^^^100%. Use to think primarily driven by inexperienced trappers and touch by hounds. And that’s still factor BUT the thermal crew is without doubt the biggest issue now. Thermals the new version of ecaller.

I always put two to three sets at a location and spread not across several locations.
One of the two or three sets is always a simple dirthole set and it’s almost always a double dirthole with two different baits only. Second set is several paces from first set and it’s always a post set with urine only. Sometimes coyote urine, sometimes fox. If I have a third set it’s a flat set with something completely different like just a smear of castor or maybe mink gland lure, sometimes a shot of bobcat pee. The flat set is usually just a natural clump of grass but sometimes I’ve planted something like a piece of fire blackened wood or maybe a large bleached cow bone like hip or femur with good visibility and eye appeal.
I don’t get many doubles but sometimes I do. the extra sets are great if coon or skunks in area. Keeps the other sets going.
Unless it snows I have no clue if anything is just walking by. But I know the coyotes get pushed really this time of year around here by the pickup army that seem to think the world is their playground and they just drive draws and timber edges and shoot into it to get stuff moving. But I will say about half my catches come from the double dirt holes and about half from the post sets. I tend to get cats and fox in the third sets but not always sometimes coyotes too.
I did have a lot better luck when I got away from baits sold at local scheels or other stores. Ordering mine from folks like Graham, or keg creek, or folks at kansas trapline…that was a game changer for me. No clue why but for several seasons now that has been the case. With two different baits at those double dirt holes, no clue which is the winner but I try to mix it up and at least one of them seems to be the ticket.
I don’t carry any lure these days except beaver castor or mink gland. That was a game changer too…getting away from coyote or fox gland lures and especially if sold locally around here. Made my setting bag much simpler and it’s been way more effective based on my catch rates.
Jim

My refusals happen in November not close to the breeding season. If we get a dusting of snow you can see they breeze right by the set no interest what so ever. I check my traps from a good distance so that isn't the problem.

Thats changed things here. Guys are using suppressors. Night vision goggles to drive around without headlights. Suppressors to trespass at 2 AM. Amazing how much some guys will spend. Even with the cats they are shooting illegally its a pricey hobby.

Will check for tracks after new snow and not find any sign. Doesn't matter how good your baits, lures or sets are made, you can't catch what's not there.

My guess, too much lure, or set doesn't look natural

Coyote numbers are down those that still have good numbers are still catching /I have trapped coyotes since they appeared here in the early 70.s . I have not set since prices dropped but now thermal hunters are really killing them .They have gone the way of the fox . People here say they hear them at night . no tracks in the area . Callers ?

This sounds a lot like the issues I have been seeing. Responses to sets seem really guarded and commitment to the sets are down for sure. I am planning a shift to different baits/lures next season.
I have tried to reduce the amounts of lure/urine used at the sets, but maybe not enough. Amount of bait used has stayed the same. Some of the old catch circles will have interest, but the number of that do has seemed to drop off. I am believing in both lure/bait and set/location burnout.

Y’all are giving me hope about thermal hunting!! Hoping to not hear coyotes howling all year between trapping and night hunting. I get paid per critter so it doesn’t matter how they go to the rainbow bridge, just as long as they cross it. Possums are my big money maker anyways, and there’s never a shortage of them, lol. I’m starting to think they have multiple litters a year like pigs!!

Bit of a double edge sword there depending on your clients. Clients like to see animals caught when they are paying you to catch them. You really have to be good with people skills to convince them that you actually know how to trap coyotes and that the coyotes just arent there anymore.

Caroll Balck once told me tracks that go right without stopping or changing as they go by they maybe couldn’t even smell your sets goodies. Even a negative reaction is SOME reaction and will cause a change in their gait or stride. It either spooks them or interests them. No reaction is probably no scent pick up.
Anyway that always made some sense to me. Watching my dog check out things as he walks around this makes sense to me.
Jim

Few things I've learned as a coyote trapper
It's easy to think your a coyote trapper when you have a few pups and naive coyotes to play with.
It's easy to think your a coyote trapper when you don't have someone better than you trapping next to you putting down coyotes at a much higher catch rate than you.
It's easy to come up with theories why coyotes aren't playing along
It's easy to think your putting the hurt on them when you don't have snow to see the misses and how many are
out there.
It's easy to convince yourself the next one you caught was the digger, the one that walked by the set a few days ago or is the last one.
It's easy to spook as many off the property as you caught after running a line there for a week or two on daily checks and convince yourself you caught them all.
It's easy until you get down to the ones that are on to the game so to speak. When you start figuring out how to catch those you start learning you didn't know as much as you thought u did.

Here's a little morsel for thought when it comes to finding a new formlation the coyotes aren't on to, I've tested the effects of glycerin in a formulation and even at moderate levels I feel very confident the coyotes can detect its in there. And I've repeated the testing more than any other testing I've done. Not saying that's all the problem or even a major contributor. Just food for thought.
Keep at boys, if it wasnt challenging it wouldn't be fun

Trap the same ground year after year before long they figure out where you will set before you do. The same goes for lure and bait.

My clients trust me, lol. They’ll know when they don’t get pics anymore and see an increase in fawns and turkeys. This is really my first year thermal hunting and we’ve seen a serious decrease in predators and hogs on the plantation already. Out of about 25-30 cameras scattered around the 2500ac, no one has gotten a pic of a large predator or hog in the last 2-3 months. Last year this same time through July I was getting texts daily of this or that on camera.
You must have missed the part where I don’t get paid if I don’t kill. Been trapping these places for years now. I’d imagine if I wasn’t performing I wouldn’t be trapping them or keep getting calls from their referrals.
Am I Steeltraps, Boco’s, Swamps, or any of these other great trappers level? Heck no, not even close. But I’ve made enough difference over the years they keep me around. Thermal hunting is just another arsenal in the pocket. I can go to the areas I don’t or unable to trap and I use the thermal. Just a way to keep critters in check.
I understand fur trappers have a different opinion of management trappers and I can understand that. Some only trap when fur is prime and leave seed for next year. I trap/hunt year round to try and make sure there isn’t any seed left. Y’all think you can hurt the population and I see it as never being able to catch/kill them all. I turn down properties every year for lack of time and commitment to the places I already trap. I do get calls about hogs and if they agree to my prices I will take a camera and set it up with them providing the bait and kill their hogs.

You deserve a pat on the back sir. Oh never mind you did it yourself. My bad

Be careful to not fall into the trap that the thermal world will stay the same. Reminds me currently of the rise of e-callers in decades past. I’m already seeing significant changes in the night responses.

X2

I've been trying to tell guys that for years. If you have survivors, coyotes learn.
.

I know a couple guys that were in on the “ground floor” of the thermal craze.

They’ve already mostly all given up and reminisce about the “good old days” now, which was just a couple years ago! It has already run its course as an extremely effective tool in many places.

Thermal is a tool I quess like any other. It can be abused or over used. Just like the helicopter. It’s a great tool till the coyotes get over flown and hits the bust and can’t be moved without the use of dogs. I know of at least 5 USDA governments trapper that are = currently going out at night and kill coyotes with Thermals and suppressors. They are within a 50-70 mile radius of the sheep I trap in. After = reading what Boone has posted about thermals. And how other top end coyote men have said I have decide. For us. Where we are at. Thermals and Night calling are not for Us where we are in sheep. Boone. You made a good point on thermals. When you said = Then what ??? If it’s a killer. You go after with calls and fail??? Then what ???? I think it’s best not to find out. Thermal is a tool no doubt. But for where i am at. NO I think is the best answer