I would spray my sets with that stuff when I first started. I dont know that it hurt, but I do know it doesn’t help. Not long after that I stopped using it altogether in the outdoors because I realized it was more or less snake oil.

I guide hunters, and a ton of them (more or less every archery hunter) bring and use that stuff. I don't know what exactly is in it, but I usually tell them they are just paying a high price for water in a spray bottle. My experience, if you are downwind of the animal they aren't going to smell you even if it has been a month since you took a shower, but if you're upwind they are going to smell you no matter what you do, you can have bathed in Scent Killer two hours before and they are still going to smell you. Good quality, clean boots will lower your scent, and various other things, but I wouldn't put anything on traps myself.

But feel free to do an experiment with some traps sprayed and some just clean and handled with gloves, then report back to us. You're going to anyways, so I would like to hear your results.

The sprays are mostly an anti-bacterial to keep BO at a minimum. Which they do accomplish. They're more or less baking soda (some odor absorption) and peroxide (anti-bacterial).

And lets remember, they're targeted to ungulate hunters, and ungulates don't have anywhere near the nose power (or brain power) of a coyote.

I think they work better at cleaning up "where you've been" vs fooling anything "you're not there."

I totally agree. Unless you take drastic measures, you not going to fool a mature buck or a coyote that is downwind. Look up John Eberhart. He says he can. That's a different story and topic. Anyway, Notice I didn't say that they were downwind of me. I said they crossed where I walked and did not blow up. My boots may have been the reason however if I was adding scent w/ the spray they would have smelled that and blown out of there. I don't know if it helped but I don't think it hurt either. Your right though, I'm going to do it anyway just to see if there is a difference. What's it going to hurt?

Well it appears to be working. I set in 7 locations w/ cameras. Mostly gate openings or on the 2 track in likely spots. Nailed a dog on the 2nd night. In the EXACT spot that I had the most hope for. A bend in the 2 track in a dip in the road. Brush on both sides. The inside track was dry, the outside track muddy. Coyote Tracks on the inside. I put a white bone that I found on the edge of the track. 2 traps on either side of it. No lure of any kind. I set while kneeling on a knee pad on a board. I wore gloves. NO spray this this time. (I need to make some up) I also had 2 other locations where the dogs went through the gate openings on camera. They never even looked at the gate posts that had urine on it. However they were upwind of the urine posts so I don't think they even got a wiff. They were unconcerned and on the hunt. They were in the opposite track 5-6' away. I added traps to those tracks yesterday. 4 traps at each gate opening. It snowed 2" the night before and it got to 42 degrees yesterday so it was muddy out there. My gloves got totally muddy from dealing w/ the dog. I couldn't set the traps without my hands slipping off the levers. I had to set w/ my bare hands. We will see if that makes any difference. No dogs on camera last night.

Are you trapping dogs or are you trapping coyotes? Coyotes are not dogs. The terms we use matter in the fight to keep trapping legal.

Thanks for the tip. Have a nice day.

Interesting update. Not sure what to make of it yet. Initially, I caught one coyote (dog) right off the bat on one of my road sets. Almost all of the sets had pics of coyotes on camera multiple times through out the week. Most of the time they were on the other track that did not have a trap. No sign of them investigating the post that had lure or urine on them. They simply were just passing through. Deer had snapped off a couple of the traps so I had to go back and re-set them. I decided to set both sides of the 2 track/lane. Urine post set on one side of the 2 track and a blind set on the other. I wore gloves, kneeled on a board w/ a knee pad. Not 100% scent free but better than before. Here's the interesting part. Not a single coyote pic on camera in 5 locations since then. Total avoidance. One week of human presence and they don't just avoid the trap, they just avoid the area. However at the same time I noticed something else that might be the reason why there are no coyotes on camera.. They might have left the area entirely. The river opened up at the same time that the cameras went dead, Open river means that it's time to set beaver traps. Saturday I set 7 locations. Several of them on islands in the river. At just about every location including the islands, there were fresh coyote tracks. I know coyotes swim but it surprised me that they were out there hunting that actively. Now that they have access to a different food source, They might have simply just shifted to hunting beaver and muskrats on the river instead of mice and rabbits up on the higher ground. Not sure if that's the case but just an observation that I noticed. Anyway, In the interest of being more efficient, I'm going to move my coyote traps to the river. I can check them at the same time as I'm checking the beaver traps. It's very muddy so I'm not sure exactly how yet but I'm gonna least try to see if I can get some in dry location.

