What do you all do when every dirt hole set you put in the hole fills up with ground water? Do you think coyotes or bobcats can smell the bait and lure covered with water? Our ground is so sloppy and wet this year it's crazy. I've been having to keep my ATV in 4 wheel drive all the time or I would bury it. I'm using wax dirt to put all my sets in or else there would be no way of getting the trap set. We have more rain coming Saturday and then snow comingTuesday & Wednesday. So what does everyone think?

Maybe consider use pvc pipe as ur bait/lure holder

I agree with Yes sir and I’d also add trying grubstakes. Dirtholes are not the end-all of coyote trapping!

Flat sets,bait under a rock,etc.

You can also put the hole in at an upward angle into a sloping bank. Even a little bit will keep it working.

I pick up tbones at every cow carcass I can.

This is what I use

I generally trap a property for 3-4 weeks at a time. If there’s rain forecasted within the first week I put in very few dirt holes. Heck I put in very few dirt holes anyways unless I got cat tracks. Otherwise I use pipes for bait if bait is needed. Even with a small backing or just grass I can hide that pipe enough they need to really search for it.

With that said, I have caught after the entire hole and trap was covered for about 3-4 days. I figured it was too muddy to even try and get that trap up so I left it. 2 days later it caught. It was one of the muddiest coyotes I’ve ever caught, lol. To make it worse, it rained that night too and he wasn’t a happy camper.
If you don’t need the trap and see a break in the forecast coming, let it sit. If nothing but more rain is forecasted, find higher ground and use a pipe for bait.