I believe he said he is on private, where he is the only one driving. I'd set right in the tire track with a foot of snow, that is where they are going to be walking.

Simpleman, google "mafia set", there are a ton of videos out there depicting everyone's version of a mafia set that will explain it better than I can, but basically set two traps in the tire rut end to end. I'd put the levers pointing the same direction as the rut (so if walking down the rut the coyote steps between the jaws instead of over them) and have the levers of the two traps almost touching. Blind, no bait, no lure, nothing to distract the coyote from walking down the rut normal.

Yes I'm on Private. I'm the only one out there. I will look into the "mafia' set as you describe. The key thing I took away from it is that coyotes are coyotes no matter where you are. Tejas gets them on the 2 tracks down where he is in South Texas. I assume they do that because they like to take the path of least resistance and they can hunt more efficiently. Now that I have some snow up here in Central Montana, I can see their tracks. They are doing the same thing. The track winds it's way to the back of the property. In most cases they take the inside corner especially if the track goes around a clump of bushes. I'm going to set all of these spots as soon as I get some more time. It's been informative though. Other than the cold and snow, trapping coyotes is probably very similar up here as is it is in South Texas.

OUTSTANDING!

And a female to boot!

Glad to hear you had the young ones along on the check as well!

If you caught her by the back foot more than likely she was marking the set when you snagged her.

Just pay close attention to what they show you and counter accordingly..

You'll be surprised how well you can do once you get on a roll if you play your sets right.

Thank you. Are females harder? I never even thought that she might be marking it. I just thought I got lucky. I try to include the G kids in as much of my outdoor adventures as possible. They were thrilled w/ the catch. I was pretty much focused on them so I did not investigate further. Maybe on the next one. I'm gonna pull a few sets on Saturday. Drifting snow is going to be an issue so I'm not sure if I will re-set on the 2 tracks locations I found.

This location on a small rise produced 7- 8 coyotes a few years back.

Three traps produced six coyotes here this season.




This guy looked to be around four years old.




It's good to get fawn killers like this off the payroll.




Adult Male - Flat Set

How do you "age" a coyote James?

I can generally tell a juvenile from an adult and an "old" one from a youngster (by the worn teeth) but no clue what to look for to indicate rough age

It’s really just a guess BT.

It is just like aging deer to me. If you look at enough of them you pick up on things.
Just like with whitetails, facial features are a good indicator of estimated age.

You can clearly see that from the close up photos I post of these coyotes.

Most old male coyotes will get a scruffy look to their face when they get up in years.
Old adult females seem to show age in their face differently from the males. It is a distinct look especially around the eyes.
Ears can sometimes be a good clue. When you see a coyote that appears to have big “Yoda“ looking ears, you can bet that coyote is old.

Both sides will often time show signs of gray, but that is not always the case.
A coyote in his prime has a certain look as does a youngster or old timer.
Teeth always confirm what the face tells me.

I am going to start paying more attention to them

I don't need to know how old they are but I think it would be helpful to know whether you are catching youngsters or a good mix of age classes.

I know I definitely get a confidence boost when I catch an older one

You Betcha!

When you catch the old timers I believe It confirms you are on the right track.

Here are a few questions for the coyote trappers.


Has anyone else noticed that some adult females can be really tough to reel in?




I’ve found that they can become extremely adept at manipulating sets if given the chance.




How does the T-Man Crew deal with coyotes that cause a lot of mayhem on the line?

Very subtle sets, blind sets if possible. Use no commercial lures or baits, they know to avoid them. Pee from a group member if possible but very sparingly.

Real good question Tejas.About the time I get to start playing the game it is time to pull traps and go back to work.when this happens I will usually put in a bait hole in and get her working it and the next chance I get I will go make a set at the hole. The last 2 yrs in mid to late May I have had my better catch rate on females than other months.My best guess is that whelping is over and the coyotes are on the move for food.

Happy Birthday la4wd54!

You make a good point about bait and lure usage.

Most trappers tend to use a minimal number of attractants which they overuse in both frequency and amount.
Certain set looks are beat to death in the same manner.

A lot of folks don't realize those adult females are sharp as a tack and pick up on repetition really quick.


Blind trail sets are a great tool to pick up those problem coyotes.
Most all of the females I’ve caught in blind trail sets have been up there in years.
It’s most likely these old gals probably avoided anything even the slightest bit fishy.

That is an interesting observation SK.

Do you tend to pick up yearling females in the same area following an adult female catch?

Yes i do catch a few young females in that area.

In the future make a note and see if you have younger females follow shortly after an adult female catch.

I think you will be surprised.

I’ve found that around here adult females are notorious for pawing and digging.
Showing them looks and attractants that promote digging is just asking for trouble.




To avoid mayhem I stick to sets and smells that don’t illicit that response.
When I do this my adult female catch rate jumps way up.
Yearling and juvenile females usually follow in their wake.

I had this happen just last night.Flat set 2 punch holes both lures dug did not mess the trap up.Just didn't hit the pan.What lures is it you use that they don't dig.

I've found those older females are suckers for a good coyote gland lure. Especially this time of the year.

You Bet !
That's what I've found too SPC.
I pick up a lot of cats on coyote gland as well.
i had one gland lure catch all adult females one year.
That particular one wasn't coyote gland.





If your lures are down the punch holes that alone can get them digging. It may not be the lure at all.
I've found food and curiosity seem to get a lot of digging. Gland lures not so much.
Keep in mind application is key to whether you get pawing at the set or not.