So I’ve been reading and watching trapping videos for the better half of 2 years in preparation for this years trapping season. I have 2 properties with over 100 acres each. I have trapped them consistently since Christmas and have 3 possum, 3 raccoons, 1 red fox, and 1 coyote in a CR. I only run one CR in a fence under pass and have out 15 sets. I’m about to pull all due to zero action lately. After the snow a few days ago, I looked for sign at both spots and found only deer Sign…with no visible coyote sign. Is it the population numbers in East central Indiana or am I doing something wrong? Any help is appreciated! I follow Coon Creek Outdoors, Hoosier trapper , amongst others on YT. I have started making straw and pipe dreams sets in prep for freeze/thaw and rain.

You can't trap what's not there...

Sounds like you are doing good.

Yeah I was hoping that was my issue. I Deer hunt approximately 50 hours a year and see very few coyote if any, so knew we didn’t have that many.

Thanks Woods!

We all have to deal with it sooner or later. Kudos for keeping at it but probably time to pull up stakes and find another area. Dealing with the same situation here. Average around 40 coyotes per season but only have 4 to show for it this year. Just found another spot that have a few to chase but it's tough checking empty traps day after day. It's not all bad as you have had a chance to practice making a few sets. Hang in there, that's coyote trapping for you.

Thanks for the reply and I think maybe you’re right. Time to try somewhere new.

Look in the places they hunt like sloughs, hedges and edges of the woods to start you might drop a large bait to see what hits on it. Maybe set up some trail cams they can get you heading in the right direction.

Forgot to mention: I run 4 Reveal tactacams and haven’t had a canine on camera since 12/1.

Ryan, you are in good company with more experienced trappers. I also was despairing over the meagre results I was getting after two weeks of trapping in late December. It is a time of year and in a place that I usually clean house and get lots of critters in a short amount of time. Then we got snow and for days I saw only deer tracks and absolutely zero predator tracks. None. And as 330-Trapper says above, we can't trap what isn't around. I cannot explain what happened to the bobcat, fisher, and coyotes we were getting on camera. They evaporated. Something happened and it sounds like the same thing happened to your trapping territory.

Yessir PAll, thanks for the reply!

Coyotes will travel to where they can find prey/food.

This is good advice. Maybe you're trapping where the coyotes aren't. Try moving your cameras to the above mentioned areas and see what happens.

keep looking for sign, [tracks] poop, if none you have done your job for now, for a first-year trapper, you have done great,

Same thing has happened on my place. Lots of animals early Oct/ nov when trapping season opened, got a coyote looking at my snare and haven't seen one since. I'm sure they will be back before season closes. Feb seems to be best time around here.

Look for more permissions. Its nothing for coyotes to move 10 miles in a single night. Lawdog and Boco had great suggestions. Here in KS you can get a roadkill deer tagged then move move it. Makes a great draw station. (if legal in your state) Dead livestock are good too. Most producers drag them to the same spot. Even if its just bones coyotes especially will routinely come by to have a look and take a pee.

Phishin Ryan,
I built my line up over about 40 years and I don’t trap every piece of land every year either. I don’t have many, maybe 10 farms tops. If I’m coyote trapping I hit all of them. If coon well really only about four of those are good. For cats it’s more like just three.
I also learned a long time ago I have to deal with a lot of other factors around here. I need to actually avoid cover if I’m coyote trapping, and that’s mostly to avoid other hunters and the coyote pickup army that drives every draw and timber line they can get to (with or without permission too). I couldn’t always get to the “best” looking cover ground because most of that was being accessed by hunters too. So I picked the flat barren or crop ground next to the good looking ground. Especially if the crappy ground has a little weedy fencerow or ditch through it or edge of a crop change. Coyotes don’t stick to one area and don’t know what fences mean to stay in or out. So I put a couple sets on either side of those little wispy fencerows or grassy water ways and I pick up coyotes consistently at those on their way to the good looking ground, I guess.
I also found I have to walk or drive off the beaten path a bit more to get consistent catches. I leave the four wheelers at home and hoof it often back over the hill out of sight for sets. Old pond dams, weedy fence lines, thin grassy water strips in middle of a picked field. Old well grazed pastures with old cattle trails. To consistently take coyotes it takes patience, a lot of land with a few well placed sets on each, and then be patient and play the numbers odds.
For cats I have to set in or right next to the heavy cover.
I only put a trap down for anything if there are tracks and sign. Waste of time if you only set what looks good to you. Got to be tracks and evidence they go through an area.
You are doing all the right stuff and have certainly done some homework on here in preparation. After you connect on a few you will find patterns and what works consistently year after year and it will get easier. Some spots for me I can count on catches. Some I really have to scout before I pound a stake.
Bud I am quite happy to help through PMs or whatever. Wished I’d have had more help when I started out and I am quite happy to help newbies willing to learn.
Jim

I will add there is a ton of knowledge on here and some real experienced trappers too.
The you tubers out there are not all great. Some are, and some just act like they are. I found if I kept things simple and consistent I didn’t have to have a whole lot of different stuff in my bag too. A couple baits and a bottle of good pee will make a lot of dirthole and post sets. I make two sets at each location only one is dorthole with bait and other is a post set with pee only, and my catches are about fifty fifty each type. I get a few doubles but not many. Mostly we have so many coon, possum, and skunk around here I need to have a couple sets going at a spot in case I get one plugged with other catches.
This combo I believe covers the food and territorial thing for coyotes and that is a couple biggies for dogs.
Go have some fun!
Jim

I know an awfully good trapper/snareman in Montana who knows his country like the back of his hand and is good for what 60 plus coyotes a year without cracking a sweat.
I was out there recently and he had an empty line for weeks, listening and looking for sign it was dead quiet when it shouldn’t have been and tracks were near impossible to find.
Now it’s flipping back, strange year.

If you’re not having a struggle now and again, you’re not really trapping.

Osky