an issue catching them in a slough-maybe even a blind set or two where it narrows naturally. I looked at your picture of the one set with the stick, again if I was a coyote I would not go near it. How far are the tracks from your sets?

I tried to put a set about 15 feet away from this since that mud won't hold an anchor or stake and the ground wouldn't hold there either, should I just set on the field edge and use a loud call lure? I don't have any sets nearby; the closest one is 75-100 yards away. The field edge is probably about 50-60 feet from the tracks. Are you talking about the one with the corn stalk in the mound of dirt or the one where I caught that coon?

I had a productive day today. This will be a long one so buckle up and get some popcorn. On the 1st property today, I had a coyote or fox dig at one of my sets but didn't dig up the trap or anything, there was just a tiny tiny piece of wax paper sticking up, so I just sifted some more dirt on top and put in a couple of pieces of stem going vertical where the tracks were. All of the rest of the traps were empty except for one of the colony traps that was set in the entrance of a bank den that had 4 rats in it! This was a first for me as I usually only get 1 or 2 in a colony, all average sized rats. I also set 2 coon boxes on this property right by coon tracks so hoping I'll have some tomorrow. I couldn't locate any other runs but I did fill a gauntlet trying to. Also, I included a picture of my flat set that I put in. So that's all for the first property.

Now for the second property which is the one where I just got permission on with lots of 2 tracks and fields separated by tree strips. This is going to be a very picture heavy one since you guys requested pictures of the surroundings of the sets. So I head up there and I have to drive through a field to get to the start of the property so I get to the gate and I know these are a hot spot so I set a trap within 15 feet of this along the 2 track, it was a flat set with Red Fox Gland Lure and Coyote urine on a piece of sod, this is set #1. Then I kept going along the 2 track to where it goes into a y and set a trap on the point of it, it was a dirt hole with Dakota Prairie predator bait, a homemade castor lure, and coyote urine sprayed on the clump of grass, this is set #2. Then I went in some more and set 2 dogproofs on well defined trails coming out of the wreckage of an old house and then 2 more, one on each side of a culvert with multiple snow geese pulled inside. The coons are eating good on snow geese with all of them around. I drove around the property for a bit looking for more spots and found a spot where I had a 2 track, a slough, a tree belt, and a field all coming together so I set on the corner of the field, tree belt, and 2 track. It was a flat set with a rock as backing and Red Fox Gland lure, and coyote urine, this is set #3. I then found an area where there was a line of taller grass between 2 fields that intersected into a slough so I set another trap there with a T Bone baited with Dakota Prairie Predator bait, a bit of John Graham's super bonanza, and coyote urine, this is set #4. On the way out as it was getting dark I set a trap near the entrance to the field with a dirt hole set, baited with Dakota Prairie predator bait, beaver castor lure, and coyote urine sprayed on the sod, this is set #5. Overall it was a super productive day in my books. I'm going to bring the GoPro out tomorrow so I can get some better descriptions for you guys. Also on the way home I saw some open spots in the water with rats swimming in them, gets me hyped up for spring float trapping. I would set some but we're going to get snow and freezing temps for a while so that plan is gone.



Coyote or fox dig at post type set


4 rats in one colony trap


Far out view of flat set

Property 2


Set #1 far out


Set #1 close up


Set #2 far out, I don't have any closeup of this one


Set #3 far out


Set #3 close up


Set #4 far out


Set #4 close up


Set #5 far out


Set #5 close up

Looks like some good property time will tell ..try blending your sets in more make it look like you were never there I've always had better luck with well blended sets for coyotes anyway