You should do well on coyotes along the river.
Check out the trails that parallel the river just inside the timberline a short distance. The coyotes really like to travel those corridors.
That would also get you a little bit farther away from the coon mayhem as well.

You might consider ditching the trail cam recon on the coyote sets.
I believe in many cases it can really hurt your chances of making a catch.


Good Luck on the river, and congrats on another coyote!

I was thinking the same thing when reading this thread but didn’t want to ruffle any feathers.

You might also want to consider snares for the coyotes along the river. The vegetation along river trails often make ideal snare locations and may be easier to setup and maintain than traps in muddy conditions.

They definitely are paralleling the river. Yesterday while checking some beaver traps, I found 5 sets of coyote tracks between the water and the high bank. It's a tight corridor. It's tricky to make a set because the ground is so soft. The stakes won't hold. I figured something out and made 3 sets. No scent control measures used because I didn't have my gloves or my knee pad with me. We will see what happens. I may let them soak to dissipate any human scent. Eventually they have to go through there. They are also running above the high bank. along the fence line. I come back and set that area later w/ the boat while checking beaver traps. I don't even have to touch the ground so they won't even smell that I've been there.

I hadn't considered coons but that not a huge deal for me. My grandson wants a coonskin hat. I'm sure they are there even though I didn't see any tracks.

I'm curious as to why you think the cameras will hurt my chances. Do you think it's the cameras that are tipping them off? I was thinking it was scent. I have a deer cell camera in a location that I left out over the winter. I hadn't been able to get to it till recently. I haven't had time to go get it but soon will. Anyway, I got daily and nightly pics of coyotes all winter long. Sometimes as many as 3 at once.

Thanks for the congrats. More stupid luck than anything. It's been fun and educational.

I'm considering it. I found a section of woven wire fence that I didn't know about. Several locations look ideal for a snare. I have a buddy who uses snares. I may enlist his help.

I saw this at the local sporting goods store. I didn't buy it, but maybe some would find it helpful

My thought on professional trappers are like professional hunters. They both go where the game is abundant and spend every day all day after them. More time spent, more equipment out and more game means more success. Yes you still need the general knowledge on where to place your sets but that comes in time. I also believe in limiting your scent and stay off your sets when checking. They know you have been there.

The stink you put out to attract will remain there long after your personal stench has dissipated at the trap site. Some canines are caught the next day, while others won't be caught until next month. Check you sets from a distance so as not to add your stench on a daily basis.

And some wouldn't ever work your sets if they come across them while your scent is still there and I do believe they have a way of warning others to some degree that there could be danger there. Not that every coyote will heed the warning.

When you see a dead deer that has been handled by people go untouched in the middle of winter in a spot that has at least one coyote walk by 95 out of a 100 nights you will start asking yourself why.

Yep, I do what I can within reason, without being to anal about it, to minimize the scent I leave. That way it dissipates faster, then I follow Carl's advice and try not to add fresh scent to it.

I wear gloves, don't kneel on the ground while setting and use clean gear. It makes a difference where you are setting also, you mentioned setting at a gate where a road goes through a fence, if that road is used remotely regularly, the coyotes will expect to smell human scent where people get out and open and close the gate, as long as you don't leave an inordinate amount of scent there, your scent in the area shouldn't spook them (unless they are wised up to your scent in particular, I have seen that happen). Now scent on your gear is another thing, but just scent on the ground from you walking where coyotes are used to smelling humans walk should be fine. Leaving a bunch of scent in an area where they usually never encounter human scent can raise some big red flags with them though.