So, let me preface this by saying I'm not a huge believer in the "scent free" thing for trapping canines. About the most extent I go to is pulling off my setting gloves to bait and lure. Having said that, my uncle and I run a short line together every winter, usually catch 10-15 fox and a couple coyotes, plus some water animals and the assorted non targets. Generally speaking, I make more of the land sets as he is more of a water trapper, although he puts out some land sets as well. On a normal year, I'll catch the majority of the land animals, obviously because I put in more of the land sets. However this year, I couldn't seem to catch critters to save my life, I think 4 of our 16 fox, and 1 of our 3 coyotes came from sets I made. Now, I'm possibly overthinking things, but I did everything the same this year as I have in the past, no changes to equipment, same lures, etc. So in trying to figure out what happened, the only minority possible thing I could come up with was I was storing my boots and bibs in our kitchen all year, as I do any other time, but in the last year my wife has started burning incense sticks in the kitchen at least twice a day, and we'll, quite honestly, the STINK and are quite strong. Could this possibly have caused refusals on sets? Usually wear leather Redwing boots and carhart bibs on the line. Again, I'm not a huge scent freak, but this is the only possible issue I could possibly think of, and wanted to get some thought from some of you more experienced guys

Let me start off by saying I'm not a scent freak either but new or unusual smells can make them shy away. Store your equipment elsewhere and let it air out before you use item next time. I wouldalso change your lures as I found out they just don't produce the same every year as critters may get lure shy but mostly it could be they're just not interested in what you have to offer. Just my 2 cents worth.

Makes sense. I do change up a few lures every year, sorta like a rotation. Usually I'll use a lure for 2 years then rotate it out in favr of something different.

Maybe it’s not something you changed but something your uncle changed?

In January 1976 an old army buddy and I spent a week trapping coyotes just east of El Paso. We set the same locations (one set each) same baits, same lures, same traps, same sets (all dirt holes). He caught 6 coyotes that week, I caught 37. I don't smoke but he was a heavy smoker and you could smell it on him very easily. No doubt in my mind what the difference was. Hard to fool a coyotes nose and obviously they didn't like his brand of cigarettes.

I’m not big into scent either. Heck anyone who lives in the South and traps is sweating all over the ground and traps at some point.
With that said, I don’t intentionally introduce foreign odors to the area. I’ll wash my hands with unscented soap before I leave the house and spray my boots off in the yard before leaving to set.
I wear gloves, but that’s just to protect my model looking hands! I do take them off to bait and lure.
I’m just a lure or bait lure type of guy. One lure per set and very little of it. I’ve leaned less is more.
Now I catch coyotes when we have them, but not in high numbers. Not sure what’s happened on the property I’m on now but can’t find any sign of coyotes or heard any when listening at daylight and right near and after sunset. Even the landowner made the comment they normally shoot a few during deer season and they saw none this year, and didn’t even get any on cameras.
The bobcats and coons are dang sure clogging the sets up though. What’s even stranger is no fox. This property usually produces half a dozen or more Greys. I don’t think any of it has to do with “scent” I just don’t think they’re around.

What you described is just what sometimes happens. Same as fishing. I’ve fished right next to my son throwing the exact same lure with identical rods and reels and he catch and me not even get a strike.

Very few things happen without a reason. Some are just content not knowing

Reminds me of a time I had a guy get Into trapping was running hard for a couple weeks with no real success an he wanted me to ride along with him see what was going on so he picked me up the one morning an as soon as I sat in the truck I could smell that back ice. Air freshener he had on his reveiw mirror not saying that was the reason but probably had something to do with it

Funny you say this. 2nd time I went out bow hunting this season I had a dow blow at me before she ever got anywhere near me, probably 80yards upwind of me, and concealed by a mess of foliage, so I know she didn't see me. Got to thinking about it, and when I parked my truck I left the windows open with a very fresh, very "aromatic" went air freshener in the truck. She was about 150yards directly downwind of the truck when she blew and ran the opposite direction of it. Needless to say, the air freshers went in the trash that night

By all means maximize cleanliness on equipment & minimize odors on everything.
Bottom line, the animals are still going to know you've been there when making a set.
I'm a firm believer in making a set as quickly as possible and getting out

I have caught some of the worst sheep killers. In one of the worst county’s in West Texas. Making a set quickly and scent free is important. BUT do not think that because someone important use to preach on making a set in 2 mins. That’s all there is to it !! IF you make a = Sloppy set with loose dirt everywhere = It want matter of it’s under 3 mins making it OR scent free. So. Make a good. Well bedded Flat Set and leave it alone!!

This, especially the leave it alone part.

I don't consider myself a big scent freak either, but I use clean gloves to make a set and different gloves to lure with (never understood the concept of clean gloves to handle everything, kneeling pad, special setting boots, etc. then using your bare hands to handle the lure holder). I don't use knee pads or a setting cloth/tarp but I don't kneel on the ground either, I squat to make my sets. But I do where the same boots from the time I leave the house, including if I stop and fuel up, which many say is a no-no. I worry about scent more if I am away from roads or places where the animals expect to smell humans. But the bottom line is, if you leave your sets alone any scent you left making them will be dissapated in a few days. Lure will hold for an amazingly long time. I set a wolf trap on November 27 this year and while I adjusted it a couple times for snow, I never added lure, urine or anything to it. Next time the wolves came by there was January 9 and there was a foot of snow over the log the lure was under, but I had a wolf waiting for me in the trap.

You don’t need to convince them you werent there.

You just need to convince them it’s safe regardless that you were there.

Every coyote (or animal for that matter) has a threshold of human intrusion (sights, sounds, and smells in this case) its willing to accept as safe. Also where these smells pop up has a big play. There’s places coyotes expect to smell people and are no big deal. And places human odors and intrusion are definitely out of the ordinary and cause for alarm.

For some that threshold of acceptable intrusion is high, some it’s low.

I always have, and always will advocate for scent management. Gloves, clean equipment, don’t track up locations, get in and out efficiently and quickly, drop cloths in some situations, etc.

If I treat every coyote likes it’s a “tough” coyote, I’m still gonna get the dumb coyotes.

If I treat every coyote like it’s a dumb coyote, I’m missing all the tough coyotes.

^^^^* I agree with this 100%. Threat every Coyote like = it’s the worst sheep killing female in the world. AND you will have less problems

And suddenly my faith has been restored . . .

ac


Very fine advice. Thanks for sharing.

Mac

IMO in most good coyote habitat, around rural farm and ranch areas, coyotes are very familiar with human (and other) scent and do not shy away from it unless concentrated in one spot associated with something else like a baited dirt hole; pee post or whatever.
In my experience if you are basically clean you leave very little scent with your feet or hands. If you are worried about it just rub some local vegetation on your hands before setting. Actually, you leave much more scent from your body; essentially have confidence, keep it simple and just get in, set and get out as quickly as possible. Your body sheds off much more scent than you leave with bare hands and will generally dissipate in a day or so.

Reducing sent can’t hurt, so why not. When Fox and coon numbers are down but possum and feral cats are a problem, it could be a scent thing.

Y’all are smarter than me.

Pawpaw used to look at me when this happened and say "Son, you're just not holding your mouth right."

For me last year I figured out that something had contaminated my pot of wax could not catch a coyote to save my backside. So I rewaxed a handful of traps with melting wax in a pot of water and started to have my sets worked again